Spare air - or not?

bpotkin · Oct 24, 2011

I've recently purchased the larger Spare Air bottle. As a new diver, I like the idea of
having an alternate air source available to use within a very short period of time.
I understand that at 60 ft. or more it is a limited amount of gas, however it is better
than chasing after a dive buddy while OOA. Does anybody also dive with Spare Air?

driftwood · Oct 24, 2011

I think you will find very few people on this board who are spare air fans. When I first got certified my wife insisted I get one. Once she was certified, we quickly sold it.

Crush · Oct 25, 2011

Welcome to SB! Scubaboard is not representative of all divers, and it certainly has strong biases. One of those biases is anti-Spare Air. Rather than diving with a Spare Air, when circumstances dictate, I dive with a 19 cu ft pony bottle. This makes me slightly (but only slightly) less of a pariah than if I admitted to diving with a Spare Air.

Enjoy diving! Keep up your training. Hopefully you will take rescue diver and advanced diver soon.

DevonDiver · Oct 25, 2011

bpotkin:
Spare air - or not?

not

bpotkin:
I've recently purchased the larger Spare Air bottle. As a new diver, I like the idea of
having an alternate air source available to use within a very short period of time.

Most sales are based on novice divers "liking the idea".

Sadly, the idea is not as good as the practice. A quick calculation of relative air consumptions illustrates severe limitations.

Have a look at the Spare Air Ascent Calculator, linked from here: Scuba Resources | Diving Articles | Links and Blog | Scuba Tech Philippines

bpotkin:
I understand that at 60 ft. or more it is a limited amount of gas, however it is better
than chasing after a dive buddy while OOA.

Basically - it'd be a gimmick solution to address a fundamental problem; that of poor buddy skills.

Better to address that root problem - develop good buddy skills.

Banyan · Oct 25, 2011

Basically what Crush said. People who frequent SB tend to have a poor view of adding gear to solve what they think of as skills problems. Gas management skills should prevent almost all OOA situations. In the case of disastrous gear failure, good buddy skills should give you a readily available source of air. In the case of the failure of these two skill sets, a calm and trained diver can get to the surface from the depths generally advertised for a Spare Air (<60') with a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent (CESA).

In my opinion, if you expect your buddy to be that far away, then you are essentially diving solo and should change your mindset to that of a solo diver in terms of risk management. Or have a talk with your buddy about what "buddy diving" means and, if you need to, paint a picture of how stupid it would be if one of you died from lack of air while the other was 30 feet away looking under a rock.

DandyDon · Oct 25, 2011

Their 3 cf model is not much. Their 1.7 cf is a joke but the Nitrox model is a rip off.

Can you get your money back? :eyebrow:

Buddy skills are best but I carry a 19 cf pony.

MaxBottomtime · Oct 25, 2011

Real tech divers use the Spare Air doubles.

DuboisP · Oct 25, 2011

DevonDiver;6094025 Basically - it'd be a gimmick solution to address a fundamental problem; that of poor buddy skills. Better to address that root problem - develop good buddy skills.[/QUOTE:
not only the buddy

Hatul · Oct 25, 2011

I know an instructor who shore dives with spare air here in Laguna. It makes some sense as the reefs are shallow mostly 40 ft or less so he can make an emergency ascent more comfortable.

DevonDiver · Oct 25, 2011

Hatul:
I know an instructor who shore dives with spare air here in Laguna. It makes some sense as the reefs are shallow mostly 40 ft or less so he can make an emergency ascent more comfortable.

Raises several questions:

1) An instructor who has insufficient gas management skills and situational awareness to ensure that he doesn't run OOA on a shallow dive. Really?

2) An instructor who is not confident to perform a CESA (basic OW skill) from 40ft. Really?

3) An instructor who is not confident of sourcing, securing and breathing from their buddies' AAS (basic OW skill) in good conditions and shallow water. Really?

(or) An instructor who is solo diving, without proper training (gas management/solo skills) or equipment (fully redundant gas supply). Really?

Spare air - or not?

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