The great Spare Air / SpareAir topic

[kalliff]

OK I'm a new diver only OW at present. I'm In UK and my diving will mainly be going to the Red Sea. I have no plans on diving below 100 feet.

The airlines here are very strict on the weight limit so there is no way I'll be taking a pony the size most people recommend on these boards on a plane. Maybe I will if I get into UK diving. I was considering buying the Spare Air but after this thread it has made me realise how quick they would run out. Knowing this, I doubt it would give me a false sense of security but surely as long as I got to the top and made sure I didn't have overinflated lungs, then missing a safety stop is a small price to pay? The price is, I agree, an absolute rip.

I realise the best solution is your buddy. I only dive with a buddy (my GF so we should always be close). However, maybe a Spare Air could provide enough air for me to swim over and use her octo if we got more separeated more than planned?

Sorry to thrash the dead horse once again, I've only just seen this thread.

 

[alemaozinho]

Spare Air from 130 feet allows you propably three breaths before getting bent or die,why pay close to 300 bucks for that unit,for this amount one gets a good pony tank with spg and a regulator............

 

[kalliff]

Well as I mentioned I won't be going below 100 feet and it's not the money it's the weight that's the problem. How would I get bent?

 

[Web Monkey]

A 19 Cu Ft pony isn't too heavy to put in checked luggage. I do it all the time. It just means that you need to be careful about how you distribute the weight between bags. It also helps to not bring batteries for anything, and buy them locally (assuming you're going somewhere that has batteries)

The only thing you need to do is make sure you let all the air out and remove the valve before packing it in your luggage. As far as the airlines are concerned a an empty tank with the valve removed is just a piece of metal.

Terry

The airlines here are very strict on the weight limit so there is no way I'll be taking a pony the size most people recommend on these boards on a plane. this thread.

 

[Scubadude76013]

Now that was damn funny. if he has 2 spare airs - maybe he could rig his own set of doubles.

 

[Sideband]

Now that was damn funny. if he has 2 spare airs - maybe he could rig his own set of doubles.

They already sell them like that. I tried to find a pic but couldn't.
http://www.diversmarket.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=211
$429.95
See what ya get for trying to be a wiseacre

Joe

 

[Web Monkey]

I was going to make a crude joke about how getting to the surface before running out would require use of a jet pack, but then decided not to.

Terry

Submersible Systems SPARE AIR Every Spare Air we sell comes complete Fill Adapter included! Universal mounting kit included!
1.7 CF - 30 Breaths at the surface
3.0 CF - 54 Breaths at the surface

They already sell them like that. I tried to find a pic but couldn't.
http://www.diversmarket.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=211
$429.95
See what ya get for trying to be a wiseacre

Joe

 

[Donnie]

To All,

I was just wondering...

On several of the posts that I have been reading some of the individuals make comments that make it sound like products like "Spare Air" as well as other "O.O.A." alternatives are controversial subjects. (Similar to "Solo Diving")

Well... I started looking around for threads addressing these products, (Because I wanted to know "Why they were so Controversial,) and was not able to find any.

"Is there a Problem with these products... Or am I interpreting the posts wrong?" The "Spare Air" thing seems like a pretty good idea to me... Or am I wrong?

If there is controversy over these type of products... please keep it civil!

Have a great day!

Donnie

 

[Optik]

In my opinion, Spare air would be ok if it held at least 60 cubic feet of air, not 3 or 6 whatever it is.

 

[MB]

The controversy involves whether the marketing of a product is so successful that it inadvertantly creates unintended hazzards.

Spare Air is a classic case study in marketing. Who among us wouldn't think its a great idea to have a little bonus when running low on air. So take a nice, small, compact product, get it introduced into a very cool Baywatch series, keep it simple by removing the need for extra stuff (like those silly complicated regulators), then market it in ads that show how you'll never run out of air! Just the right formula for an instant sales advantage, particular to novice divers or their worried parents.

So where's the controversy? To understand the utility of the product, you'd have to do the dreaded M word -- MATH! A diver who knows his/her breathing rate (SAC or RMV or other variation) will know how many normal breaths of air are in the Spair Air cylinder, then would calculate how many OHMIGAWDI'MOUTOFAIR breaths are in that same bottle, and then factor in depth, where it could take 2,3,4 or more times the amount of air to get that same single breath at the surface. A little complex, especially since most divers have only a cursory awreness of how that all works (thanks to the other conroversy -- the weekend certification class).

As a result, there are lots of folks who shell out $200+ for a product, and then are convinced that it will benefit them in an OOA situation. The Problem: in the real world, they'll gain just 2-4 breaths of air max in a real OOA situation. So what's wrong with that? During the time they are fumbling around with it, they could be getting to the surface. AND, for the same price, they could:

1. Learn more about their own real air consumption;
2. Learn to monitor their air and become better, problem-preventive divers;
3. Purchase equipment that really holds enough air for an emergency.

And there would not have been a dumbing down of the importance of air management, or the sale of a very false sense of security.

And for NO price they could improve their buddy skills, practice air sharing, develop an SPG check habit, etcetcetc.

Its only controversial to those who stand to make or lose money on the sale, or a sense of pride in their wise decision to buy one. OTOH, they are very cool when you are cleaning the bottom of the pool (as long as you're certified and know not to hold your breath - its still compressed air <albeit not very much> and you can still embolize in a pool).