Spare Air - Sorry!

[RalphPorter]

Yep many thanks everyone - food for thought indeed.

 

[benrachor]

I have a spare air (3cu/ft) I started carrying recently mainly because I dive alone. Most of my dives are shallow, under 30', but I still like the added security. I actually used it once just for practice, as practice makes perfect, I got about 10 minutes out of it. Worst case is I figure I'll use it on an safety stop if I run low on my main supply or if I just plain run out period.

Also I have heard of guys keeping them in their boats for emergencies. I used to keep mine in my boat just in case I had to dive in and cut line out of my prop or something. I always have a extra mask in my boat just for emergencies, why not a little air.

 

[UaVaj]

I have a spare air (3cu/ft) I started carrying recently mainly because I dive alone. Most of my dives are shallow, under 30', but I still like the added security. I actually used it once just for practice, as practice makes perfect, I got about 10 minutes out of it. Worst case is I figure I'll use it on an safety stop if I run low on my main supply or if I just plain run out period.

Also I have heard of guys keeping them in their boats for emergencies. I used to keep mine in my boat just in case I had to dive in and cut line out of my prop or something. I always have a extra mask in my boat just for emergencies, why not a little air.

There should be a warning label on a spare air limited to 33'

 

[String]

It's been a while since I taught in the UK... but I thought 'redundant air source' included the use of an assistant. The assistant has to be Rescue Diver (or equiv) and above. A DMT fits that role nicely... providing emergency cover for the instructor (but not responsible for the students).

Basically, the instructor must not be reliant on air-sharing from their students.

You need the in-water rescue trained assistant and a on-shore support person. The redundant air source is for you - you cant use someone elses.

I know of at least one fatality (Plymouth, UK) a few years ago, that was directly attributable to the incorrect procedural use of a pony cylinder.

I can think of 5 or 6 in the last few years. Usually results in people breathing from a backmount pony by mistake to start a dive then going OOG. Happens a lot. I dislike backmount ponies for that reason amongst others.

 

[BoltSnap]

What is your standard way to attach and use the pony?

 

[Buoyant1]

What is your standard way to attach and use the pony?

I'm using a 40cf cylinder. I have mine clipped to waist and chest D-rings on my left side. You can barely make it out in my avatar.

I've seen smaller ones attached to back cylinders by various means.

 

[txapacheguy]

What is your standard way to attach and use the pony?

Mine is set up in this fashion, and I intend to sling it from the left side of my BP/W harness the way a stage bottle is carried.

DIR-diver.com - Stagebottle rigging

My regulator hose is secured with bungies right now due to the fact that I have not taken the time to hunt down any properly sized rubber innertube. I have not decided if I want to use a small nickel gauge screwed directly into a HP port, or use a short HP hose and SPG secured to the valve/reg with cave line in a DIR fashion. I might try both and see which I like better...

For the wife's kit, I might set up a bracket for her to carry one of our pony bottles backmount if she has issues with the bottle slung on her Zeagle Ranger BCD, but we are going to have her try to sling it first. Even with the possible issues a back mounted pony can cause, I would prefer to see her diving with a fully redundant air supply if possible.

 

[String]

What is your standard way to attach and use the pony?

When i used one (i use twins 100% of time now) i just side sling it like a stage. Carried in the same way as in turned off but pressurised, reg stowed under some inner tube or bungee. That means its virtually impossible to breathe off it by accident as it needs (i) turning on and (ii) deploying a reg actively.

Its also far easier to unclip to hand back up to a boat, put on just prior to diving and so on. You can SEE if its leaking (but doesnt matter as its off anyway) and many other things.

 

[bletso]

Another thing to keep in mind that if you need air at 60 or more ft of depth is that you have already, in all probability, accumulated some nitrogen and though it may be preferable to get a DCS hit by doing a CESA than drowning, would it not be preferable to have at least a 13 cf pony?

I have all my advanced students perform a switch from 30 mfw (100 ft), do a normal ascent and a 3 min safety stop. They are all shocked by how much air they have left. Remember that with a truly redundant supply, there really is no emergency and the corresponding anxiety that goes with it. I have never had one run out of air on the pony.

Our shop also requires all divers to carry redundancy whilst diving below 20 msw. Just my quirk. S... happens and it never happens when you or how you think it will. Accumulate enough dives and bottom time and Murphy will be waiting the first time, (or the 1000th time) you drop you guard for an instant.

You already have the 2nd stage, (your octo), all you need is a 1st, a pony and a button spg, which you check before each dive.

I have seen regs freeze and empty a cylinder in a minute. I have had regs give more water than air. Although air redundancy is important in my view, historically the basic skills are just if not more important. Regs and masks kicked off by a buddy or other diver, lost fins, inflators stuck or pulled out. True, no air is the only true emergency, if you can't handle the basics all the air in world won't help!

Safe diving

Dale

 

[BoltSnap]

Why not use some sort of a pony bracket to attach it to the main tank?