"Spare Air" - Experience in its use

[TGreene]

Just out of curiosity, while diving solo how do you intend to keep the reg in your mouth if you have a seizure? (edit: though I suppose there are different types of seizures. I'm not up to speed on the condition.. No pressing need to reply and hijack this thread, a bit of searching is yielding answers to satisfy my curiosity.).

I have Absense Seizures which can be slightly disorienting and cause a blip of time to be lost occassionally.

So it makes sense for a "very young girl" to be left at depth as her buddy makes a run to the surface on a toy bottle of air?

Please re-read what I wrote... The girl knows to thumb the dive and begin her ascent immediately.

Not to nit-pick, but if you're a new diver (your words) without overhead training and recreational dive gear, what are doing entering a wreck that's tight enough to roll off your valve? And a right hand valve at that!

While using a pony is not in and of itself dangerous, your comments lead me to strongly believe that you are not diving safely, and expecting the pony to bail you out. While it's your life and obviously I've never seen you dive, this appears to me to be a pretty questionable approach.

I carry the Pony because if I have a seizure for any reason, then I *could* begin sucking air like there's no tomorrow, so it's there for emergency use. As for getting hung up and my valve closing down most of the way, I figured when moving back and forth trying to get free, is when it rolled closed on me.

I never even noticed until we were free of the wreck, and even then I didn't consider it to be a big deal at all because I knew I had a Pony and my buddy was within arms reach as well since the VIS was so poor.

-Tim

 

[TGreene]

While using a pony is not in and of itself dangerous, your comments lead me to strongly believe that you are not diving safely, and expecting the pony to bail you out. While it's your life and obviously I've never seen you dive, this appears to me to be a pretty questionable approach.

My sole purpose for carrying the Pony at this point is because I feel I have a responsibility to my dive buddies to carry extra air since I have a known medical condition that may require it! I see absolutely no need to have to share air or go into "panic mode" if it can possibly be avoided with a little fore thought on my end.

BTW: On the dive boat this weekend, there was (1) Instructor/ LDS Owner, (2) DM's, (4) Fireman - OW students, (1) Physician OW student and it was interesting to hear all of the questions that I received about the way I have my rig setup. The Instructor/LDS Owner was explaining everything that I have done and for the reasons to the other divers.

-Tim

 

[TheScubaBOB]

Please re-read what I wrote... The girl knows to thumb the dive and begin her ascent immediately.

It's a solution without a problem. Staying close means that her octo would be the buddy's "Spare-Air".

Plus you missed my point about an adult diving only with a "very young girl" who can't control and adult in an OOA situation. This is what we call Solo Diving. How difficult is it to have the "very young girl" dive with an adult buddy team? Sounds much better than "Very young girl" plus "microscopic pony bottle wanna-be" equals acceptable buddy for a diver.

I'm not against Solo Diving, will get the cert next season in fact, but it should involve extra planning and real redundant air like a real pony bottle.

That scenario just sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Using gear to solve a skills or planning issue...

 

[Wayward Son]

I still need some Spare Air stickers. I'm going to put them on my HP117's

 

[Hockeynut]

Let me begin by stating that I'm a new diver who was just certified at the end of March. I also have a medical condition that *could* cause me to suck a tank dry very quickly if I have a seizure while diving.

Who certified you with a condition like this? Just curious.

 

[I Dive]

I carry the Pony because if I have a seizure for any reason, then I *could* begin sucking air like there's no tomorrow, so it's there for emergency use. -Tim

Instead of asking the obvious questions of how you answered your medical questionnaire and who certified you, I want to offer advice-don't SCUBA dive with this condition...

 

[I Dive]

Funny you should say that.... because that is exactly what I call them...a "CESA Bottle".

However, the problem still exists that they can give users a very real false sense of confidence...and consequently increase the temptation to deviate from good practice - because their buddy is no longer viewed as their 'lifeline' in an emergency.

Another issue regarding CESA on Spare Air is the time taken to deploy it. If you don't have one, you start immediately to the surface...and get there. If you have one, you spend vital seconds deploying it, steadying your breathing...and then CESA. I would question how much time... in a real emergency OOA,... it took an average, inexperienced diver to deploy the bottle and begin their emergency ascent.

In my mind, these contraptions make diving unsafer for their existence. If they weren't an option, then the any discerning diver would save their money and buy a proper pony bottle and regulator - giving them a true redundant air source for safe ascent. As it is, many people opt for Spare Air based on deceptive marketing and the issue of cost.

It's nice to see a well thought out and informed response to a likely controversial question/point. Thanks Devon!

 

[TGreene]

Who certified you with a condition like this? Just curious.

Instead of asking the obvious questions of how you answered your medical questionnaire and who certified you, I want to offer advice-don't SCUBA dive with this condition...

Hemiplegic Migraines causing Absense Seizures... I'm PADI certified through a local shop and I answered the medical form completely and truthfully, then included a medical signoff from my physician who also happens to be a diver.

I knowingly accepted the potential for added risk that I face, and then took the initiative to plan accordingly by carrying a 19cf Pony with a completely redundant set of regs. This next year I plan to get into full doubles. I have not and will not ever dive with someone without first making them fully aware of my condition, and then giving them an opportunity to decline diving with me... I was a wilderness guide for several years, and know better than most that communication is key. I also know that we have to be able to at all times be in a position to "self rescue", which is why I carry the Pony.

Rather than commenting on something that you clearly know absolutely nothing about, how about taking the time to LEARN before you speak..? If either of you had paid any attention a page back where another person commented on the seizures and then did his homework to discover that there are many different types, you both made assinine assumptions. Hence, I could personally conclude from this that you're both too stupid to be diving, but I since I don't know either of you or anything about you (other than 1 of you being a DM that should certainly know better than to make stupid assumptions about something that you quite obviously know absolutely nothing about), I would never do so!

-Tim

 

[WD8CDH]

I still need some Spare Air stickers. I'm going to put them on my HP117's

OK, now there are TWO good uses for Spaor Air.

 

[TheScubaBOB]

Hemiplegic Migraines causing Absense Seizures... I'm PADI certified through a local shop and I answered the medical form completely and truthfully, then included a medical signoff from my physician who also happens to be a diver.

Ok, some serious questions from an inquiring mind:

What are the added risks associated with having these Absence Seizures underwater?

Is there a chance of loss of consciousness as a result of a seizure (even for a second or two)?

Is there a chance of a seizure causing your regulator to escape from your mouth?

How does a 19cf Pony Bottle (which includes a separate Regulator) address the problem better than using a larger tank? Seems less gear would be better so if you just need 19cf more air why not buy a couple of 100cf tanks?

As a diabetic diver I know what the concerns of my condition are and how to ensure I'm diving safely. I also make sure my buddies understand that I'm diabetic, where my glucose tablets are kept and what to do in case I start acting "unusual" or become unresponsive.