Actually the first quick dive unit I ever saw was at a little LDS in Bloomington/Normal, IL. It was red so I doubt it was one of yours. Your unit was the only picture I could find.
Ways you can use a spare air tank other than as scuba redundancy
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Actually the first quick dive unit I ever saw was at a little LDS in Bloomington/Normal, IL. It was red so I doubt it was one of yours. Your unit was the only picture I could find.
OP
brandon429
Registered
Wow this thread progressed while we were out thanks! Muddiver that is a GREAT setup seriously that is awesome technology, looks like military, if it were under a grand I'd buy one. Figured if we were going to event 20 pages on this topic ya'll might as well know how my trial went and if I'll be sending it back for a refund. I type fast so here's a novel for you to consider:
Nope, keeping it! And, one more is coming on Friday. Micro diving/powersnorkeling was very fun and worth the cost. I had no equilization needs up to the max depth of the pool which was about 6 to 8 feet, and it worked well enough I want one more. I dont have access to the ocean, lake diving is murky, and pool diving reminded me enough of my time in the Caymans that I have chosed to invest in another microdiving tank. Now remember you can argue all day against a man who wants to pay $220,000 for a bentley automobile when a datsun does the same job, but people spend money where they please you know> for the convenience of carrying submersion in a small handbag that I can travel airlines with and have no bulk issues, I'm into microdiving for sure. two full tanks is 20 minutes at depth (much longer when spread out and used sparingly) when snorkeling is plenty per run, and I disagree with anyone who says it's not safe for me to use it for mild snorkeling, these are very robust devices and I will have mine serviced regularly to account for chlorine erosion of parts.
Honestly, I wouldn't dive that much except for in pools as we dont get to the beach hardly ever, so until the novelty wears off I'm having fun, after that its craigslist for a 50% return, better than my other hobbies that's f s. These are fun enough I will likely plan a flight vacation around them, for power snorkeling purposes. I followed basic dive rules and it was great! If I choose to bear the cost and make reasonably safe choices with it, there's no logic against microdiving I can see unless someone can prove the equipment is prone to fail (which if you can I'll listen!) this was the most fun we'd had in years and years. Would I dive under an abuttment with one or under a dock or out into current? nope, but I would dive down 10-20 feet occasionally to look at a starfish in a lagoon, then come up to continue snorkeling, to me this is better than diving because of no rigamarole whatsoever, simply go. Solid ten minutes per can (on the first fill from the shop, not the refill tank, full pressure) and about 15 smaller refills thereafter on a small tank (we didn't even use a normal size tank to refill, got a whole weekend with two people playing) is well enough for me on one tank considering the cost of $180 and only $11 worth of air for two solid days of playing. I would esimate right now I can get 8 more fills off my tank for about ~>4mins apiece, even that was pretty fun duration as the scenery gets slightly boring after about 1. the sound was the same, and the near-neutrality was enough to relax with. call it scuba by proxy, microdiving, powersnorkeling etc, that's what it was like after a 10 year hiatus.
I cannot see the harm in you and I snorkeling together, you with the normal snorkel and me with a snorkel and my air. You dive down 10-20 feet to see a starfish holding your breath, I go with you but I breathe. We both come up each and every time. I can't see why snorkeling with compressed air is so dangerous?
The main selling point to me is lack of all the crazy gear. One tank and a mask, it wasn't even that hard to stay under without a belt (although I'm renting one today), I'm really sold after trying this out as I stated. I have seen resistance to my ideas of using this device outside a swimming pool and I thank you for the safety concerns, but it's just as easy to be unsafe using full gear and I dont have any concerns with shallow powersnorkeling on a reef with one of these should that time arise this summer on a short trip to cozumel maybe if the dang flu lets up. If a fish darts out of a hole and knocks it out of my hand, breaking the retaining ring around my wrist and flinging it off into the distance where I can't re-grab it, I will simply grab the backup on my leg and ascend. If that one is immediately rendered useless by a reg failure I will ascend still, as I'll only be a little ways down. If I have any grr in me I'll use it, if not I'll rise a few feet harmlessly, this is the plan- How often has these events occurred with a spare air? from all my checking around I haven't heard of them failing at depth repeatedly. basically I will dive about as deep as you would on holding your breath while snorkeling, only I'll be breathing a few, this is not dangerous.
