“Snorkel” with spare air?

[W W Meixner]

J...

Attached first photo shows a somewhat typical ''bailout DIN reg set'' with button SPG...

Second attached photo...shows a couple typical examples of small cylinder harness assemblies...

I suggest with your seemingly limited knowledge...you stick with the equipment and the training protocols as you were taught during your OW training/certification program...including diving with a certified ''buddy''...not solo...

If you have not yet purchased an OW scuba kit...what you are suggesting is a bad way to start...

You could spend upwards to $1000. for the equipment shown in these photos...cost primarily dependant on chosen reg set and size of cylinder...and accomplish nothing...but getting yourself in trouble deeper...and further away from your point of entry than you should be...

Panic a little...breath a lot...run out of air...

Dive Safe...Warren

 

[doctormike]

I dunno, I think that he may be on to something here.

I like the idea of that belt device to hold the pony and the regulator. But I would make a slight adjustment and put shoulder straps on the pouch that holds the tank. That way it could be held on the snorkelers back, where it would be out of the way. Maybe make it a little bigger so that a larger pony with more capacity could be used, like an AL80.

Oh, and it's probably not a bad idea to put some sort of flotation device on the belt gadget so that you could use air from the tank to adjust your buoyancy while snorkeling. And maybe put that SPG on a hose so that you could see it while you were diving.

Other than those minor adjustments, I think that this would really work! I wonder if anyone has patented something like that...?

 

[ScubaBunga]

I bought a mantus scuba harness - just a simple hardback with straps that holds a pony. Anytime I'm going somewhere that is less than 20' but I want to do more than snorkel or free dive I use it. It IS diving so all rules need to be followed! I have a simple pony setup (single reg, simple pressure gauge). I don't have a computer or timer as this is only ever used for a 10-15 minute very shallow dive, no overhead, no complexities. It's much easier than full gear but again for simple use. Last used in florida bay to look for seahorses, horseshoe & crabs, and starfish in bay. I think at most 10' of water.

 

[diversteve]

accessories, quick draw, pony bottle, pony bottle bracket - Spare Air - Scuba Diving Gear, Classes and Dive , snorkel Charters.

don't know much about it.

 

[Kharon]

I just got a diagnosis that all the vertibrae in my lower back are bone on bone - no disk left. Makes it hard to deal with an Al-80. I have a 27cf steel that I'm thinking of rigging so I can sling it on a belt. I'll put my transmitter on a H2Odyssey EAS2 so I'll have AI for the tank and can fill from other tanks so I don't have to run back to the shop between every dive. Doing the math, I can get 4 full fills in the LP steel 27 from 3 Al-80's.

Put a couple of pouches on the belt for weights, add an orally inflated snorkel vest with a dump valve for buoyancy and I've got a very light gear set that should do just fine for 20-30 foot dives on Bonaire. A heck of a lot less to pack as well. I would be violating one of the solo rules by not having an independant air source. Need to think about that.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I think you'd want some sort of weights/buoyancy compensation system. When I freedive and hang out at the bottom, without weights I'll start floating upward (at least in seawater, with a wetsuit on). And if I were trying to conserve air because the spare air hasn't got much, I might be inclined to hold my breath. After all, that's what I do when freediving....

 

[happy-diver]

Mate you can't be listening to duds save they suck out all your juice and turn you to wood to blow away in the wind

on the left is a back mounted commercial sack that had a bottle regs and bladder inside beautiful

on the right is something I cobbled together utilising a horsecollar and an air II beautiful

To go here

Maximum Snorkeling completely devoid of duds beautiful


ideas for the unencumbered


Bought this yesterday $1755 it's got small tanks too

just can't help myself

 

[jokaz82]

Those look noice happy. Happy, we’re all those belts already on that vest?

I wonder if a 13 or 19pony has any negatives about a basic octopus minus the spare regulator.

Or an air integrated dive computer would also help minimize.

 

[happy-diver]

my dead mate sewed those on when he wasn't, weightbelt webbing, too stiff
a 25cf is as small as I went with that yellow aluminium
but you can squeeze a lot more air into a 2-3L steel tank

Dude it's xnorkeling take nothing and come to the surface when you're low
or a Jvalve, or an unbalanced reg which you can feel when it's getting low
otherwise take a submarine

oops

 

[Queen]

Love that setup, happy! I’ve used a slung pony to extend some snorkeling outings, but it was cumbersome.