Spare Air

[Charlie99]

Best of luck, Pete -- for those like me who suck air like a race horse, the SA is just too small. I'd get one deep breath, enough to contemplate the folly of my ways .

As the original poster wisely noted, one possible use of the spare air would be to avoid panic while swimming over to a buddy and sharing air. Even at a really, really excited 1.5cfm rate at 100'/4ata it gives you 30 seconds.

Both spare air and ponies have their limits. A wise diver will understand them.

 

[markfm]

Absolutely true, no disagreement with that. I just like having my own fully independent source to get topside.

 

[radinator]

If I ever dove with a buddy who was 30 seconds away, it would be my last dive with that buddy.

Even 15 seconds is too far away.

 

[TheRedHead]

If I ever dove with a buddy who was 30 seconds away, it would be my last dive with that buddy.

Even 15 seconds is too far away.

I was researching the IANTD Deep Air/Rec Trimix class and one of the skills required is to simulate an OOA swimming 45 feet while exhaling. I wonder how many divers could do that? Seems to me it would take at least 30 seconds.

 

[Web Monkey]

If you do non-dive-specific travel (vacation with non-diving spouse), every dive is your last dive with that buddy. Some are good, some are bad, some vanish until it's time to get back on the boat.

Terry

If I ever dove with a buddy who was 30 seconds away, it would be my last dive with that buddy.

Even 15 seconds is too far away.

 

[TheRedHead]

Didn't know they made bigger ones.

I don't have a pony rig. I have thought a lot about it. Most of my diving is spear fishing, 75 to 100 FSW is common, sometimes a bit deeper. A redundant supply is appealing to me. It is a trade between acceptable capacity, manageability & extra weight. A 40cf is just bigger & heavier than i want to carry. Even a 30. I've concluded that for my most common dives, a 13cf is minimum & a 19 about the biggest I want to hassle with.

See what you've done! I just bought the 6 cf model. Of course, I got it from Larry. :07:

 

[markfm]

That's the neat thing about equipment -- it may indeed be absolutely the perfect item for you, yet not for someone else.
Even given two people use the same backup approach, you then get the how-to-carry-it issue; the method I use works for me, "fits" as it were, is something that for me meets the definition of being good enough, while others have strong opinions that it is bad -- different strokes for different folks.

 

[TheRedHead]

different strokes for different folks.

That's hilarious if you think about it in terms of DIR. Was that intended?

 

[markfm]

Now, now, I'm playing nice
(I have nothing against DIR, deeply appreciate that things change if one chooses to pursue more technical diving, but it's NA to what I do. Kind of similar to my feelings about professional race drivers, with multi-point restraints, helmets, fire retardant clothing -- it's all super, good stuff, safer than the safety systems and clothing I drive in, but please don't expect me to get tense about not gearing up that way to drive my SUV 5 miles to work. Most people, end of the day, dive to enjoy themselves I would hope, making a conscious decision of the risk/benefit of how they go about their diving.)

 

[LavaSurfer]

If I ever dove with a buddy who was 30 seconds away, it would be my last dive with that buddy.

Even 15 seconds is too far away.

I agree totally and if I had a reg that failed I would not use it either but stuff happens and being prepared is the key. My Buddie i.e. wife most of the time is never more than 5 or 10 seconds away but, what if?

Not to mention - Diving alone. We just won't go there yet...