Yet another ingenious UW breathing device

[JamesBon92007]

I see nothing wrong with this device and I might buy one. It should include appropriate warnings, like do not exceed 12 feet of depth.

Of course if used improperly it can cause injury or death - just like a ladder, a kitchen knife, or a bicycle. Many items can be unsafe if used improperly, but they are perfectly acceptable to own and use.

Why all the fuss over this?

Personally I don't believe it will work as advertised. I think most people know that if you fall from height you will get hurt or if you cut yourself you will bleed or lose a body part. I do not, however, believe that most people know anything about Boyle's Law. If they include in the instructions "Never Hold Your Breath" then that's fine but even better would be an explanation as to why you can't hold your breath. I don't know if they do that or not, I simply don't believe it will work satisfactorily.

 

[Pinecube]

Of course if used improperly it can cause injury or death - just like a ladder, a kitchen knife, or a bicycle. Many items can be unsafe if used improperly, but they are perfectly acceptable to own and use.

Why all the fuss over this?

The dangers of a ladder and knife are fairly obvious. A bicycle requires practice before you can even use it to get yourself into trouble. The problem with this device is that the dangers are not obvious to the average person and they promote that you don't need the training that would warn the average person of these dangers. If, for whatever reason, it stops delivering air or falls out of the person's mouth at depth (even if that depth is only 10-12') the natural instinct people are going to have is to hold their breath and swim up. After all, that's what you do when you snorkel and this is just a 'better snorkel' right?

 

[tridacna]

I would be more worried about the air quality - especially since I know very little about compressing air and it seems that enough professional tank fillers get it wrong.

How many professional tank fillers get it wrong? If they're professional, their air should be tested quarterly. I'm curious. Is this really a big problem? News to me if so and I'm a professional tank filler.

 

[KeithG]

How many professional tank fillers get it wrong? If they're professional, their air should be tested quarterly. I'm curious. Is this really a big problem? News to me if so and I'm a professional tank filler.

In the last few months I am aware of an incident in Coz as well as back home here in Toronto.

 

[tridacna]

In the last few months I am aware of an incident in Coz as well as back home here in Toronto.

Do you have any details about these? I had no idea that there was another incident in Coz. Was it CO? Which dive op?

 

[kafkaland]

I don think think this "invention" will be going anywhere. Manually pumping up those cylinders is a lot of work, for very little gain. I can't imagine that there are a lot of people who are too lazy to get certified to get real tank fills or too cheap to hire an instructor for a DSD experience, but would be happy to pump, pump, and then pump some more for just a few breaths underwater after spending a lot of money on this piece of junk.

 

[2airishuman]

I was in my LDS yesterday dropping off cylinders for fills.

A customer walked in, bought a mask and snorkel, and asked about the scorkl. The shop owner (and long-time instructor) was in the unfortunate position of trying to explain the dangers without creating the appearance of pissing on a competing product. The customer didn't know what he didn't know.

I believe that any instructor who is bound by an agency code-of-conduct pledge would be in a particularly difficult position since an instructor cannot encourage an uncertified person to dive on SCUBA. Hmm, subject for another thread.

The kickstarter campaign claims a 10 minute run time on the 3cf cylinder, which implies a SAC of 0.25, which is of course pure fiction. They claim it's safe for untrained people up to a depth of 3 meters. Sure seems like deep enough for a lung overexpansion injury upon ascent.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I was in my LDS yesterday dropping off cylinders for fills.

A customer walked in, bought a mask and snorkel, and asked about the scorkl. The shop owner (and long-time instructor) was in the unfortunate position of trying to explain the dangers without creating the appearance of pissing on a competing product. The customer didn't know what he didn't know.

I believe that any instructor who is bound by an agency code-of-conduct pledge would be in a particularly difficult position since an instructor cannot encourage an uncertified person to dive on SCUBA. Hmm, subject for another thread.

The kickstarter campaign claims a 10 minute run time on the 3cf cylinder, which implies a SAC of 0.25, which is of course pure fiction. They claim it's safe for untrained people up to a depth of 3 meters. Sure seems like deep enough for a lung overexpansion injury upon ascent.

And, of course, it will only require one good, deep breath at that depth so if the friggin thing works at all it's a danger. I've read that it's the last four feet that is the worst.

 

[ams511]

I don think think this "invention" will be going anywhere. Manually pumping up those cylinders is a lot of work, for very little gain. I can't imagine that there are a lot of people who are too lazy to get certified to get real tank fills or too cheap to hire an instructor for a DSD experience, but would be happy to pump, pump, and then pump some more for just a few breaths underwater after spending a lot of money on this piece of junk.

I agree with you 100%. It takes 15 minutes of pumping just to get 5 minutes underwater. Few people are willing to do that. Also this is technically scuba so they cannot dive anyplace that requires a c-card. They could buy a compressor but that would be additional cost. I doubt that any dive store would fill that tank even if it could be done.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Personally I don't believe it will work as advertised. I think most people know that if you fall from height you will get hurt or if you cut yourself you will bleed or lose a body part. I do not, however, believe that most people know anything about Boyle's Law. If they include in the instructions "Never Hold Your Breath" then that's fine but even better would be an explanation as to why you can't hold your breath. I don't know if they do that or not, I simply don't believe it will work satisfactorily.

I looked at their web site and they do explain, to some degree, why you cannot hold your breath. Personally I think their explanation falls short but it's better than nothing.