sharkbait2010
Registered
Lets keep this simple. You are a new diver. Congradulations. Enjoy recreational diving and keep it simple until you gain experience and additional instruction. The last thing you need to be doing is complicating your dive with additional equipment, which also adds to an additional expense as well.
You said that you were concerned about having spare emergency air. Well, you do. it is called a buddy. That is your spare air and your support. He/she should be within reach in case you get into trouble (obviously).
The better place to spend money is on a quality computer. Good computers will sound an alarm when your air gets to a preset pressure, letting you know that "hey dummy, get your ass out." I call it the idiot alarm, as only an idiot does not monitor his/her tank pressure. Does the computer help with a catastrophic failure? No. Of course not. The chances of that are slim to none with well maintained gear, even rental equipment from a reputable shop. Shops do not want anyone to get hurt. The shop that I help instuct at regularly services their gear. How do they know when theres a problem? The instructors and helping divemasters usually catch most issues during training, take that item out of service, and the shop repairs it.
On the subject of spare airs vs. pony bottles? Spare airs are extremely limited and very dependent on your air consumption rate. General rule of thrumb is if you have to use a spare air you will need to to a CESSA with it, especially if you are deep. They just do not provide much air. Pony bottles will at least allow you to do an immediate abort of the dive, a normal ascent and safety stop and return to the surface.
I have several hundred logged dives, both deep and shallow, and have never had a need for one, nor have I ever seen anyone have a need for one. That is basedon recreational diving, not tech, wreck and any other extreme specialy diving.
Final thoughts. When it comes to recreational diving, which most of us are doing. Keeping it simple makes diving much more enjoyable. Staying as stream lined as possible makes it enjoyable.
Start with a good computer, keep safe buddy diving practices and enjoy the sport. Good luck.
Mark
You said that you were concerned about having spare emergency air. Well, you do. it is called a buddy. That is your spare air and your support. He/she should be within reach in case you get into trouble (obviously).
The better place to spend money is on a quality computer. Good computers will sound an alarm when your air gets to a preset pressure, letting you know that "hey dummy, get your ass out." I call it the idiot alarm, as only an idiot does not monitor his/her tank pressure. Does the computer help with a catastrophic failure? No. Of course not. The chances of that are slim to none with well maintained gear, even rental equipment from a reputable shop. Shops do not want anyone to get hurt. The shop that I help instuct at regularly services their gear. How do they know when theres a problem? The instructors and helping divemasters usually catch most issues during training, take that item out of service, and the shop repairs it.
On the subject of spare airs vs. pony bottles? Spare airs are extremely limited and very dependent on your air consumption rate. General rule of thrumb is if you have to use a spare air you will need to to a CESSA with it, especially if you are deep. They just do not provide much air. Pony bottles will at least allow you to do an immediate abort of the dive, a normal ascent and safety stop and return to the surface.
I have several hundred logged dives, both deep and shallow, and have never had a need for one, nor have I ever seen anyone have a need for one. That is basedon recreational diving, not tech, wreck and any other extreme specialy diving.
Final thoughts. When it comes to recreational diving, which most of us are doing. Keeping it simple makes diving much more enjoyable. Staying as stream lined as possible makes it enjoyable.
Start with a good computer, keep safe buddy diving practices and enjoy the sport. Good luck.
Mark