Spare Air NITROX?????

[TN-Steve]

Hey Gang,

Why is this even a thing? Somebody tell me what possible benefit having a 3cf tank of Nitrox is going to do in the event of an OOA that plain old air can't handle? (I don't want to get into the whole "Spare Air is False Security" debate).


And yes, it's a real thing... not a photoshop.

Steve

 

[kelemvor]

I would presume the regulator is nitrox ready to 40%. Different O-Rings maybe? I think you fill them from whatever tank you're diving so you are going to end up with nitrox in the spare air if you dive nitrox and use a spare air.

 

[DKL]

An awesome question for which I have no answer.

 

[Steve_C]

The only advantage I could see would be if you go OOA say due to equipment or other failure and you are on Nitrox and you use your spare air and if the spare air mix is close to the mix you were using then you could trust your computer if you wanted to do a second dive with possibly different equipment. Otherwise your computer will think you least few minutes were on nitrox and it was actually air so it would underestimate nitrogen loading.

Not saying this is a real issue or a good reason but this is the only reason I can think of for doing this.

 

[mrdre]

Nothing more but a sales gimmick, hoping that those who bought the regular one will buy another "Nitrox" version when diving Nitrox.

 

[TN-Steve]

The only advantage I could see would be if you go OOA say due to equipment or other failure and you are on Nitrox and you use your spare air and if the spare air mix is close to the mix you were using then you could trust your computer if you wanted to do a second dive with possibly different equipment. Otherwise your computer will think you least few minutes were on nitrox and it was actually air so it would underestimate nitrogen loading.

Not saying this is a real issue or a good reason but this is the only reason I can think of for doing this.

Steve, you should be in Marketing. You found the solution to a non-existent problem Lets say worst case, OOA at depth, with 3 CF I'm getting up and out as fast as I safely can. Assume the standard 1 CF/min for a stressed diver, there isn't going to be a safety stop IF (big if) this were my only alternate air supply. I can't think that is going to change my nitrogen loading by any measurable amount. Assuming I've got a buddy, the spare-air keeps me going till I get to him, and we start sharing off his supply (if he's on air, we're in the same place). Still going right up, but hopefully making a safety stop. (Ref uncountable air management threads)

What comes next, Spare Air TURBO!!!! (not sure what feature "TURBO" would add, but I bet we can come up with something).

Thanks,

Steve

 

[Searcaigh]

Maybe it is so you can fill it from a Nitrox tank, however that would be similar to filling a non-O2 clean tank from a EAN32 bank … makes no difference as you are not mixing any gas with pure O2 …. marketing gimmick unless otherwise proven.

Good for smuggling rum into Saudi

 

[00wabbit]

What comes next, Spare Air TURBO!!!! (not sure what feature "TURBO" would add, but I bet we can come up with something).

Thanks,

Steve

Spare air Turbo would have a little wolf whistle built into the mouthpiece so it can "increase the airflow" just like the Tornado Vortex Generators.

Tornado Air

 

[MaxBottomtime]

That's why you need Spare Air doubles!

 

[sheeper]

Ah! A solution for which there is no problem!

maybe it is for a very, very short deco?