So today I was able to get the manager of the YMCA to let me use it there with no special hours so I can swim all afternoon. THis is a GIANT pool, biggest I've seen I guess, so even though it's bare walls I will have a belt this time and it really will be fun because it's such a large expanse, in terms of a land-locked diving hobbyist. If I had anything other than this single yellow bottle, no one would let me use it because full scuba is scary to most managers who don't dive and they will only let you dive for restricted hours. I showed him the tank, handed it to him, and he said it was fine. Combine subtlety with a micro tank that no one I've met has seen, and always wants to check out/hold/discuss, and I've found anyone will let you dive with it so big pools are becoming accessible. I'm telling you guys all this because truth is far more entertaining than fiction, and because it's fun to watch you guys opine this into photoshop chainsaw oblivion while all along one of you out there secretly wants to be my urban dive buddy because you are landlocked too have fun slicing this up I wish I would have found these years ago.
B
Nope, keeping it! And, one more is coming on Friday. Micro diving/powersnorkeling was very fun and worth the cost. I had no equilization needs up to the max depth of the pool which was about 6 to 8 feet, and it worked well enough I want one more. I dont have access to the ocean, lake diving is murky, and pool diving reminded me enough of my time in the Caymans that I have chosed to invest in another microdiving tank. Now remember you can argue all day against a man who wants to pay $220,000 for a bentley automobile when a datsun does the same job, but people spend money where they please you know> for the convenience of carrying submersion in a small handbag that I can travel airlines with and have no bulk issues, I'm into microdiving for sure. two full tanks is 20 minutes at depth (much longer when spread out and used sparingly) when snorkeling is plenty per run, and I disagree with anyone who says it's not safe for me to use it for mild snorkeling, these are very robust devices and I will have mine serviced regularly to account for chlorine erosion of parts.
Honestly, I wouldn't dive that much except for in pools as we dont get to the beach hardly ever, so until the novelty wears off I'm having fun, after that its craigslist for a 50% return, better than my other hobbies that's f s. These are fun enough I will likely plan a flight vacation around them, for power snorkeling purposes. I followed basic dive rules and it was great! If I choose to bear the cost and make reasonably safe choices with it, there's no logic against microdiving I can see unless someone can prove the equipment is prone to fail (which if you can I'll listen!) this was the most fun we'd had in years and years. Would I dive under an abuttment with one or under a dock or out into current? nope, but I would dive down 10-20 feet occasionally to look at a starfish in a lagoon, then come up to continue snorkeling, to me this is better than diving because of no rigamarole whatsoever, simply go. Solid ten minutes per can (on the first fill from the shop, not the refill tank, full pressure) and about 15 smaller refills thereafter on a small tank (we didn't even use a normal size tank to refill, got a whole weekend with two people playing) is well enough for me on one tank considering the cost of $180 and only $11 worth of air for two solid days of playing. I would esimate right now I can get 8 more fills off my tank for about ~>4mins apiece, even that was pretty fun duration as the scenery gets slightly boring after about 1. the sound was the same, and the near-neutrality was enough to relax with. call it scuba by proxy, microdiving, powersnorkeling etc, that's what it was like after a 10 year hiatus.
I cannot see the harm in you and I snorkeling together, you with the normal snorkel and me with a snorkel and my air. You dive down 10-20 feet to see a starfish holding your breath, I go with you but I breathe. We both come up each and every time. I can't see why snorkeling with compressed air is so dangerous?
The main selling point to me is lack of all the crazy gear. One tank and a mask, it wasn't even that hard to stay under without a belt (although I'm renting one today), I'm really sold after trying this out as I stated. I have seen resistance to my ideas of using this device outside a swimming pool and I thank you for the safety concerns, but it's just as easy to be unsafe using full gear and I dont have any concerns with shallow powersnorkeling on a reef with one of these should that time arise this summer on a short trip to cozumel maybe if the dang flu lets up. If a fish darts out of a hole and knocks it out of my hand, breaking the retaining ring around my wrist and flinging it off into the distance where I can't re-grab it, I will simply grab the backup on my leg and ascend. If that one is immediately rendered useless by a reg failure I will ascend still, as I'll only be a little ways down. If I have any grr in me I'll use it, if not I'll rise a few feet harmlessly, this is the plan- How often has these events occurred with a spare air? from all my checking around I haven't heard of them failing at depth repeatedly. basically I will dive about as deep as you would on holding your breath while snorkeling, only I'll be breathing a few, this is not dangerous.
So today I was able to get the manager of the YMCA to let me use it there with no special hours so I can swim all afternoon. THis is a GIANT pool, biggest I've seen I guess, so even though it's bare walls I will have a belt this time and it really will be fun because it's such a large expanse, in terms of a land-locked diving hobbyist. If I had anything other than this single yellow bottle, no one would let me use it because full scuba is scary to most managers who don't dive and they will only let you dive for restricted hours. I showed him the tank, handed it to him, and he said it was fine. Combine subtlety with a micro tank that no one I've met has seen, and always wants to check out/hold/discuss, and I've found anyone will let you dive with it so big pools are becoming accessible. I'm telling you guys all this because truth is far more entertaining than fiction, and because it's fun to watch you guys opine this into photoshop chainsaw oblivion while all along one of you out there secretly wants to be my urban dive buddy because you are landlocked too
have fun slicing this up I wish I would have found these years ago. B
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OP
brandon429
Registered
I also cleared the 15 or so trips back to the car I'll be making with no re-entry fee. he he
Schizlor
Registered
If mowing the lawn with a pair of scissors seems appealing to you, then by all means have at it.
