The great Spare Air / SpareAir topic

[ymy]

I have read many threads about the pros and cons of Spare air vs other air sources. This is NOT intended to start another discussion along those lines.

However I do want to ask this question. IF a person chooses spare air does is make sense to use it as follows:

1. Emergency OOA situation say at 130ft
2. Begin controlled emergency ascent for say 30 ft. Take one breath from spare air. Repeat until surface.

Most of the discussion I have read assume that the diver will be breathing continously from the spare air and thus will not have sufficient air to surface purely on the 3cuft alone.

Other altenatives could be to do a controlled emergency ascent from X feet to say 30-40 ft and use the spare air the rest of the way.

Any thought on what the best way of using the 3 cuft would be. Again this is not intended to debate the pros and cons of spare air.

 

[redacted]

I'd be afraid that plan may tempt you to hold your breath. If you can maintain composure, it is probably unnecessary. An operating spare air should get you to the surface but the next stop may be a chamber. One problem with spare air on deeper dives is you must accend quickly and get little to no rest stop. I tend to carry a spare air only on shallower dives (<60 ft) where it just gives me a bit more option on an emergency accent. I prefer my pony for deeper dives so the rest stop can be accomplished.

 

[roakey]

ymy,

Would your scenarios work if correctly implemented? Sure they will.

What’s the chance of correctly implementing those scenarios if a diver unexpectedly runs out of air at 130 feet?

Just about zero.

If you were to try and implement those scenarios while in an actual emergency situation and lived, it would be due to just dumb luck, not because of any planning.

Originally posted by ymy
Any thought on what the best way of using the 3 cuft would be.

Yes. Take the 3cf and the surrounding spare air unit and sell it on eBay and buy beer.

You obviously have already spent good money on a spare air and gosh darnit you're going to use it even if it kills you. And it just might.

Roak

 

[Green_Manelishi]

There is no way to correctly use spare-air except for not
blocking my ability to view beautiful life-guards on TV.

My apologies up-front for being mean-spirited and in-tolerant
but ...

If you get killed can I have your gear (except the spare air)
so I can sell it and buy another set of doubles?

 

[BadFish]

If you want to carry a backup airsupply, then get yourself a 30cu
for deep divers 130' or less or a 19 for 60' or less

I only carry spare air when hanging out with baywatch.

 

[ymy]

Wow !! Talk about emotion behind spare air ...

For the record ... no, I don't own spare air. But I certainly don't believe owning one is one of the 7 deadly sins either.

Anyway lets leave it as that ... just wanted an intelligent discussion behind its use.

 

[roakey]

Originally posted by ymy
Anyway lets leave it as that ... just wanted an intelligent discussion behind its use.

Oh, ok. If you're a helicopter pilot that flies over water it's an excellent device for escaping from a water-ditched helicpoter, because after all that's what it was designed for.

Using it for SCUBA diving would be a joke, except stuff that can get you killed is no joke.

Roak

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by ymy
just wanted an intelligent discussion behind its use.

That is just not possible without changing the definition of intelligent.

 

[randyjoy]

I keep one in my truck in case I run off into a flooded bar ditch (Texas rains/floods can strike at anytime!).

 

[SpyderTek]

I've decided to use mine to auto-inflate my "girlfriend". Tired of 20 minutes of huffing on that little valve just to have a "date" for the night.

Spydertek