Spare air VS pony? Why?

[DeepScuba]

String:

I guess you need a new buddy.


I'm not the foolish one, I have only good buddies, who are always there, and who pay attention. Period.

Besides the point, that my "Buddy" as far as a redundant air supply is concerned, is my doubles set up, as I generally have no "real" buddy. (At least 70% of the time).

Foolish is doing a CESA with your buddy beside you, is my point, incase you missed it.

Scare-Air is a waste, incase you've missed it.

We're talking NORMALLY in ALL cases, because of course anybody could argue anything with their own, ready made scenario why we should carry 13 stages if they wanted to!

Liek I've said, 99 times out of 100 you don't need spare air, because you buddy is right there.

As to the original question of spare air vs. a pony, they pony won the game after the 1 post.

The truthful answer is, if you're looking for redundancy, it's your buddy or your own VIABLE redundant air supply, which does NOT include Scare-Air.

If people would follow the rules of buddy diving, and rule of thirds, Scare-Air would be a mute point.

When I Rec dive, I follow the buddy system. Whether others do is not my problem, and the "fix" certainly isn't Scare-air.

 

[jviehe]

Boogie711 once bubbled...


Or put another way:

I'm going to wear a piece of string instead of a seatbelt tonight. In an accident, a piece of string will keep you inside. It's been done.

I'm going to snowboard this winter using only a cafeteria tray in my boxershorts. That's all I need to get downhill. It's been done.

I'm going to rock-climb without ropes or a safety harness. In an emergency, I just need to hang unto a tree branch, that will keep me alive. It's been done.


Need I continue? Or do I "rest my case?"

In fact, no, you missed the point completely. Let me use your examples:

Go driving without a seatbelt.

Go snowboarding without a tray

Go rock climbing without a tree branch

I hope you live (tm)

 

[String]

DeepScuba once bubbled...
String:

I guess you need a new buddy.


I'm not the foolish one, I have only good buddies, who are always there, and who pay attention. Period.

OK its clear you either dont live in the real world or dive in high current 0-5ft vis conditions very often.

Buddy separation can occur and there are times when you can do absolutely nothing about it. One pokes his head out of a gulley, gets taken by the current, in 1/10th second is out of sight. No way to get them back. On a low vis drift dive some obstruction such as a rock appears forcing buddies a few ft apart to clear, due to varying currents you cant get back together.

Many other examples.

If you are so sure about your buddy being there i take it you only carry 1 knife between 2 of you, 1 computer between 2 of you, no spare mask or anything as your buddy will always have it right ? Why bother with redundancy when your buddy is always there. One compass, one depth gauge ? If consumption is similar, 1 SPG too between the pair ?

Foolish is doing a CESA with your buddy beside you, is my point, incase you missed it.

I never said it wasnt.

 

[ScubaRon]

jonnythan once bubbled...
Except for the fact that you're not allowed to travel with a compressed gas bottle, even if it is a Spare Air.

That's why you hit purge and the bottle empties. Due to the regulator design you don't have to worry about moisture entering and as long as the reg stays on a visual is not needed.

hambleto once bubbled...
Can you remove the valve/stem/regulator from a spare air as you can a pony?

Yes, but the only need for that is when security personnel requests so, which is very very rarely.
ScubaRon

 

[jonnythan]

ScubaRon once bubbled...

That's why you hit purge and the bottle empties. Due to the regulator design you don't have to worry about moisture entering and as long as the reg stays on a visual is not needed.


Yes, but the only need for that is when security personnel requests so, which is very very rarely.
ScubaRon

I believe the FAA regulations are pretty explicit. Any compressed air bottle must be shipped without any valve in whatsoever. Am I wrong on this?

 

[String]

Not sure about the FAA but the CAA (and possibly JAA wide but cant check this) allow cylinders to be carried provided they are empty and the valve is left open.

 

[Charlie99]

jonnythan once bubbled...
I believe the FAA regulations are pretty explicit. Any compressed air bottle must be shipped without any valve in whatsoever. Am I wrong on this?

Yes.

 

[roakey]

In case no one has yet used the search function, this has been discussed before and can be found at:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t958/s.html

Looks like all the points being brought up here have already been hashed out in that note, in case anyone wants to expend their energy on actully debating a new topic somewhere...

Roak

 

[DeepScuba]

Well String Ole Pal, I only dive in the real world..low vis, cold, current, haven't been in a wet suit in a year, ya know REAL diving............

What's your drill for buddy separation?

Hmmmm what is everyone doing NEEDING Scare-Air in the first place ??


Complete reg failure requiring an alternate source is pretty rare, really. Complete brain failure and not being able to read a pressure guage isn't quite as rare, but still rare enough.

Maybe it's time to get a new hobby if you're that afraid of the "what-ifs". We must keep it all in context.


Thanks Roakey

 

[jviehe]

roakey once bubbled...
In case no one has yet used the search function, this has been discussed before and can be found at:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t958/s.html

Looks like all the points being brought up here have already been hashed out in that note, in case anyone wants to expend their energy on actully debating a new topic somewhere...

Roak

Yes, but theres a new crop of debaters now (master-debaters i might add).