Spare Air

[Corigan]

Oh Man, don't let this possible troll stir up the spare air debate. Read the other threads on spare air, they are impossible to miss.

EDIT: Just to clarify things, the possible troll I am referring to is the original poster. I am not referring to anyone having a debate over the pros/cons of spare air.

Matt

 

[Nobby]

The answer is that if you're on a single tank with no sufficient backup you shouldn't be putting yourself in situations where you have no access to your buddy's air supply.

Now in your scenario... you go to your Spare Air and realize that while reaching for it you get entangled in something. You now have, oh, a minute or so to untangle yourself before you drown when your Spare Air runs out. Brilliant.

You should not be in that situation in the first place. Doing single-file swimthroughs on a single tank with a Spare Air as a backup is asking for an accident.

Ok, so I wasn't advocating dangerous diving practises, just highlighting the uses that spare air may have. I do a lot of diving with DPV and I once tested an out of air situation whilst swiming relatively close to you buddy. As DPV will move about 3 - 5 Km and hour it was nigh on impossible to catch my buddy on one breath even if finning (something that would be the last thing you'd be thinking about if you were out of air) this leaves you 2 options make your home with the fishes or do a CESA (unless there is something else that I don't know about). Look we've all done the drills (CESA with a lung-full or air, alerting your buddy with a lung-full of air etc) stark reality is life is not that easy or fortunate. All I am saying is that doing these drills for real will be riddled with anxiety, wouldn't you rather do it with an independent air source? Be old school, don't advance with modern technological advances and be a stick in the mud. I don't really care, I'm still diving with my SPARE AIR because you will never know when you may be in a situation that you can't control

 

[detroit diver]

Anyone notice that the original poster hasn't come back to this thread? 2 posts.

Can you say, Troll??!!!!

 

[Corigan]

Anyone notice that the original poster hasn't come back to this thread? 2 posts.

Can you say, Troll??!!!!

My Thoughs exactly as stated in post #31.. I could be wrong so I put possibly in it, but it really appears to be troll action to me.

Matt

 

[Nobby]

My Thoughs exactly as stated in post #31.. I could be wrong so I put possibly in it, but it really appears to be troll action to me.

Matt

Ok, at the risk of sounding dim I am not actually with you. What is 'troll action'

 

[Corigan]

Ok, at the risk of sounding dim I am not actually with you. What is 'troll action'

Basically it is when someone comes on, creates a new account, and then posts a topic that is known to start big debates/flame wars. Freediving with Spare Air? 2 Posts. No retorts. Basically the guy set up an account, stirred the pot, light the fire, and then departed into the shadows to watch the train wreck. It's called trolling. I could be mistaken and the original poster could be sincere, but it looks kinda fishy to me, as well as atleast one other (DD). There have been plenty of posts in the past about giving freedivers breath at depth, and on spare air. Both have created train wrecks in the past. So the person combines two previous train wrecks into one. It's recipe for disaster, and it appears that some have taken the bait.. Hence the statement on many forums: Don't feed the trolls.

Matt

 

[The Chairman]

It it the Board's long time position that ScubaDiving without having completed an OW class is INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. DON'T DO IT!!! Freedie-ing with a SpareDeath by your side is simply ASKING for an embolism and death.

As for possible uses for this device. They are usually are good for Identifying people with little to no buddy skills. They also give a good indication of who to sell that swamp land to. They also make great paper weights! As an instructor, I feel obliged to warn each and every student to AVOID this gadget. They are trained from the beginning to NEVER be OOA (out of air) and to NEVER, EVER be OOB (Out of Buddy). Being both OOA and OOB at the same time indicates multiple failures that should NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER happen. To do this in an overhead environment is unconscionable.

 

[Nobby]

It it the Board's long time position that ScubaDiving without having completed an OW class is INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. DON'T DO IT!!! Freedie-ing with a SpareDeath by your side is simply ASKING for an embolism and death.

As for possible uses for this device. They are usually are good for Identifying people with little to no buddy skills. They also give a good indication of who to sell that swamp land to. They also make great paper weights! As an instructor, I feel obliged to warn each and every student to AVOID this gadget. They are trained from the beginning to NEVER be OOA (out of air) and to NEVER, EVER be OOB (Out of Buddy). Being both OOA and OOB at the same time indicates multiple failures that should NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER happen. To do this in an overhead environment is unconscionable.

That's your opinion, so i guess you are labelling me in the category 'little or no buddy skills'. Huh that does amuse me. Anyway, carrying one won't hurt you whereas not carrying one the day that is all goes Pete Tong will.

Out

 

[DaFireMedic]

I am sorry but I would have to disagree with you about your view of Spair Air as being "handy". As you are an instructor and a frequent diver I won't bore you with the details of how you can avoid ever having a need to use one...regardless of who you choose to dive with witch, except for the instructor part, is worthy of a discussion in and of itself...

Just because you never need it, doesn't mean its not good to have. I have never used my spare tire, but I'm not about to take it out of my trunk.

 

[The Chairman]

The big problem Nobby,

Is that people will substitute gear for skills. Buddy skills and gas management are almost a lost art among many divers. We seem to have a plethora of "SOB"s... "Same Ocean Buddies", and that's wrong. Your "solution" does not seem to improve the situation but condone it.

But hey, if you can't stick with your buddy, then by all means rely on a much lesser solution. If you CAN stick with your buddy, then why send the wrong message?