The great Spare Air / SpareAir topic

[egraham2]

After doing several searches in different forums, I have failed to see any threads on the "Spare Air" emergency bottles that are on the market. Does anyone have any feelings,pro or con on these items?
thanks,
Ed Graham

 

[IndigoBlue]

This gets debated often here.

It is probably self-evident that spare air is better than nothing. Although some would disagree.

There are other choices that are much superior to spare air, however. A 6, 13, or 20 cu ft pony bottle is an example. A good dive buddy who sticks close by you is another.

 

[Kim]

After doing several searches in different forums, I have failed to see any threads on the "Spare Air" emergency bottles that are on the market. Does anyone have any feelings,pro or con on these items?
thanks,
Ed Graham

Try a search for 'Spare Air' to search ALL forums - I got 12 hits! To answer the question though I don't think that they are good for anything - if you want something like that you need a true pony that is capable of actually getting a dive team to the surface in the event of an air emergency, not a false sense of security.

 

[IzzyTahil]

Hi I just bought a set of the PST 80,s to double up ,I think that the tanks are great I have 2 100,s and a 120,and now 2-80,s. My neighbor sells them . He has a charter boat, and ties the two together some how. He sells a ,lot of them,more than the local dive shops. And a lot cheaper!

Trim/balance wise is there a noticeable difference between the 80s and 100s??

 

[Scubaroo]

Sensible gas management as part of a buddy team would be the superior choice IMO.

 

[grouchyturtle]

DIVE THEM, DIVE THEM, DIVE THEM!

Then decide for yourself.

The first time I dove a steel tank it was an OMS 98 and I hated it, but it was also my first time in a drysuit.

After that I was pretty much sold on the E7 120s.

Since then I got some more dives in, in my drysuit tried out my buddy's E8 119s and rented a 120. Well I didn't really like the 120 and wound up going with the 119s, which are pretty damn close to the 98 that I hated!

 

[mempilot]

DIVE THEM, DIVE THEM, DIVE THEM!

Then decide for yourself.

The first time I dove a steel tank it was an OMS 98 and I hated it, but it was also my first time in a drysuit.

Sooo. What did you hate about the Faber 98? The fact that your buoyancy sucked because of your first time in the drysuit?

I have a Faber 98 with an H-valve. I dive it with a drysuit. I just bought another one last week. I'm also planning on doubling up a set of them. Perfect size for a medium build, and great neutral buancy at the end of the dive.

I'd hardly take your input based on the way you came to your conclusion.

 

[grouchyturtle]

My trim was more of a problem than my buoyancy.

The point I was making is you need to dive the tanks to decide what works for you.

I was pretty much sold on the 120s, but didn't really like them after diving them. Too long for me (I'm a short guy).

As far as I understand the 119s are very similar to the 98s. I hated the 98s when I dove them, but as mentioned already it was my first time in the drysuit.

I just bought the 119s and love them. The way I came to my conclusion is, well I dove them, and liked the way they felt underwater better than the other tanks I tried. In fact after getting more dives in, the first time I tried the 119s I was pretty much sold on them.

 

[IzzyTahil]

DIVE THEM, DIVE THEM, DIVE THEM!

Then decide for yourself.

The first time I dove a steel tank it was an OMS 98 and I hated it, but it was also my first time in a drysuit.

After that I was pretty much sold on the E7 120s.

Since then I got some more dives in, in my drysuit tried out my buddy's E8 119s and rented a 120. Well I didn't really like the 120 and wound up going with the 119s, which are pretty damn close to the 98 that I hated!

Grunz - easy for you to say DIVE THEM - you got 2 sets of 80s and 100s to lend me? If you read my question, it was one about DOUBLES - you dive singles hence talking from a singles perspective.

 

[grouchyturtle]

Yeah you have a very good point there Izzy. I was looking at the original post, though, that said:

I was looking at the PST line. I was thinking around 100-120cf single with an H valve.

It would be very easy to get your hands on any of those tanks as singles. In fact the few times aI tried the 119s it's was FrankF's tank. I only had to rent the 120 to try.

Now that I pulled my head out of my butt and see that people are asking about doubles, I guess I should ad to my original post, the obvious, that even after diving any of those tanks, any of them will be very different once you double them up.