Looking for a mini tank.......

[MikeC]

Thanks again guys. I believe the class at school is conducted in our swimming pool, so I will get to experience that I need soon enough. Would it be ok if I used a "spare air" in a pool or pond? If I ran out I could surface quickly. I guess I just want to experience being under water for a longer that I can hold my breath. Are these bad habits to start out on?

YES!!!! If you surface too quickly you can damage your lungs, not a good thing. You can hurt yourself in 3-5 feet of water. Please, for your safety wait until you take the class or as "scubajoe" said take a discover scuba class at a dive shop.

On another note, you say that you are a college student. Well Spare Air's cost around $300 new at a dealer, do you want to throw that money away? Save your money for the gear you will want to buy after you get certified.

We don't want to dull your desire to dive, we want you to do it as safe as possible.

 

[DandyDon]

Sigh....I guess my idea was not so good after all. I will gladly take your advice, and wait my time. I appreciatte your help and patience and look foward to become active here at scubaboards.com.

Hey, the idea showed enthusiasm. We all like that. When I first read it, my mind sceamed, "No, no, no!!" But the others have covered it very well.

You can snorkel and free dive, though. That'll safely get you the feeling of underwater control. Good practice for Scuba, too, I think, and fun until you get certified. Just don't hyperventilate and dive!

 

[fmw625]

You might also get "ahead of the game" by going to your school book store or Local Dive Shop (LDS) and pick up the book on Open water Certification. While waiting for my OW class to organize I borrowed a SSI book from one of my coworkers. My cert. is from PADI and I saw very little diffrences in the actual instructions in either manual.

 

[ScubaCollin]

Pony Bottles and Spare Air and to be used only in times of need (eg. running out of air) I wouldnt reccomend taking a spare air bottle underwater as a primary air supply.

ScubaDiving is NOT a sport that you want to cheap out on. If you can't afford all the proper equipment PLEASE wait awhile untill you can. Last thing I want to hear about is another person getting injured.

Dive Safe

 

[pasley]

Welcome (in the futrue to the world) of SCUBA. As a citizen of lala land in Los Angeles and Hollywood, those are Balsa Wood tanks that are used on the show, not a big help to diving. The minature tanks are spare air tanks. The hold between 1 to 3 Cubic Feet of Air.

To put that in perspective, a typical new diver on a shallow dive of 30 feet or less will burn through 80 Cubic Feet of air in about 15 to 30 minutes depending upon their level of fitness, comfort in the water and proper weighting.

 

[crpntr133]

How about this one? I found it at Scubatoys.com.

 

[pasley]

... If I ran out I could surface quickly. I guess I just want to experience being under water for a longer that I can hold my breath. Are these bad habits to start out on?

SCUBA is a fun sport and if the procedures are followed, a safe one. But there are dangers if it is not done properly.

By surfacing quickly from just 3 feet down you run the following risk:
Lung expansion injury. Barotrauma. If you hold you breath, and blow you lung up. Air expands as you come towards the surface.

Embolism, air bubble goes to the brain, that can't be good, result, stroke like symptoms or death.

The Bends. You get bent resulting in pain and potentially paralysis or death. This last is not real likely as your spare air would not hold enough for you to intake much nitrogen.

All of the above can occur in as little as 4 feet of water.

 

[MSilvia]

Some people use a spare air as a backup for diving, but they aren't even very well suited to that task, as you won't get many breaths out of one. The only good uses I know of for them are bailout air for folks like jet-boat and helicopter pilots who might crash and sink. The extra minute it can buy them might mean the difference between life and death when submerged near the surface.

As for the baywatch thing, they use spare-air like some movie heros use revolvers that never need to be reloaded. It's fiction... in real life, you only get so many breaths or bullets.

 

[Mako Mark]

did anyone else notice that NO_ONE watches the show???? Even though it is the most watched televisions show in the world??

And even though I dont watch the show either, I do know that while Mitch Buchannan can make one of them last 20 minutes at over 100 ft, he also gets chased by giant electric moray eels which arent true either.

Spare airs were designed and tested for the US navy, for their Carrier PILOTS. they were never designed as a piece of diving quipment.

Hey Alpha, welcome to the board and stick around there is no such thing as a stupid question.

I always wondered how the Baywatch guys keep their shorts on when they dive of their scarab at high speed. (not that I have seen the show)

 

[teknitroxdiver]

The last time I watched it was about 4 years ago, yes, they're Spare Airs. Don't buy one now to fool in the pool with. Don't buy one after you're certified either. As has been said, they aren't good for diving, they just don't hold enough air to be a viable backup..