Spare Air have you tested? Do you Dare? Do you care? Really what's in there?

[perdidochas]

Lots on answers from people who don't like spare air. That is not what I am looking for. I know and accept that many many many MANY MANY people think spare air is worthless. I accept that you have come to that conclusion.

I want to know if people who are trusting spare air have tested out the gear to see how it works according to how they think it will work.

So back to my original 7 questions to THE OWNERS OF SPARE AIR AND ONLY THOSE WHO OWN SPARE AIR.


Those of you who are not spare air owners for a number or reasons have concluded that this does not work. I am asking those who own and are depending on it if they have tested it out in real work conditions under the water.

For those of you who don't think spare air is a good idea, why not be quiet and allow some people who own it to get the idea to go out and test--then they will know you are right which should make you feel good about yourself and that you had part in saving their life!

If you do not own or have not tested spare air in the water under 60' please do not respond to this thread. I am asking for the experience of people who have actually used the device. If you own it and have not used it, I ask that you test it and post. If you test it, please breath fast and hard like you might under a stressfull situation. Please do this with plenty of gas on your back from your main tank.

Why test it? Is 1.7 cu ft of air somehow different in a spare air than it is in a scuba tank. To convert that to PSI in a 80 cu. ft cylinder (at 3000 psi), a spare air has about the equivalent of 64 psi. I need more than 64 psi to surface from 70 feet.

 

[diver 85]

Thank you for posting even though you don't own one and haven't used one and as noted I have asked for people who have them to report if they have tested the device out.

I WANT TO KNOW IF PEOPLE WHO ARE TRUSTING THEIR LIFE TO THIS DEVICE HAVE TESTED IT OUT IN THE WATER. AND IF NOT, WHY NOT?

Who would like to post next that they also do not have one and have never used one, but think it is a bad idea?????????????????

Yes, I've owned one of some sort since 1988..........have safely come up on it from 70'..........anything else you need to know, hot stocks, how people are mainly dying, got lots of info IF you ask nicely.......

 

[300bar]

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[Dsix36]

I am classified as a "crash test dummy" by some of my buddies. I just don't understand why - I wanna know the limits of stuff. I have owned a spare air and used it on occassion. Maybe my answers will help out.

1. The spare air can be refilled with the included tank adapter. It should be filled very slowly. Remember this IS a scuba tank and proper care and maintenance is required.

2. I have breathed my spare air dry at several different depths
40'=24 breathes
70'=17 breathes
100'=13 breathes
130'=11 breathes
when done with a higher rate of breathing the results were
16
11
8
6
respectavely

I always took a breath off of it at surface to insure the operation prior lto diving.

3. I was not the best breathing of my regs, but it was no problem at all to get a breath. There is virtually NO WARNING that it is empty. You just will not get the next breath out of it.

4. All of my tests were done at the end of a dive, no sense wasting a dive just to test a spare air. My breathing was relaxed and normal for the first set and the second set was done after a hard swim and my breathing was up a bit. kThere was no overhead environment to get out of and there was an anchor to hold and judge my ascents with. My ascents gave me more time as the depth was decreaseing.

5. As far as duration of usage at depth:
40' about 1.5 min
70' about 1 min
100' about 48 sec
130' about 35 sec

6. It did not last anything like the ones on Baywatch (several minutes every episode). I was lucky to get 3.5 min on the surface. It did do exactly what I wanted it to do for me though. I know that I can do a controlled OOA ascent from 80' - I wanna breathe pretty bad when I surface however. I just wanted a little reassuracne to get me from 130' to 80' if ever needed. The spare air did that and more.

OK - Now for the disclaimer - This is all useless information. All of this is using my sac rate and my skill set. I do not know your metabolisim or sac rate and these are different for each individual diver. These examples are from my own personal testing and should not be relied upon for actual dive planning or bailout needs.

Before someone asks - Yes, this is was recorded in my dive log as testing progressed. My sac rate at rest is .23 and at an easy swim is .5

 

[SPG3K]

I have tested it, it will get me back to the surface from over 100 feet, even the 1.7 cf version. I had to purchase one once because it was a charter boat rule to go to the Middle Grounds (????) so I did. Yeah, it works. I don't use it. An OOA with a Spare Air backup plan should be considered a Spare Air ASSISTED CESA. You will get several full breaths from it as you ascend making what would be a very stressfull emergency ascent into a slightly less stessfull emergency ascent. You should buy one and go try it out, then you will know the answer to your question.

N

Case in point.

No matter what depth you are at, if you breathe your tank dry, even if spare air gave you ONE breath, wouldn't you be happy you got that extra breath to CESA with?

And realistically, it's more like 3-5 breaths. I know that at the speed I swim, I could easily hit the surface with 3-5 breaths from 100'.

It may not be the best piece of equipment, it may promote bad habits, I'm not debating any of that.

I realize that needing a spare air means you screwed up, no debate there either.

End of story - one more breath may save your life.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Case in point.

No matter what depth you are at, if you breathe your tank dry, even if spare air gave you ONE breath, wouldn't you be happy you got that extra breath to CESA with?

And realistically, it's more like 3-5 breaths. I know that at the speed I swim, I could easily hit the surface with 3-5 breaths from 100'.

It may not be the best piece of equipment, it may promote bad habits, I'm not debating any of that.

I realize that needing a spare air means you screwed up, no debate there either.

End of story - one more breath may save your life.

Have you actually been in the water with spare air and tested it yourself? Or are you just posting the merits without having used it?

Really I am looking for information from people who have actually used it rather than people who think it is a great idea or people who think it is the worst idea ever.

 

[Dsix36]

Have you actually been in the water with spare air and tested it yourself? Or are you just posting the merits without having used it?

Really I am looking for information from people who have actually used it rather than people who think it is a great idea or people who think it is the worst idea ever.

Excuse me! Was there part of your questions that I did not answer?

Oh yeah, it was a 1.7cf model.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Excuse me! Was there part of your questions that I did not answer?

Oh yeah, it was a 1.7cf model.

So you do own one and have used it in the water? I am not looking for what people think it will do, but rather the real world test results. So could you provide a little more information?

So when did you test it? At what depth did you begin the test? What were the water conditions temp and so forth? And did it only give you 3 to 5 breaths before going empty during your test?

 

[scubatoys]

So you do own one and have used it in the water? I am not looking for what people think it will do, but rather the real world test results. So could you provide a little more information?

So when did you test it? At what depth did you begin the test? What were the water conditions temp and so forth? And did it only give you 3 to 5 breaths before going empty during your test?

So did you read post #24?? I believe he answered all that and more.

My trial was not so complete in timing, different depths, etc... But I took a 3 cubic ft from 130 to the surface while breathing easy - and making sure my computer did not give me a too fast of ascent warning... and made it no problem... At the surface I had about 5 good breaths left...

So if I was panicked... yes, I would be huffing faster - both on the bottle, and on my ascent rate... For me... I like carrying one. Never had to use it in a real emergency... but after doing my test - I believe it would be enough to get me up. Might I go too fast?? blow off a safety stop?? Probably... but I'll live! And people recover from the bends much faster than from death.

 

[Scott M]

Undersea, Exactly what is it your looking for? Your questions have been answered numerous times but you fail to respond to any of those posters but you rather chose to answer the ones that have not answered your questions with antaganistic posts, hmmmm.

Your choice in who you have responded to is quite suspect. If you want straight answers and have a legtimate question then ignor the posts that do not answer and talk to the people that have answered you.

Regards