Spare Air - Sorry!

[String]

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

(i) unbalances
(ii) cant check it for leaks/turn it on/off
(iii) people breathe from wrong reg and end up dead
(iv) heavy on back on land
(v) cant be handed off to someone else or a boat to get back onboard
(vi) 2 more hoses coming in front of you so chance of checking wrong gauge and/or breathing wrong reg exists..and it does happen.

I cant see a single advantage to back mounting.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

(i) unbalances
(ii) cant check it for leaks/turn it on/off
(iii) people breathe from wrong reg and end up dead
(iv) heavy on back on land
(v) cant be handed off to someone else or a boat to get back onboard
(vi) 2 more hoses coming in front of you so chance of checking wrong gauge and/or breathing wrong reg exists..and it does happen.

I cant see a single advantage to back mounting.

I back mount most of the time, also sling a 30 sometimes. I admit, overall the slung configuration has some inherent advantages and for challenging dives it is clearly a solid choice. However, I find myself using back mount most of the time because it is simpler to dive with and a pony is only worthwhile if you use it. I also like the back mount when using the camera.

Regarding your points...

1) You can mount a cam weight to balance on the other side.

2) I can access my valve (mounted down) with easy access, I cannot see it though, so leaks or free flow is a possibility.

3) Since my back mounted pony second is mounted next to valve tucked in between the tank and my BP, other divers are not going to grab it by mistake, neither am I.

4) If you sling, the same weight is transferred from you BP to your shoulder strap. Not really an advantage topside and not really an issue in the water for either.

5) Absolutely true and critical for some types of dives.

6) If you plan correctly, you have no extra hoses in front. It comes down to how you rout them.

 

[String]

All the people that end up dead thought they had the back mount pony sorted too. The brutal fact is that its a configuration that is open to mistakes and they can and do happen and kill people. I dont see the logic in using a system which allows those problems to exist even if you try to mitigate them.

 

[DCBC]

Hi Folks,

Interested in some opinions about the spare air - I've read many negatives about the units but mostly this seems to relate as to whether or not you could ascend from 100' safely on the 3cu bottle... I'd like to put it in a different context (my personal circumstances). I dive with my wife and as such I consider her the most reliable buddy I could have, as does she about me I hope! we don't deep dive - generally 60ft is the floor with occasional deeper detour to see that thing of interest, never got close to OOA as yet - we're very vigilant in that respect. So why I'm really considering a spare air is as a contingency for equipment failure, something that gives some breathing space for both of us to pair up and get on the octopus should the others attention be momentarilly transfixed on the turtle and not their buddy - after all that's why we dive (we're never far away but still I consider any delay might be a long delay if you've got no air!) . What I think I like about the Spare Air setup is this:

• It's small and therefore easy to transport, and I assume pretty unobtrusive whilst diving.
  
• It's self contained - no additional hoses, I consider this lessens the risk of mistaken identity.
  
• It's apparently simple to fill from a main tank.

What I don't like so much is the price but then again anything that adds to safety is money well spent in my opinion.

Some people don't seem to know how to manage their available gas. For these people, regardless of how much gas they carry it can be insufficient at times.

I look at Spare-Air and all other gas delivery systems in the context of their design parameters. I find it odd that no one demeans pony bottles for how little gas they provide for say a timix diver diving to 300'. Simply put, it's the wrong tool for this job.

Each piece of equipment has it's limitations. Each diver must evaluate the limitations of each piece of equipment and select the proper gear for that particular diving situation.

I like Spare-Air. For me it provides an emergency breathing source for a free-ascent. I take one breath and exhale slowly before I take another. I find it great for travel. Overhead environments are a different beast. Like I said, the right tool for the job.

One of the most important thing in selecting a secondary breathing source is the diver's confidence in its selection. If I'm breathing air in an open-environment, Spare-Air will provide me with sufficient gas to do a free-ascent to the surface or my decompression gas. A greater volume is not required.

Given what you'e stated, your max depth is limited and the benefits may outweigh the disadvantages. Spare-Air may provide you with a good solution for your needs.

 

[BoltSnap]

How practical is using a side sling for a photographer? Same question but for a shore diver who enters water from sandy and/or rocky shores?

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

All the people that end up dead thought they had the back mount pony sorted too. The brutal fact is that its a configuration that is open to mistakes and they can and do happen and kill people. I dont see the logic in using a system which allows those problems to exist even if you try to mitigate them.

A set of twin tanks with an isolated manifold is also a configuration open to mistakes by an untrained and careless diver. Yet, they are still used due to multiple benefits, hopefully with proper training, forethought and experience. I don't see a pony as all the much different.

 

[String]

How many people get "pony training" vs twinset training though...

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

How many people get "pony training" vs twinset training though...

Good point. It is all too easy (especially with things like SA on the market) to think (incorrectly) that a redundant air supply is a piece of gear you buy, mount and forget until you need it.

 

[bletso]

Good point. It is all too easy (especially with things like SA on the market) to think (incorrectly) that a redundant air supply is a piece of gear you buy, mount and forget until you need it.

Actually, if you look at like that you will get bit in the a.. Backup gear is of no value if you don't treat it with the same care as your primary set up. But then ......

Dale

 

[BoltSnap]

String,

With all due respect, I don't think that there a lot more people getting Twins training than pony.