Your main goal here seems to be having fun, and you've obviously acheived that according to your latest post. More power to ya
These people loathe spare air even for it's intended use, as a bail-out for scuba diving emergencies...so I doubt you're going to get any positive reinforcement on this scheme you've cooked up here. I can't believe you spent $400 on a set of tanks that you have to run back to the car 15 times to refill just for one day at the pool, when you could have gotten a 30cf (10x the volume of what you are using now) pony and a regulator for that much. In terms of streamlining, I don't see how 2 spare airs (with an additional 15 walks to and from the car) trumps a pony and reg setup exactly...but that's just me. Yes, they are easier to fly with, but are there that many pools requiring a flight to get to that are on your radar?
"but it's just as easy to be unsafe using full gear"
-At any time it is quite easy to be unsafe. That is no justification for wanton recklessness however
"You dive down 10-20 feet to see a starfish holding your breath, I go with you but I breathe. We both come up each and every time."
-Yes but if he comes up without exhaling, he is fine. You come up, even a bit, without exhaling.....:knocked-o
"I can't see why snorkeling with compressed air is so dangerous?"
-For one, when you bring compressed air into the equation, you are no longer just "snorkeling" The danger is lung overexpansion injuries, which you say you are aware of. As long as you are, that's fine, but you wouldn't keep asking why it is dangerous if you truly had a firm grasp of the risks involved in what you're doing.
"basically I will dive about as deep as you would on holding your breath while snorkeling, only I'll be breathing a few, this is not dangerous."
-It can be. For reasons already mentioned
"it's fun to watch you guys opine this into photoshop chainsaw oblivion "
-If that was your purpose in asking the question, you came to the right place
Your main goal here seems to be having fun, and you've obviously acheived that according to your latest post. More power to ya
These people loathe spare air even for it's intended use, as a bail-out for scuba diving emergencies...so I doubt you're going to get any positive reinforcement on this scheme you've cooked up here. I can't believe you spent $400 on a set of tanks that you have to run back to the car 15 times to refill just for one day at the pool, when you could have gotten a 30cf (10x the volume of what you are using now) pony and a regulator for that much. In terms of streamlining, I don't see how 2 spare airs (with an additional 15 walks to and from the car) trumps a pony and reg setup exactly...but that's just me. Yes, they are easier to fly with, but are there that many pools requiring a flight to get to that are on your radar?
"but it's just as easy to be unsafe using full gear"
-At any time it is quite easy to be unsafe. That is no justification for wanton recklessness however
"You dive down 10-20 feet to see a starfish holding your breath, I go with you but I breathe. We both come up each and every time."
-Yes but if he comes up without exhaling, he is fine. You come up, even a bit, without exhaling.....:knocked-o
"I can't see why snorkeling with compressed air is so dangerous?"
-For one, when you bring compressed air into the equation, you are no longer just "snorkeling" The danger is lung overexpansion injuries, which you say you are aware of. As long as you are, that's fine, but you wouldn't keep asking why it is dangerous if you truly had a firm grasp of the risks involved in what you're doing.
"basically I will dive about as deep as you would on holding your breath while snorkeling, only I'll be breathing a few, this is not dangerous."
-It can be. For reasons already mentioned
"it's fun to watch you guys opine this into photoshop chainsaw oblivion "
-If that was your purpose in asking the question, you came to the right place
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rollerboi
Contributor
So will you be pursuing your PADI Pool Diver certification next?
OP
brandon429
Registered
I spent the money because I can now dive in the pool at texas tech along with the ymca pools around town, just met with those people and have been diving today down their sloped sides which is fun, the water park at tech is absolutely huge with no special accomodations. Its like diving in a huge empty ocean but it's still fun and worth the money. They have never let anyone dive during day open hours because of the obvious way you'd look compared to the crowd
If I had any of the pony bottle you've mentioned, with lines, they would make me wait until special scuba hours. For the fifth time, this device isn't scary to park owners and I can swim with it just about anywhere I'm seeing. I plan on keeping the bottles for full gear backup, in seeking out tank fillings I made friends with some dive shop friends who will take us on a good dive soon, these are terrible fun around town so far, that and a little snorkeling isn't unsafe behavior. Your quotes are assuming I would violate basic diving procedures and I wouldn't...who the hell would hold their breath and ascend as I've said over and over but I laughed at that emoticon he he
How about this. As secondary sources, the fill ports or regs may not be tested to, let's say, 100,000 vents or more to prove the life. Mayb e they are spec'd at 5,000 bursts, and if I keep using this lets say for 5 years then we may be beyond the proven lifespan of safe regulator work, that'd be a helpful perspective. I have not seen any danger demonstrated if one did not violate basic diving procedures when using this device.
