Spare Air / Pony Tanks - Real life stories ??

[dsteding]

you guys are harsh.

Sorry Catherine . . . (sheepishly slinking away)

 

[crosing]

I always thougt Spare Air was a big waste of money and could possibly be dangerous to boot but after reading some of those fake stories I am adding fraudulent and deceitful to the mix.

 

[Thalassamania]

So, anybody have any other real life stories? Stories of people saved by bailout bottles? Stories of divers getting cocky and winding up on the bottom with a empty spare air in their hands?

Naw, I don't know anyone who survived the use of a spare air. Well ... in reality I don't remember anyone who ever used one for real, so I guess that's true.<G>

 

[roakey]

I would imagine the reason they make a Nitrox Spare Air is not to increase bottom time, but rather because they assume you'll be bleeding off your tank, and if you're a Nitrox diver, you're filling it with Nitrox, therefore it would need Viton o-rings, oxygen compatible lubricant, whatever is involved with cleaning a cylinder for o2, you guys know this better than I do...

If you're filling off your cylinder, the spare air would never see 100% O2 (assuming recreational use here) so it would not have to be made ready for oxygen service. So if they charge more for it, it's a waste of money.

Roak

 

[lamont]

http://northwestdiver.com/forums/showpost.php?p=18681&postcount=73

"...his primary tank was completely empty...his pony bottles second stage had pulled loose from its double retainer and become lodged behind him..."

biggest problem in this dive was a bad gas plan on a short fill of an Al80 based on the belief that a pony bottle would work as bailout -- but the victim couldn't get to the regulator and either embolised on a fast ascent, or drowned due to the issue with the inflator preventing oral inflation...

lessons:

- do not use a config where the pony reg can pull loose of a retainer
- if you are low on gas go on the pony bottle while you still have some backgas
- do not make bailout bottles part of the gas plan

 

[ArcticDiver]

Lets face it. We can construe situations where no amount of gas, short of surface supply, will do the job. But, that isn't very realistic if we are going to enjoy the sport. So we take risks. One of those risks is the decision on how much gas to carry for a specific dive. Then, how many tanks to carry that gas in.

So, if I carry my gas in a single 100cf tank with Y-valve and dual regulators am I in any significantly different postion than the person who chooses to carry that gas in an 80cf main tank and a 20cf second tank?

Or, a person who chooses to carry the gas in two 50cf tanks?

The first case is a single tank diver and the latter two are both doubles divers.

So, to me the issue isn't how many, or what size tanks. The issue is an inadequate analysis of the likely reasons the "extra" gas will be needed.

Most of the people I have personally experienced use the word "pony" to mean a second tank with just enough gas to make it back to the surface after an equipment failure. Where most of the people who use the word "doubles" mean a second tank with enough gas to handle just about any conceiveable unforseen situation.

So, maybe the biggest favor we could all do for the cause of good analysis is stop using the word "pony" to mean a small second tank. Instead, acknowledge that adding a second tank by definition makes it doubles and concentrate on developing good analysis that will insure the amount and distribution of the gas will meet any forseen contingency.

Let's take out the emotion and concentrate on improving our analysis.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Lets face it. So, maybe the biggest favor we could all do for the cause of good analysis is stop using the word "pony" to mean a small second tank. Instead, acknowledge that adding a second tank by definition makes it doubles and concentrate on developing good analysis that will insure the amount and distribution of the gas will meet any forseen contingency.....

I think that is a bad idea and will result in more confusion with nomenclature.

 

[c555]

This isn't one of my experiences, but I read in one of the magazines about a guy who went through his air fast because he had bad consuption and his octo was leaking so on the second dive he brought two tanks, one strapped to his back and holding the other tank on his side like a sling, but without a reg. When the first one was spent he took of his jacket, switched to his spair air, and tried to change out tanks underwater. He couldn't, panicked, and bolted to the surface. How dumb can you get.

 

[JeffG]

Is your sig intentionally ironic? :huh:

I was really hoping this thread would not turn into people bashing ponys and spare airs without posting actual experiences or facts (because thats how every other pony thread is)... but I guess 10 / 26 posts isn't bad.

Rob

Well...I guess I know how to value your knowledge now.

 

[JeffG]

lol

What else would you call a guy that bought a nitrox spare air?