Pony bottle vs. Spare Air?

[DandyDon]

Hey all, I have a large tank for diving, but am looking for a small, "quick to use" tank for emergencies when I am offshore fishing (ex. lines getting tangled in props) and was looking at either the spare air or the H2O odyssey extra air system that somebody posted a picture earlier on this thread. Is there one over the other that you all would recommend for that purpose?

Did you consider the Jame Bond rebreather...?

 

[wired up]

no, I thought that thing was a joke!

 

[DandyDon]

no, I thought that thing was a joke!

Yes, well - it was. Sorry, I thought your post was. Are you really a new member or did you not know that Mods have instant access to the IP of a post and "sock puppets" or second accounts for the same person are violations. If you're really new, sorry about my misunderstanding and welcome. How about completing your profile and/or posting on Introductions forum? Sorry I can't address your question, but maybe an experienced boat here can.

 

[wired up]

I appreciate your comeback. Yes I am new and hadn't been on the intro page yet. I see that this is a heated topic, but my concern for these devices is more for safety at the surface, vs. actually diving below. It seems like there is a lot of experience on this site, so thought I would just get a few opinions. I don't want to keep my large tank, reg, bc, etc. on the boat since it takes up so much room.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'd imagine you'd have a hard time holding a spare air while trying to free a fouled prop. Chances are you'll empty it half way thru the job(or sooner) anyhow. If you really don't want to carry your entire rig then I'd suggest at least a 30 or 40 cuft bottle rigged as a stage. Put a longer piece of webbing on it and sling it over your shoulder in front of you like a bandolier. A Spare Air was designed for helicopter pilots. To allow then a few extra SECONDS to escape a downed bird in the water. It is not designed to be used as a primary air source for any kind of job. Also from my experience you need to keep one hand on the unit. Can you do that and free a prop? If so then go for it. If not, for what you'd pay for one, you can find a used stage bottle and a reg, get em checked over and have enough gas for the job.

 

[DandyDon]

I suppose that's one of the situations for which the Rapid Diver was designed.....

​

Rapid Diver Compact Scuba Systems At $1,000+ tho, you'll probly like Jim's idea better.

 

[wired up]

I appreciate your responses. I will look into the smaller tanks you recommended.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

For Wired up. How about a 40 or an 80 in the boat with a long hose (like 25-30 feet) just for clearing props fixing something on the hull. You are only going to be a few feet under.

 

[EMTP-DIVER]

It's challenging for me to keep a straight face when anyone suggests a Spare Air as serious scuba equipment. 3 Cubic Feet is like an extra 112 psi in a standard 80 if you ever get the mini-tank to full 3,000 psi.

But I looked at their site, and it get's sillier. Submersible Systems - Spare Air Models

For an extra $21, get one that is O2 clean and fill it from straight from your tank? Why bother? Tank Nitrox is already blended so the O2 clean is useless. I've been offered blended Nitrox for my pony many times, but I always take Air just in case I ever need to exceed 1.6 in an emergency. The main point is that no Spare Air needs to be O2 clean. I actually feel insulted from reading the ad.

But get this!! At no extra charge one can have a 1.7 CF Spare Air that weighs 1.2 pounds less. Is that going to give a full breath at 130 ft? :silly: Now I am really insulted.

As an EMT Paramedic Rescue Diver
I have already saved 2 lives with that 3.0 CU FT Spare-Air Tank
It is a great Scuba Gear...

Thanks
Shmily

 

[DandyDon]

As an EMT Paramedic Rescue Diver
I have already saved 2 lives with that 3.0 CU FT Spare-Air Tank
It is a great Scuba Gear...

Thanks
Shmily

Super! It's nice to hear of positive uses for them - aside from the Nitrox ready and even smaller models.

How deep would you take one on a rescue...??

How deep do you think a newbie should trust one for bail-out?