Testing a Spare Air

[scubadada]

Overly focused UW photographers are my number one example of why a recreational/vacation diver would want to consider taking a Self Reliant (Solo) Diver course, and adding a fully redundant air supply.

Sorry, still totally self unaware, your gas just not go down quickly

 

[DandyDon]

Old and wise beats young and agile?

Well, put me down for old and feel lucky that I haven't killed myself yet.

I am becoming acutely aware of how dependant I had to be on some Instabuddies that were, um, oblivious.

Yeah, it was an instant bud that convinced me to get a pony, which I have used more to help others. I've had it thru several hydros now.

How safe is a CESA from 80 fsw afer a week of 3 or 4 dives a day?

Rule 1: Getting to the surface even bent or embolized is treatable. Body found on ocean floor with weights secure, not so much. How often do you practice grabbing weights?

 

[Bob DBF]

Sometimes old guys have the benefit of "been-there; done-that" situations. Is this one of them?

Dandy Don had the same response as you. Old and wise beats young and agile?

I started diving before the SPG was in wide use, with a j-valve you can run out of air twice, as they like to say about the Spare Air, with a k valve you just ran out. Since going OOA was how you knew the dive was over, until you got a feel for the time the tank would last, after a number of times running out of air, it ceased to strike terror in ones heart as it does now. And most divers no longer come to scuba from a snorkeling/freediving background. The surface was, and still is, the unlimited supply of redundant air. Since I mostly dove solo, going directly to the surface is the answer. My original OOA training priority to access the surface was buddy breathe, swim up, detonate CO2 in Mae West, drop weight belt, ditch rig. With variation due to gear evolution it is the same priority as I have today.

Old is just overcoming adversity with skill and luck, the jury is out on wise.

I understand why gas consumption would double or even triple immediately following an equipment failure but I'm guessing most experienced divers would calm down during a normal ascent.

The increased breathing has more to do with fear and panic than the casualty. Have a plan, execute it, and panic can wait till you run out of options. Panic is the mind killer.

You all talk about practise runs and pool swims etc. Being around 130 feet trying to breath and get nothing, taking your spare air, finally being able to breath, catch your breath, start a slow and safe ascend...
A spare air sounds like doing something half... you might get somewhere but no idea if it’s till the surface.

You should be heading up as you retrieve your spare air, catch your breath at 60', now the Spare Air, or whatever you carry, is worth more to you and you can shake Narcosis if you need to. 130' is no place to think up a plan, you should already be executing the one you prepared topside.

For your plan a Spare Air is doing something half, I'm coming from a time that had less options so a little help is more than enough. That being said, when I do carry it is now a 19, I'm not as young as I once was.

Rant mode on.

And well received here.

This thread is very interesting. One question keeps coming to mind i see you mention OOA several times. What is your main concern, OOA or equipment failure?

I have not gone OOA unintentionally since I started using a SPG. With equipment now, if you inspect and repair/replace as necessary, a failure is rare. I haven't had a gas problem in years, mostly failures have been minor, annoying and ultimately due to my oversight. I don't count the failure of vintage gear I test, as diving is one method of finding issues, and I'm expecting surprises.



Bob

 

[Jiminy]

Hi Jimmy,

I hope you don't mind me butting-in and answering your question.

I know a photographer who dives with a 13cf pony. She tells you, when asked, that she has been so enthralled with taking pictures that she has sucked her primary dry. She is a great diver--she is a British Columbia diver. A real diver, unlike me-- a California diver.

My instructor tells a story that he witnessed. A photographer had a habit of running out of gas. So he fixed the problem by packing a pony. He ran out of gas, switched to his pony, and tried kicking his way to the surface. He was negative. He did not let go of his beloved camera nor did he manually inflate his BCD. My instructor got there in time to recover the body. My instructor broke the camera free of the diver's death grip and got his corpse to the surface. Rick is no bull-sheet artist--I believe him.

Personally, I have never witnessed such events.

markm

Do you think it would be a good idea for the OP to take a self reliant course and adopt the industry accepted best practices of solo diving?

