Spare Air: some thoughts

[DCBC]

How can you be sure about that? When I carried a Spare Air I didn't change the way I dived, not one bit. Although I was aware I had it and was a bit more at ease knowing I had the redundancy, I never used it to extend a dive or push the limits any more than I already do.

You used it in the manner it was designed to be used. Not everyone uses their equipment in this manner. How can I be sure? Well lets just say I've been diving long enough to be aware that not all divers use their equipment within operational design parameters.

 

[idocsteve]

You used it in the manner it was designed to be used.

Yeah except for time I used it in a way that it was NOT designed to be used and it was almost my last dive...

In Cozumel 3 yrs ago we were on a surface interval, anchored over a shallow reef. I figured what the heck, why waste a good dive opportunity, and put the Spare Air reg in my mouth, letting the cylinder hand down from my jaw..and dove in with mask, fins, and 3mm wetsuit.

I was down around 25-30 feet or so...I forget if the depth was an estimate or if I had my wrist dive computer on at the time...and I was working to stay down because I was quite positive wearing no weights.

I got about 20 or so breaths and then sucked the cylinder dry with no warning. There I was, about 30 feet down, quite winded, and out of gas with near empty lungs. I did a fast ascent, blowing bubbles and humming all the way up.

 

[DCBC]

I got about 20 or so breaths and then sucked the cylinder dry with no warning. There I was, about 30 feet down, quite winded, and out of gas with near empty lungs. I did a fast ascent, blowing bubbles and humming all the way up.

Need I say more?

 

[Arizona_SVO]

Now, can we please have a serious explanation for carrying two SpareAirs? Is it to handle the case where a diver and her buddy both go OOG?

Safety Stop?

 

[idocsteve]

Need I say more?

That's not for me to decide.

 

[redacted]

Yeah except for time I used it in a way that it was NOT designed to be used and it was almost my last dive...

In Cozumel 3 yrs ago we were on a surface interval, anchored over a shallow reef. I figured what the heck, why waste a good dive opportunity, and put the Spare Air reg in my mouth, letting the cylinder hand down from my jaw..and dove in with mask, fins, and 3mm wetsuit.

I was down around 25-30 feet or so...I forget if the depth was an estimate or if I had my wrist dive computer on at the time...and I was working to stay down because I was quite positive wearing no weights.

I got about 20 or so breaths and then sucked the cylinder dry with no warning. There I was, about 30 feet down, quite winded, and out of gas with near empty lungs. I did a fast ascent, blowing bubbles and humming all the way up.

Thank you for illustrating the kinds of stupid things that a spare air might entice an undisciplined diver to do.

For the diver who might be tempted to use a spare air in this or any similar manner which creates an unnecessary OOA situation and other hazards, the idea that some air is better than no air does not hold.

 

[idocsteve]

Thank you for illustrating the kinds of stupid things that a spare air might entice an undisciplined diver to do.

For the diver who might be tempted to use a spare air in this or any similar manner which creates an unnecessary OOA situation and other hazards, the idea the some air is better than no air does not hold.

In retrospect I should have had a pony bottle as a redundant air source when I was using the Spare Air as my primary.

 

[redacted]

In retrospect I should have had a pony bottle as a redundant air source when I was using the Spare Air as my primary.

Or you could even go so far as to not dive on compressed gas during a surface interval.

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Thank you for illustrating the kinds of stupid things that a spare air might entice an undisciplined diver to do.

I strongly suspect that the people arguing against SpareAir on the basis of risk compensation are thinking of divers who occasionally push their backgas to its limits or wander away from their buddies thinking subconsciously that they have a SpareAir if anything goes wrong.

Diving on a SpareAir alone is clearly an outlier as far as statistics are concerned. Then again, I'm a bit of a , I've used a Petzle Grigri for self-belay when solo climbing, a use that is dangerous and prohibited explicitly by the manufacturer.

 

[idocsteve]

I've used a Petzle Grigri for self-belay when solo climbing, a use that is dangerous and prohibited explicitly by the manufacturer.

Damn and I thought I was reckless.

By any chance was it a salted Petzel?