What is your OOA escape plan?

[plot]

Ok, think for a minute. You are out of air.

If you do NOT get to your buddy, how will you "oral inflate"? Really, at that point you need to be doing a CESA and the air will expand. You are not orally inflating, you are swimming up...

I'm not saying inflate my BC and go for the surface.

My theory is that there will be some air in my BC that maybe I can steal it for a few extra breaths on my way up. Being a cold water diver, if I drop my weights, I should be positively bouyant enough to float to the surface with my BC... theirfore, whatever little air there is in my BC, maybe I can steal for use in my lungs?

I have no idea if it would work or not, just a thought I had the other day... I'm gonna have to try it.

 

[ScottB]

Plot, before you try it.. If I were you, I'd disinfect the internals of my BC Just to be on the safe side and all

 

[jeckyll]

...
I have no idea if it would work or not, just a thought I had the other day... I'm gonna have to try it.

Let us know how that works out, but please, keep a working reg in your other hand in case that really doesn't work and have your buddy watch you carefully on the way up.

As well, for those who are properly weighted, there shouldn't be a whole bunch of air in the wing. I dive in a drysuit, I only use my wing past 60 fsw because even adding a bit of air to keep the squeeze off the suit gets me neutral.

Just some additional thoughs.

Bjorn

 

[Gary D.]

Thanks for the replies so far =)

The reason I asked, is I am piecing together a very minimalist system...
Mark Meadows Low Profile Backplate, DSS Hog Harness, Poseidon Xstream Reg.
No Buoyancy Compensator.
Oh.. and free diving fins

I know that to a large degree this is taboo, however, I am thinking about forgoing the Octo.. making sure my buddy knows how to buddy breath, and staying within NDL/shallow enough to do a CESA (with this particular setup)..

That would reduce me to absolute minimum points for failure of equipment, reduce my danglies and weight to a bare minimum, making it a little easier for me to travel through the water, and hopefully feel more 'free'

This would also become my warm water travel no overhead environment setup..

Basically all you've done is step back a few years. I can't find a thing wrong with it and you're not being equipment reliant. Without an overhead the surface is always up and you can get there using "your" head.

Gary D.

 

[TeddyDiver]

As well, for those who are properly weighted, there shouldn't be a whole bunch of air in the wing. I dive in a drysuit, I only use my wing past 60 fsw because even adding a bit of air to keep the squeeze off the suit gets me neutral.

Just some additional thoughs.

Bjorn

Some more thoughs, installing a BC hose to DS instead of dump valve =Orally inflatable DS and you could suck it "dry" or get high if using Argon..

Anyway with a thick WS (7+5mm) 100' down there's allmost 20lbs worth of air in ones BC so there's a couple of breaths..

 

[jeckyll]

Some more thoughs, installing a BC hose to DS instead of dump valve =Orally inflatable DS and you could suck it "dry" or get high if using Argon..

Anyway with a thick WS (7+5mm) 100' down there's allmost 20lbs worth of air in ones BC so there's a couple of breaths..

For some reason, I am doubtful that I will try this tactic anytime soon

 

[SNorman]

What exactly is the deal with that "Spair Air" thing? I have a friend who wants to get one.

 

[plot]

What exactly is the deal with that "Spair Air" thing? I have a friend who wants to get one.

The lack of air in it I think.

 

[jeckyll]

What exactly is the deal with that "Spair Air" thing? I have a friend who wants to get one.

"When you absolutely, positively, need to run out of air twice"

It's just not enough air given a real emergency seems to be the argument.

 

[Darnold9999]

As I read the debate, spare air exists on a continuum of possibilities. From carrying nothing at all and relying on CESA, to doubles as your self rescue plan if your buddy is not available. The arguement against spare air is that it really does not add any significant margin of safety so you should carry something larger. I have heard divers give exactly that arguement for every size pony less than doubles so I needed to think it through.

Where that argument breaks down is that it, in fact, will get you out of some emergencies that CESA will not. Not many, but some. As you carry a larger bottle your list of emergencies that you can survive grows longer. No amount of gas will allow you to survive all possible emergencies so ...

IMHO the question becomes one of risk analysis. What risks and costs am I willing to tolerate in exchange for what benefits. The risks and cost will depend on the diving that you do, and your evaluation of the various options. The convenience, weight, price of each option. The benefits of each option are pretty clear. They carry a fixed amount of gas that will last a fixed amount of time at any given depth depending on your sac in that situation.

The problem with a spare air is that a larger bottle doesn't cost much more, doesn't weigh much more yet adds a significant safety margin over a spare air. Leading most people to conclude that it is pretty much useless. Others feel that the extra breath or two will make a CESA safer or allow them to swim a few extra yards to a buddy that has strayed. If that is all you want then a spare air will provide that slight extra margin of safety. If you are OOA and in a situation where CESA is not an option and your buddy is unavailable a spare air is completely useless.