pony or spare air?

[Cave Diver]

Reminds me of something a particular poster on this forum once said about Donkeys and farts...

Peace,
Greg

That's how you fill your spare pony, er donkey.

i might as well chime in and say neither

+1

To the original poster, just get out there and dive. Dive within your level and within your comfort zone. Pay attention to your gauges and do some reading on Gas Management. As I recall, both [user]Lamont[/user] and [user]NWGratefulDiver[/user] have some great articles on that subject. Study them, apply what you learn and just get out there and dive and you'll probably find that your desire for a pony bottle decreases significantly. If, after doing that, you still feel the need to have one, you'll be in a better position to make an informed choice on what's right for you, based on your dive habits and consumption rates. Ask 10 divers, you're gonna get a dozen answers, most of which wont apply to your situation at all.

Dive safe!

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

If you had both a spare air and a pony available to you for every dive, I can almost assure you 100% that you will choose the pony or nothing on every dive.

They simple issue is, anytime you really need redundant air, you need more the 3cu ft.

 

[D_B]

CD's post has what you need as to air and diving

you also ask about buying a regulator or dive computer ... I'm thinking that a good solid performing regulator is the way to go here in an ether one case

get a good performing reg (that does not mean the MOST expensive one) avoid the "it's good enough for now" thinking.

A good reg will last a lifetime of diving and you don't want to find out a short time later that you wished that you had spent your money on a better breathing one

 

[halocline]

I tried to search on the subject but ended up with, well, lots of crap.

Apparently not enough crap, hence this thread. (relax, it's just a joke)

I know you have good intentions, both on this forum (trying to learn) and underwater. (trying to be safe) However, you can probably serve both intentions best by reading the hundreds of threads that have already hashed this topic into a bloody pulp.

You have to think carefully about what problem you're trying to solve by carrying a redundant air source, and then see where that takes you in terms of logic and situational analysis. Have fun!

 

[Cap335]

can I get away with a spare air (which is cheaper).

Peace.

I am at home so I don't have my price list with me but with a little shopping you should be able to get a pony and reg for about the same price as a spare air.

Randy

 

[DaleC]

Also ask about local servicing and hydro inspections for your area.

 

[highdesert]

... can I get away with a spare air ...

No matter what piece of life support equipment you're talking about, whether it's Spare Air or something really critical, the above remark is rather telling. It would be to your advantage to strike this kind of thinking from your thought process concerning dive gear.

 

[Orlando Eric]

Well there are many factors to consider..

If you are diving split fins they are more effiecent and you use a flutter kick which will move you faster and you will use less air than the kick glide method of using the outdated old school paddle type fins.

A quality streamlined snorkel will decrease your hydrodynamic resistance in your diver slipstream which is why you can expect to pay more than $50.00 for a quality snorkel.

Over time your wetsuit becomes worn and begins to get micro-tattered on it's surface also causing resistance in the water. You can not feel it with your hand or see it with your eyes but it is there which is why every season you need to buy a new wetsuit and throw the one from last year away.

Of course all of this can be compensated for with the proper application of hefty bags.

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

can I get away with a spare air (which is cheaper).

Peace.

Aren't you answering your own question? When you say "can I get away with a spare air," it sounds like you doubt this product already. And you're right. Get a pony bottle and a good reg. Forget about "cheaper." Your life isn't worth it.

Safe diving to you.

 

[deepdvr1]

Why would you buy a redundant air source when you don’t have a primary air source? Get your basic gear first (regulators, computer, whatever) and learn how to use it. After that you can consider what extra equipment you want to get.