I would appreciate if I was not singled out as some sort of noob...thank you very much. I enjoy a healthy and helpful debate.
I dive in safest way I consider possible. One of which is diving with garden gloves. I find them warm, durable and they prevent punctures. If and when I rest with 1 finger on dead coral while filming something to steady my shot... last thing I want is to be pricked, poked, punctured, lacerated or otherwise. My $2.00 garden gloves have done a splendid job protecting me for past 5 years.
I do dive with spare air and pony for reasons of personal safety. I have had a number of critical failures to my gear in the past that make it safer for me personally to dive with redundant air sources in case you know what hits the fan. I have been separated from buddies and I had equipment failures even though my gear is babysat and well maintained.
Do I need a computer on my pony? No. But I have a perfectly fine console that has pressure gauge and I could go ahead and buy a pressure gauge on a hose and spend money or recycle gear that I have.
I will take all comments under advisement as I know that this community has a lot of experienced divers.
I personally dove without redundant air sources for 2 years. Purchased Spare air in 2009 after getting separated from buddies and having to fight current while making my safety stop to meet them on surface. I also had my o-rings blow on me in cavern diving and in a lake and while I always dive in a group of my dive buddies we do not hold hands. I video tape, they lobster. I video tape, they look around for things I could videotape. More than half the time while I am video taping half the group is getting carried off by current so I have to chase after them. I ended up purchasing a pony bottle early this year as additional redundancy.
With that said I will keep experimenting. Thank you for feedback.