Spare air is better than death but everything else is better than spare air

I started diving before the SPG was in wide use, with a j-valve you can run out of air twice, as they like to say about the Spare Air, with a k valve you just ran out. Since going OOA was how you knew the dive was over, until you got a feel for the time the tank would last, after a number of times running out of air, it ceased to strike terror in ones heart as it does now. And most divers no longer come to scuba from a snorkeling/freediving background. The surface was, and still is, the unlimited supply of redundant air. Since I mostly dove solo, going directly to the surface is the answer. My original OOA training priority to access the surface was buddy breathe, swim up, detonate CO2 in Mae West, drop weight belt, ditch rig. With variation due to gear evolution it is the same priority as I have today.

Old is just overcoming adversity with skill and luck, the jury is out on wise.



The increased breathing has more to do with fear and panic than the casualty. Have a plan, execute it, and panic can wait till you run out of options. Panic is the mind killer.



You should be heading up as you retrieve your spare air, catch your breath at 60', now the Spare Air, or whatever you carry, is worth more to you and you can shake Narcosis if you need to. 130' is no place to think up a plan, you should already be executing the one you prepared topside.

For your plan a Spare Air is doing something half, I'm coming from a time that had less options so a little help is more than enough. That being said, when I do carry it is now a 19, I'm not as young as I once was.



And well received here.



I have not gone OOA unintentionally since I started using a SPG. With equipment now, if you inspect and repair/replace as necessary, a failure is rare. I haven't had a gas problem in years, mostly failures have been minor, annoying and ultimately due to my oversight. I don't count the failure of vintage gear I test, as diving is one method of finding issues, and I'm expect surprises.



Bob

I was hoping someone would bring up the J valve seems better than spare air.
Its just another tool he could use to lessen the risk of diving alone.

 

[markmud]

Do you think it would be a good idea for the OP to take a self reliant course and adopt the industry accepted best practices of solo diving?

Spare air is better than death but everything else is better than spare air


I was hoping someone would bring up the J valve seems better than spare air.
Its just another tool he could use to lessen the risk of diving alone.

Hi Jimmy,

I had been solo diving with a pony before taking the solo/self-reliant class. It changed my strategy and tactics for the better.

That cert is definitely worth it. It is not revolutionary, but can be evolutionary. Tech divers won't get anything out of it. A person who just cracked 100 logged dives as I did, will probably learn some things.

cheers,
markm

 

[Johnoly]

... Just more trouble to fly.

Hence,,the marketing for the Spare Air. Fits easily into your carry on luggage with no/min assembly required.
Like you said,,it's just a different type of customer.

 

[Johnoly]

Sorry, still totally self unaware, your gas just not go down quickly

Your right but,,,,,,

Come shoot a cobia off a bull shark {cause that's who they swim with} and see how fast your heart rate and breathing triples trying to get it under control in a 100ft deep. You'll blow thru close to a 1000psi in 4 minutes by the time you lift bag it to the surface. It the most excitement you can have underwater!!

 

[scubadada]

Your right but,,,,,,

Come shoot a cobia off a bull shark {cause that's who they swim with} and see how fast your heart rate and breathing triples trying to get it under control in a 100ft deep. You'll blow thru close to a 1000psi in 4 minutes by the time you lift bag it to the surface. It the most excitement you can have underwater!!

I've seen that

 

[CWK]

Hi Jimmy,

I had been solo diving with a pony before taking the solo/self-reliant class. It changed my strategy and tactics for the better.

That cert is definitely worth it. It is not revolutionary, but can be evolutionary. Tech divers won't get anything out of it. A person who just cracked 100 logged dives as I did, will probably learn some things.

cheers,
markm

I was tech certified before I became solo certified. I did get something out of the solo cert. I got the ability to legally dive solo in places that allow solo diving.

 

[Bob DBF]

I was hoping someone would bring up the J valve seems better than spare air.
Its just another tool he could use to lessen the risk of diving alone.

The downside of the J-valve is that it is not a redundant source of air, but a reminder.

I still have two of them operational on tanks for my old double-hose, or if I'm muck diving. One is on an old steel 72, the other on my LP steel 95 boat tank.


Bob