"Spare Air" - Experience in its use

[Splash-X]

I have used a spair air in open water as part of training. You can get about 58 breaths off of the unit on the surface depending on your breath size.

Like I said, they are for a true OOA emergency, enough juice to get you either to the surface or to hold out until someone can assist

 

[RJP]

I have used a spair air in open water as part of training. You can get about 58 breaths off of the unit on the surface depending on your breath size.

Making it the ideal piece of gear if you run out of air on the surface!

 

[Splash-X]

Making it the ideal piece of gear if you run out of air on the surface!

You don't like the Spair Air don't buy one, plain and simple. Not that hard really, is it? If you don't like a dive slate don't buy one. Get the point?

Gear is a personal choice. I'm not saying I would own a Spare Air but it has a specific purpose. That purpose is DIFFERENT that a pony.

 

[knotical]

mattboy,
You quoted me:

And although this board almost unanimously slams them, if I were out of air, I’d rather have a Spare Air than nothing. Like almost any other device, it’s just a tool – to be used or mis-used.

And then said:

This is the lie that sells those things.

So now that you've called me a liar, explain what is untrue in what I said.

 

[DevonDiver]

I'm not saying I would own a Spare Air but it has a specific purpose. That purpose is DIFFERENT that a pony.

So, what exactly is that purpose?

What parameters exist for the use of Spare Air?

 

[RJP]

So, what exactly is that purpose?

Getting out of a helicopter that's "landed" in the water...

 

[DevonDiver]

Yes, but do Spare Air, provide any criteria or specific parameters for the use of their devices?

I know they market them to scuba divers as an 'emergency ascent bottle', but do they state a maximum operating depth?

 

[I Dive]

After I bought my first pony 13cf, I tried it at 100 ft. I just switched to my pony at 100 ft and did a normal accent including a safety stop. I came to the conclusion 13 cf was not enough for me. You bought it, try it for your self. Make your own conclusion.

You could switch to your Pony at 100 feet, ascend normally, do a 3 minute safety stop-and you don't consider it adequate? What else are you looking for from a Pony?

 

[DevonDiver]

Ah, ok..I checked their website... HERE

In addition to claiming that their system is superior to using a pony , they actually state very little information on the capacity of their product to get you to the surface...

They do claim this....

SPARE AIR is the smallest redundant SCUBA system available with enough air to get you to the surface in an out-of-air emergency.

Enough air? But surely that is dependant on depth? On breathing rate?

"To the surface? But I have 40 minutes of deco? Really?"

The site contains a great many claims, but nothing concrete or tangible.

The only clue comes from the specifications...


As you can see they base these specifications on being able to take "57 surface breaths". From this we can extrapolate...

28.5 breaths @ 10m
19 breaths @20m
14.25 breaths @ 30m
11.5 breaths @40m

..and that pitiful amount is based on 1.6L per breath...which sounds like a low-range prediction to me.

Let's look at it in terms of SAC rate....

Assume a stressed SAC of 20L per minute

The tank contains 85L at 200 bar (.435L capacity cylinder)

At 4 ata (30m) your SAC translates as 80L per minute.

80L per minute....and you have 85L of air......?

In a real emergency, if your breathing was not carefully controlled, your SAC could easily climb to 60+L per minute. And that would translate as less than 20 seconds of air at 40m

Hmmm... so assuming the time to deploy the Spare Air...and some big gasping breaths when you finally get it in your mouth, a few seconds to compose yourself.... and then the shocking truth that your 'wonder device' is already nearly empty...and you still have a 2 minute ascent, plus safety stop....!!!!

Even from shallow depths...the numbers just don't work....

