Spare Air

[SteveDiver]

Man, what's going on here? A simple question leads into a debate? Maybe the question should have been answered with more intelligence and less ego.

 

[JeffG]

Just answer this question: Can spare air be used in an emergency

Yes

and could it save your life?

Probably not. There could be some scenarios that it would work, but many others that it wouldn't. Its a solution, but not a very good one.

I suppose you'd rather have drum brakes on your car too, afterall disc brakes probably weren't about when you learned to drive!

Your spare air is the equivalent of using an eraser on the end of a pencil as a method to brake your vehicle.

 

[Nobby]

Man, what's going on here? A simple question leads into a debate? Maybe the question should have been answered with more intelligence and less ego.

The question was answered and we moved on. but you are entirely right, lots of ego attached to this debate.

 

[Nobby]

Yes


Probably not. There could be some scenarios that it would work, but many others that it wouldn't. Its a solution, but not a very good one.



Your spare air is the equivalent of using an eraser on the end of a pencil as a method to brake your vehicle.

Oh you're too cool for school. You are missing the point of the analogy. Diving should be carried out within limits. The odd occassion that may occur could be dealt with effectively. Pony bottles are good for tech divers that don't mind 3million pieces of kit hanging off them, the recreational diver, looking at fish and coral formations doesn't want the added embuggerance of extra kit, it detracts from the whole ethos of sport diving. Spare air can plug this equipment capability gap. Anyway 'stupid says as stupid does'! I'll be taking my spare air with me regardless of how 'silly' you think I look, or what volumes my equipment configuration speaks. Afterall I always dive well within my equipment and physical capabilities, as I am sure you do. God forbid you ever need assistance, maybe you'd have a change of heart.

Safe diving!

 

[RIDIVER501]

I don't recommend spare air for divers at all. The only two viable uses spare air has are military applications.

1. Pilots use them to get out of aircraft that have ditched in the water and are submerged or to give them extra time to get out of a parachute that is dragging them under water in an over water ejection situation.
2. ship board sailors started using them a few years back to assist in evacuating an engineering space that was on fire.

as far as using spare air on a free dive.
It isn't free diving anymore if you bring any air supply with you.
and as stated by just about everyone in this thread it is a bad idea if not properly trained.

If you are gonna do it though, forget leaving me your gear, take out lots of Life insurance and make me the beneficary.

 

[JeffG]

Go and annoy another forum.

and let you flog a dangerous POS to unsuspecting divers...I don't think so

 

[JeffG]

The question was answered and we moved on. but you are entirely right, lots of ego attached to this debate.

Yes I will agree. Why do you feel the need to defend using a Spare Air...Now that you mentioned you use it, your ego is telling you to defend your viewpoint to all the people that think it is a POS.

 

[Nobby]

and let you flog a dangerous POS to unsuspecting divers...I don't think so

Let me get this straight. I don't work for a dive company. I don't make profit on sales. I instruct my mates in SCUBA and I teach the military, I don't need to promote equipment sales to earn a living. You look like you are a tech diver you have different needs. You don't have to like spare air, heck you dont even need to advocate it. But you did admit that it could be used in an emergency. It has been tried and tested by aircrew that having ditched over water and are panicking (elevated heart rate and increased respiratory responses) has saved thier lives, their spare air is half the capacity of marketable ones (19CF). So if it can save thiers, why should it be any different for those with more training in the underwater environment? The answer is it shouldn't.

 

[SteveDiver]

So when are you two going diving together? LOL

 

[JeffG]

It has been tried and tested by aircrew that having ditched over water and are panicking (elevated heart rate and increased respiratory responses) has saved thier lives

Thats not diving...If this was a forum for Helicopter Pilots I would probably recommend a Spare air.