Pony bottle vs. Spare Air?

[Lowrider Steve]

While I certainly agree that if you are in an overhead situation you should have more contengency air since you have so few options. However, for recreational diving, I contend that a Spare Air is better than nothing at all. A few breaths to get over to your buddy could make all the difference.

 

[Phrenzy]

Looks like this thread may live thru Groundhog Day.

Remember the movie...?

Bah! Impossible!

 

[DandyDon]

Bah! Impossible!

Happy Groundhog Day! Our prairie dogs saw their shadow when the lazy bums finally got out today. I guess winter will last beyond Texas Independence Day now. :11:

 

[Captain CCR]

The spare air will only delay drowning, unless in Hollywood.
The Pony will allow for self-rescue and safe controlled return to the surface.

 

[Lowrider Steve]

The spare air will only delay drowning, unless in Hollywood.
The Pony will allow for self-rescue and safe controlled return to the surface.

I wonder how many of you that say this kind of stuff have ever run out of air.

Also, to be clear, I agree that if you run out of air, a pony would be MUCH better than Spare Air. While I have not been diving all that long, I have never seen a recreational diver, in warm water, carry a pony.

Let me ask this: do you always carry a pony on all dives?

 

[ryssyr]

I wonder how many of you that say this kind of stuff have ever run out of air.

Also, to be clear, I agree that if you run out of air, a pony would be MUCH better than Spare Air. While I have not been diving all that long, I have never seen a recreational diver, in warm water, carry a pony.

Let me ask this: do you always carry a pony on all dives?

Yes.

I always carry a pony. Here is a pic. Water temp 80F.



btw the only thing a spare air is good at saving is the length of this thread!

 

[DandyDon]

I wonder how many of you that say this kind of stuff have ever run out of air.

OOA: Once
Reg fail: Once
Buddy needing air: Few times
Undependale buddy: Several

Also, to be clear, I agree that if you run out of air, a pony would be MUCH better than Spare Air. While I have not been diving all that long, I have never seen a recreational diver, in warm water, carry a pony.

How many dives you got below 60 ft? Even then, it's not common, but you will in time.

Let me ask this: do you always carry a pony on all dives?

On all dives below 50-60 ft, all poor viz dives, all Cozumel dives, more to be named later...

 

[Papa_Bear]

Bailout bottles are better if you need, as one put it. such things. With 13cft or 19cft you can really make a safety stop if you need one! The best part is if your buddy needs air hand them the bottle and back away! Much safer for all involved and you can easily attach the hole thing to a D-ring or two and bungee the reg to the bottle and it makes a nice little bundle! It's then something you can use for redundancy and not just another toy! Spare air is useless and I think its the same guy who invented split fins!:no

 

[micklock]

Happy Groundhog Day! Our prairie dogs saw their shadow when the lazy bums finally got out today. I guess winter will last beyond Texas Independence Day now.

I bet it won't last as long as this thread.

 

[divematt]

Spare Air at dept below 80 ft. You are lucky to get two breaths before empty. Tested coming up from the HMS Yukon and due to gas compression in such a small cylinder it was good for two breaths. So If you do lots of deep diving I reccomend a bigger bottle say a 13cuft or 19cuft. The separate regulator is a moot issue, anything is cool if secured properly. Most cavers and wreck rats know this to be true, the tech side tends to learn to stream line redundency.

First of all let me preface this by saying that I do not own a "Spare Air", but do own a AL30 pony bottle. I can see if someone wanted to use a Spare Air for getting a couple of breaths while on his way towards his dive buddy to use their Octopus. It may not be enough get you to the surface with your safety stop. You have to admit, the pony is a lot larger for it's advantages. That's fine it has it's place and I use mine. A Spare Air might be used for nothing more than a small easy and quick way to locate mouthful of air or two like I said while locating another diver nearby. It's not a pony, it's not an excuse for poor buddy skills, just a small tool that may add a minute or two, while he get's another divers attention. It's also simple and small enough to hook to your BC. You can get them for $189.00.

How do you figure that you only get 2 breaths at 80 or more feet? The 3 cubic foot Spare Air advertises that you get 57 breaths at the surface which is one atmosphere. At 33 feet or two atmospheres you should get 28 breaths. At 66 feet or 3 atmospheres, you should get 19 breaths. At 99 feet or 4 atmospheres you should get 14 breaths. Even if you are somewhat in a panic and take double the size breaths, you ought to be able to get 6 or 8 large breaths while getting the attention of another regulator from a buddy.

Again I'm not choosing a Spare Air over a Pony, they're not even in the same game, but they're not useless in what little they're good for. If nothing more than a few breaths while getting another persons attention, it may make the difference between rushing to the surface from 90 feet and getting someones alternate air source into your mouth while you both save your stupid butt from you doing something stupid in the first place.