SPECIFICATIONS
Maximum Capacity 3.0 cu ft / 85 liters
Length 13.4" / 34 cm
Diameter 2.25" / 5.71 cm
Maximum Pressure 3000 psi / 200 bar
Weight (full) 2.17 lb. / .985 kg
Surface Breaths* 57
Water Volume 26.62 cu in / .42 liters
*Based on 1.6 liters per breath

How much air will Spare Air give me?
Spare Air's initial concept by Larry Williamson, after the night he nearly drowned, was to give divers one more breath. Historically, divers were trained to make an emergency swimming ascent on their last breath of air, so even one more breath would have been helpful. That idea evolved into giving divers enough air in a compact system to safely get them to the surface from 100 feet with several extra breaths. The original Spare Air, which sold for the first 10 years, contained approximately 30 breaths at the surface, or 1.7 cubic feet of air. Letters received from divers around the world gave proof to the product's ability to save lives.
Over time, a larger model was made, and Spare Air now has 57 breaths at the surface, or 3.0 cubic feet of air (approximately two - five minutes). In most diving situations, rising to the surface from recreational depths takes only a few breaths and no more than a few minutes. In an emergency situation, the same rules can apply if you're prepared. All divers should be trained and up to date in all the latest safety techniques, and Spare Air gives you the additional tool you need in an emergency.

They say it themselves...approx 2-4 minutes...at the surface. So, accounting for higher density/use as atmosphere pressure increases, this time will be reduced proportionately. This means 1-2 minutes at 10m. 30sec-1 min at 40m.

Will I have enough air to make a safety stop?
Each dive emergency is unique, as is each dive profile. Depending on how far into the dive the emergency occurs, a safety stop may or may not be necessary. Not all emergencies are running out of air. Many equipment failures can occur anytime in the dive (click here to read the 21 Ways Divers Run Out of Air). Depending on the depth, your lung capacity, weight, etc., there may be additional air for a safety stop. Read the real-life stories received from customers who share their experiences from various depths and various situations. In many cases, customers reported that because they had Spare Air with them they felt more prepared, remained calmer than they thought they would be in an emergency and therefore made a much more controlled ascent.

Basically...that is a BIG FAT NO then.....
​

 

[scubaseeker]

Wow, never expected so many responses to my simple query. I orginally had indicated I did not want to go into a for and against pony debate/heated argument, but rather concentrate on the Spare Air as a product, and those who have it, their experience with it. In hindsight, I can see that to divorce the two, is near impossible!

Of the many comments back, the one that interests me esp. was

'... He didn't carry it to make it back to the surface. He carried it to get back to his buddy, or the next nearest diver with air. He believed that if he was going to have an incident that caused an OOA situation for him, that Murphy's Law dictated it would be that one time that he had gotten just a little to far away from his buddy. He was also the one that reccomended I see how far I could hold my breath and swim, to see just how far I could be away from my buddy and still make it back to her to get air. ..'
Perhaps I better explain my situation better here. I live and dive in the Arabic Gulf, with both local M.Ers and Western Expats, but most are casual and often transient divers visiting/working in the region. The cost of this is that despite many attempts to get a comitted buddy to stick around, they more often than not -don't. Indeed, even with good intentions, they stray away even at say 30 metres depth. :depressed: Am I alone with this, or is this a problem world-wide in the diving fraternity- probably, though I know some who will say, get a responsible mate, do you ever travel alone???! IMHO this is not practical, always.

I fear that the buddy system works only if all parties know the real danger, especially at significant depths beyond having min depth to do a CESA. So even if that small tank does not provide a huge spanse of air - some air, IMHO, is better than no air.

Also it beats me how so many divers see no merit in have a second source of air, even to share with a buddy who desperately needs air beyond the second stage octp??? The buddy system has much merit, but my experience is that the buddy system can be very dangerous in creating a sense of comfort and security that everybody will come racing to help @ 10-20 metres in less than 2 secs and provide you with their air.

I have no pretense of being an expert, but I have certain intuitions which tell me some air is better than no air...forgetting any sales pitch, which has nothing to do with this query...

A short note of thanks for all those who have contributed and taken the time to respond here. I certainly seek to keep an open mind on all....