Should I get a Spare Air?

[JeffMandell]

I've carried mine all over the world and the only thing I've ever been asked to do (which I do on my own anyway) is to demonstrate it's empty. Luggage screeners either don't know what it is or don't care.
Jeff

 

[terrasmak]

Simple answer to the original question NO

 

[Cacia]

hmmmm. the argument that these devices would get you lateral to your buddy would work for the way I dive....the reality for me is I just cannot stay THAT close as what many describe.
My service tech says that he won't work on the reg because they are garbage and he was very negative on them.

 

[JimmyC]

Spare air is 3cft is ok if you are training students, just get a 19cft pony you will be happier

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

People have been waiting for this thread to go away and die somewhere quietly for over 5 years now.

*sigh*

 

[slammer]

Don, in the real world **** happens. Why not be a boyscout type...be prepaired!!!
If not for yourself, for other less fortunate folks. That's why I cary jumper cables in my truck. I personaly have never had to use em! but......

 

[slammer]

People in the water that have no busisness even near it, let alone under it.

Why even carry a gauge or spend the money on a computer if you aren't going to look at it. Maybe some sort of fashion statement or status symbol. You could be much more streamlined without them and probably not use as much air.

And a pony bottle or spare air is just a band aid for poor dive planning and poor skills. Except for as I stated above, in an instructors capacity or DM.

Your post also goes back to another topic some months ago, you said these were AOW students, how many dives probably not more than 10 I would guess. There ought to be some minimum number of dives before passing on to the next level.

One should have to prove their profiency at that level, not just that they are able to fork out $150. for the next class.

Sorry for ranting, I'll get off my soapbox now.

ID

forgot to quote!

 

[aquaoren]

Must be one of the really old threads....Wow, from 2001.

 

[kenackr]

Amazing that this thread is still open in 2014 and even more amazing that I just read every post in it.

For anyone who cares, if there would be any in the future who read this, I will tell you that in the mid 60's when I qualified as a USN submariner, every one of us was was required to do the "Blow & Go" ascent training in 100 feet of water with no gear other than a bathing suit. We got one gulp of air to get us started.

None of us were divers at that point. The point is not to start the back & forth that has been so adversarial in this thread, but simply to say that people trying to calculate whether you make it to the surface with a lousy 3 cu ft of gas have missed the point and so have all those who are so critical of poor diving skills, etc.. The point is that there are many men in this world, who were not divers (but some might be now, like I am) who were able to get to the surface from 100' on one breath of air and are still living to tell about it.

One of the posts at around page 2 wondered if people could make it beyond 60', well, they can and I'm living proof of it. Stay time at depth is obviously a significant factor from a nitrogen loading standpoint, but a blow & go is strictly a survival method and certainly NOT a planned dive. And by the way, we had to re-qualify every 2 years too.

 

[ams511]

Ken tell us how old you were you and what shape you were in when you did a blow and go from 100 feet? I am sure you were younger and fitter than the average diver. Also didn't the Navy also have safety divers in the water in case anyone blacked out on their trip to the surface?

The big argument about spare about spare air (and I don't want to start the fighting) is that there is not enough air to do a controlled safe ascent to the surface let alone a safety stop. Another argument is there is no purpose for the item if you practice good buddy skills as you buddy has the spare air in his tank. If a person really needs spare air then a pony with its higher capacity would be in order.

As far as I know Scubaboard doesn't lock old treads just because they are old.