PADI Self Reliant Diver with Spare Air?

[drrich2]

My instructor was a tech. diver, too, but I believe I got a lot of that info. studying gas planning in the SDI Solo course manual studying for the course itself. I used a 30 cf pony for the course.

 

[doctormike]

While I agree the SDI standard specifically includes Spare Air and does not make an exception for shallow.

N

Right, but I wasn't addressing the SDI standards. I was addressing your post where you said that you thought it was adequate for shallow shore dives. I was just pointing out that there was another free alternative to a Spare Air for those....

 

[VikingDives]

Could it be that the instructor was having the student try using the SpareAir to reinforce that it is NOT sufficient?

Unfortunately, no. I was frankly kind of surprised when I heard the discussion about how long the air had lasted, because I didn't see a pony bottle anywhere.

 

[Nemrod]

Yes I agree with you completely but for those who wish to dive within the standard the surface is not listed as acceptable but a SpareAir is.

N

 

[doctormike]

Yes I agree with you completely but for those who wish to dive within the standard the surface is not listed as acceptable but a SpareAir is.

N

I agree with you too!

 

[Steve_C]

I will point out that also part of solo is that it is not supposed to be a pinnacle dive and should be well within your experience. You are not supposed to push the limits solo according to the course.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Only a dick instructor would allow a Spare Air as redundancy IMHO.

COTD!!!!

 

[gfaith]

I took this right out of the Padi Instructor Guide page 18

The most common reserve for self-reliant diving is 33 percent
(“thirds” or “rule of thirds”). This means 33 percent of your
supply is purely for contingency use.

Maybe not a standard but it appears recommended by Padi too.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I took this right out of the Padi Instructor Guide page 18

The most common reserve for self-reliant diving is 33 percent
(“thirds” or “rule of thirds”). This means 33 percent of your
supply is purely for contingency use.

Maybe not a standard but it appears recommended by Padi too.

Currently there is no student manual for the course. Hopefully one will be submitted by the end of the year. It will be interesting to see how that goes.

 

[VikingDives]

It is also a skill performance standard (dive #2) to:

"While continuously swimming, simulate an out-of-air emergency and change from your primary air supply to your redundant air supply system within 30 seconds, then breath from the redundant air supply system for at least TWO minutes"

Good luck for 2 minutes at any reasonable depth on a Spare Air..

On dive #3, the performance requirement is:

"While continuously swimming, simulate an out-of-air emergency and change from your primary air supply to your redundant air supply within 30 seconds, then deploy a lift bag or DSMB and ascend to the surface, stopping at 5 metres/15 feet for a three minute safety stop".

Sadly, the manual provides no direction or standard on the minimum capacity for a redundant air source. It gives gas management info, then merely states that "As a self-reliant diver, your redundant air supply system covers you for low on, or out of gas problems".

I doubt PADI had a spare air in mind. But, with no direction on min volume, it's open to interpretation of what a 'pony cylinder' is.

Only a dick instructor would allow a Spare Air as redundancy IMHO.

It happened that I saw both these dives. My buddy and I passed on our ascent when the student was doing dive 2 - we'd been down deeper, but my guess is they were between 30 and 50 feet. IIRC the student got like 4 minutes from the SpareAir. I'm almost 100% the student was not continuously swimming.

On their dive 3, I saw the student shoot the smb - and then the line started to threaten to entangle my buddy as we did our safety stop. There wasn't any active swimming going on, except for my buddy and I actively swimming away from that mess.

Thanks for answering my question, and I LOL'ed at the dick instructor statement.