So how does this compare with the 6 cu ft Spare Air?
For its intended use? Hose and reg make deployment easier. Mind you it’s for after your helicopter has crashed in the water, rolls over and starts sinking.
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So how does this compare with the 6 cu ft Spare Air?
I use the tank for my second dive to initially fill my 6cf pony and then use the tank for my first dive to top it off. I am not a gas hog (.5cf working SAC, not resting RMV). So that works fine. Mostly, I get a shore dive tank before we dive for the initial fill-up.
I’m not following this. You fill the pony to 3000psi, assuming that your back pressure, for the first dive. And then connect it to a tank your breathes down. You’re dumping gas from the pony to equalize the pressures.
"I use the tank for my second dive to initially fill my 6cf pony and then use the tank for my first dive to top it off. I am not a gas hog (.5cf working SAC, not resting RMV). So that works fine. Mostly, I get a shore dive tank before we dive for the initial fill-up."
He says "for" not from. I take it that he fills the pony from both tanks before any dives. The first 3000psi tank equalizes with about 2900 in each. Then the second 3000psi tank equalizes around 2990. In theory, first dive is usually deepest and should use the 2990 tank but reality is that 100psi difference shouldn't matter esp. since your original fill might vary from 2800-3200 in many places.
If he gets an initial fill from a tank for a practice shore dive at start of trip, then topping off from the two tanks won't pull but 10-20psi from them. Personally, if I had 2900 in the pony and 3000 in my other tanks, I'd not go to the trouble of hooking them up for another 80-90psi. If you completely deplete your pony then you picked the wrong size for your purposes.
, I don't have to wait two days for the dive op to fill my pony. I don't have to hear them wailing and gnashing teeth about it.
Not understanding why a Dive Op would give you such a hard time about filling a pony? They always seem to be just fine with it when I ask, although they tell me sometimes they won't be able to get to it before the first morning dive of a trip, so when I fly into FLL I'll swing by Divers Direct on the way out and fill it there.
Whether it makes sense or not is irrelevant. Sounds like you're talking about Florida - cave country, land of technical divers. What about Cozumel? Most shops don't fill their own tanks, they get them filled at a big island service and delivered each morning. Other places most likely just don't want to be bothered with it, especially when they do not typically fill customer tanks.
Whether it makes sense or not is irrelevant. Sounds like you're talking about Florida - cave country, land of technical divers. What about Cozumel? Most shops don't fill their own tanks, they get them filled at a big island service and delivered each morning. Other places most likely just don't want to be bothered with it, especially when they do not typically fill customer tanks.
When you say "most don't want to be bothered", now that doesn't make sense to me, given that diving is a very customer service oriented sport regardless of where in the world the diving takes place. A Dive Op that can't be bothered providing a needed service to their customers won't be in business very unless they're the only game in town, and in Cozumel there's plenty of competition.