Spare Air...actually useful?

[ScubaSteve]

Not if you need 10 to make it to the surface without drowning IMO

 

[mikemill]

Answer one question: Is 3 better than zero??.......

Not really, that is just that many more breaths you have to realize how screwed you are.

 

[Walter]

What else are we going to do with a spare air?

Good point.

 

[Luis H]

James Bond used a 'spare air' device once.... which film was that?

He was in the swimming pool... with sharks.... and it was disguised as a small pen. He must have gotten 15 minutes of air out of it.....

and the proper Spare Air cylinders are MUCH bigger.....

Thunderball! Largo covered the shark pool on him, so he whipped out his spare air and swam out through the trap door that the sharks came in through.

Yes it was Thunderball (1965), one of the classic all times best diving movies, IMHO.
But that was not a spare air… according to "Q" that was a re-breather. One of the funny things about it is that I saw an interview once were it was mentioned that the US Navy actually approach the producers to find out info about this breathing device… as in how long did it last? The response was: as long as you can hold your breath.

 

[Teamcasa]

I find this whole thing quite humorous that there is such a negative reaction to a tiny tank that holds anywhere between 3 and 12 breaths of air.

Yet I'd bet my last dollar that there is not a single detractor that being caught suddenly OOA and no nearby buddy (spare me all the reasons why you would never be caught solo and OOA) that would not be thrilled to grab one of those tiny tanks and make it to the surface.

 

[ScubaSteve]

.....grab one of those tiny tanks and make it to the surface.

I do agree if I am within 3-12 breaths of the surface. If I drown half way up and still buddy around, I am still dead. All it did was afford me some false hope and possibly afforded me a false sense of security thus allowing me to slip up in my decision making.

 

[Walter]

Yet I'd bet my last dollar that there is not a single detractor that being caught suddenly OOA and no nearby buddy (spare me all the reasons why you would never be caught solo and OOA) that would not be thrilled to grab one of those tiny tanks and make it to the surface.

If I were in that situation and had one, I would use it. I certainly wouldn't expect it to be of much help unless I was pretty shallow. I would expect to get about as much air from my empty tank on the ascent as from the spare air.

 

[ONESPEED]

It was silly. How many times did he scooter past the cameraman? How many times did he trade out spare airs? I think the numbers are pretty close to the same.

Not everything needs to be analyzed in excruciating detail Walter, especially something OBVIOUSLY intended as a joke.

 

[ONESPEED]

I find this whole thing quite humorous that there is such a negative reaction to a tiny tank that holds anywhere between 3 and 12 breaths of air.

Yet I'd bet my last dollar that there is not a single detractor that being caught suddenly OOA and no nearby buddy (spare me all the reasons why you would never be caught solo and OOA) that would not be thrilled to grab one of those tiny tanks and make it to the surface.

You make an excellent point, if you're solo at least nobody would see you with that ridiculous thing.

 

[Walter]

Not everything needs to be analyzed in excruciating detail Walter, especially something OBVIOUSLY intended as a joke.

That was in response to someone who believed it was true.