If I had any of the pony bottle you've mentioned, with lines, they would make me wait until special scuba hours. For the fifth time, this device isn't scary to park owners and I can swim with it just about anywhere I'm seeing. I plan on keeping the bottles for full gear backup, in seeking out tank fillings I made friends with some dive shop friends who will take us on a good dive soon, these are terrible fun around town so far, that and a little snorkeling isn't unsafe behavior. Your quotes are assuming I would violate basic diving procedures and I wouldn't...who the hell would hold their breath and ascend as I've said over and over but I laughed at that emoticon he he
How about this. As secondary sources, the fill ports or regs may not be tested to, let's say, 100,000 vents or more to prove the life. Mayb e they are spec'd at 5,000 bursts, and if I keep using this lets say for 5 years then we may be beyond the proven lifespan of safe regulator work, that'd be a helpful perspective. I have not seen any danger demonstrated if one did not violate basic diving procedures when using this device.
OP
brandon429
Registered
guys I got certified on grany cayman east end in 96 or I wouldn't be doing this! I had been out of the loop for years in ocean diving because trips to the caymans just don't rain from the sky but we did our share of evil possum kingdom lake diving and mackenzie lake outside of amarillo in late 90's. I hate lake diving freakin scary in my opinion. I hadn't dove in a while and I knew I wouldn't dive much other than swimming pools locally if I could sell it to the managers, and saw these online. I started this thread only to see if there were safety issues outside of normal diving procedures. I respect you guys' admonition to stick to what works, understandable. Outside of notable regulator issues with this device or something knocking it out of your hand at depth, I cannot fathom any extra variables at play that wouldn't be shared with your huge scuba gear, figured if it made it through the wringers with you guys it'd be at least a different way to spend summer 09, good so far
but we did our share of evil possum kingdom lake diving and mackenzie lake outside of amarillo in late 90's. I hate lake diving freakin scary in my opinion. I hadn't dove in a while and I knew I wouldn't dive much other than swimming pools locally if I could sell it to the managers, and saw these online. I started this thread only to see if there were safety issues outside of normal diving procedures. I respect you guys' admonition to stick to what works, understandable. Outside of notable regulator issues with this device or something knocking it out of your hand at depth, I cannot fathom any extra variables at play that wouldn't be shared with your huge scuba gear, figured if it made it through the wringers with you guys it'd be at least a different way to spend summer 09, good so far
Schizlor
Registered
It is not unsafe if you recognize that once you breathe compressed air underwater, you are no longer just snorkeling, you are diving. I personally don't find what you're describing to be dangerous at all; just that it could be dangerous if you ignore that fact (ie, ascend as though you are diving, not snorkeling. There IS a difference)
Exactly. Like I said, follow basic diving procedure and you're fine. If you mean dangerous, ie will the tank blow up in your face filling it from a 3000 psi cyllinder? No. not dangerous at all. Spare Air (from what I hear, I am not an owner of one) is a well-constructed piece of equipment. People challenge it's utility, particularly in an emergency, but it is certainly not a "sham" in terms of quality of materials and workmanship.
Have fun with it
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OP
brandon429
Registered
schizlor out of curiosity why does everyone hate spare air even for intended use? I had long hours driving this weekend and was comparing that to how I know the professional aquarists hate aquarium additives when biology runs the show just fine if you can employ it free of charge...is it because they think people will take diving shortcuts if they pack spare air or dive outside limits because of it? Man ya'll aren't a cup is half full group any time soon eh
So, who is going to buy these from me when I am done with em. just checkin
So, who is going to buy these from me when I am done with em. just checkin
AceszHigh
Contributor
schizlor out of curiosity why does everyone hate spare air even for intended use? I had long hours driving this weekend and was comparing that to how I know the professional aquarists hate aquarium additives when biology runs the show just fine if you can employ it free of charge...is it because they think people will take diving shortcuts if they pack spare air or dive outside limits because of it? Man ya'll aren't a cup is half full group any time soon eh
So, who is going to buy these from me when I am done with em. just checkin
I think it's more along the lines of spareair allegedly being useless for its intended purpose when one is actually at a depth where using the spareair in an OOA situation would be necessary..as opposed to say 40 feet of water where you could just swim up.
But with talks of spending $400 just to swim around aimlessly in a POOL for 10 minute bursts.....:headscratch:
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