The main issue is that they are too small to be of any use
Spare Air Bail Out Bottle
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone had any feedback on the Spare Air Bail Out Bottles? Looking for feedback on design and construction (Do they last or fall apart), any issues people may have had with them. Looking to get one as it will fit my diving needs, but thinking if they are sturdy and well made I will look to get a second hand one.
Cheers
I was wondering if anyone had any feedback on the Spare Air Bail Out Bottles? Looking for feedback on design and construction (Do they last or fall apart), any issues people may have had with them. Looking to get one as it will fit my diving needs, but thinking if they are sturdy and well made I will look to get a second hand one.
Cheers
1 - 20 of 44 Posts
I am not worried about size, as it will easily meet my needs. I am worried about the construction and if they are sturdy or just a gimick that will break.
You'll drown before it falls apart.
Seriously.
Seriously.
Well if tell us what you are using it for them we can offer advice on its use.
They need as much maintainance as regs do and the cylinder testing(i think).
They breathe hard at depth, they are small for real life diving as jb2 cool mentioned.
Its designed for helicopter ditching etc.
It will stand upto normal open water diving, but its a plastic covered reg with a rubber mouthpiece and is fixed to the cylinder.
So depending on what you do it depends whether it will stand up to what you are going to use it for.
From memory some scuba cylinder valves are too big to fill off.
They need as much maintainance as regs do and the cylinder testing(i think).
They breathe hard at depth, they are small for real life diving as jb2 cool mentioned.
Its designed for helicopter ditching etc.
It will stand upto normal open water diving, but its a plastic covered reg with a rubber mouthpiece and is fixed to the cylinder.
So depending on what you do it depends whether it will stand up to what you are going to use it for.
From memory some scuba cylinder valves are too big to fill off.
All dives over 20meters I am using a sidemount so twin 12l so plenty of air. However I am looking for something small for shore dives which are around eithern7 to 10 meters. And one is 20 meters. I use to have a 7lt poney which was a pain with the extra weight amd kit, and due to the walking, so did not take it at all. It is this diving I wanting a small bailout bottle for that occasion where everything has gone wrong. Ie for some stupid reason I have run out of air/cant get air, my buddy is out of sight/too far away. These risks are reduced by good diving, so this is that added layer of protection, when everything has decided to go wrong.
So here is the maths at the maximum depth 20m: The Ballout will give me between a 1min30 to 2mins, this should be plenty of time to get to my buddy if he is slightly out of reach eg he is just in front of me an not looking back at the time. Lets say everything has gone wrong, I have lost my buddy (if i lost him before the trouble after a short search i will starting my ascent anyway). As normally I will diving 12l single, I will not be near any decom limits, but the bail out cylinder will give me enough air to surface plus a 1min to 1min 30 safety stop at 5m (like i said this would not be needed as no deco).
Now lets say I panic and use a lot more air then calculated, I would rather swim 10 meters to the surface then 20m without air! On my other dives I will have around 2 to 3mins of emergency bottom air.
So here is the maths at the maximum depth 20m: The Ballout will give me between a 1min30 to 2mins, this should be plenty of time to get to my buddy if he is slightly out of reach eg he is just in front of me an not looking back at the time. Lets say everything has gone wrong, I have lost my buddy (if i lost him before the trouble after a short search i will starting my ascent anyway). As normally I will diving 12l single, I will not be near any decom limits, but the bail out cylinder will give me enough air to surface plus a 1min to 1min 30 safety stop at 5m (like i said this would not be needed as no deco).
Now lets say I panic and use a lot more air then calculated, I would rather swim 10 meters to the surface then 20m without air! On my other dives I will have around 2 to 3mins of emergency bottom air.
All dives over 20meters I am using a sidemount so twin 12l so plenty of air. However I am looking for something small for shore dives which are around eithern7 to 10 meters. And one is 20 meters. I use to have a 7lt poney which was a pain with the extra weight amd kit, and due to the walking, so did not take it at all. It is this diving I wanting a small bailout bottle for that occasion where everything has gone wrong. Ie for some stupid reason I have run out of air/cant get air, my buddy is out of sight/too far away. These risks are reduced by good diving, so this is that added layer of protection, when everything has decided to go wrong.
So here is the maths at the maximum depth 20m: The Ballout will give me between a 1min30 to 2mins, this should be plenty of time to get to my buddy if he is slightly out of reach eg he is just in front of me an not looking back at the time. Lets say everything has gone wrong, I have lost my buddy (if i lost him before the trouble after a short search i will starting my ascent anyway). As normally I will diving 12l single, I will not be near any decom limits, but the bail out cylinder will give me enough air to surface plus a 1min to 1min 30 safety stop at 5m (like i said this would not be needed as no deco).
Now lets say I panic and use a lot more air then calculated, I would rather swim 10 meters to the surface then 20m without air! On my other dives I will have around 2 to 3mins of emergency bottom air.
So here is the maths at the maximum depth 20m: The Ballout will give me between a 1min30 to 2mins, this should be plenty of time to get to my buddy if he is slightly out of reach eg he is just in front of me an not looking back at the time. Lets say everything has gone wrong, I have lost my buddy (if i lost him before the trouble after a short search i will starting my ascent anyway). As normally I will diving 12l single, I will not be near any decom limits, but the bail out cylinder will give me enough air to surface plus a 1min to 1min 30 safety stop at 5m (like i said this would not be needed as no deco).
Now lets say I panic and use a lot more air then calculated, I would rather swim 10 meters to the surface then 20m without air! On my other dives I will have around 2 to 3mins of emergency bottom air.
If you are capable of diving 2 12s below 20m why not use them shallower as well?
Sorry but what you are suggesting just seems odd to me.
Sorry but what you are suggesting just seems odd to me.
If you google
spare air ascent calculator.xls
This gives you an idea of how useful it is.
I would be very dubious about getting second hand , because most people think they don't need any maintenance so don't.
Personally I would go for two 7's stay side mounted, you already have the regs and the rig so for the cost of a spare air you could prob get another 7 l
If they were that good everyone would have one...
spare air ascent calculator.xls
This gives you an idea of how useful it is.
I would be very dubious about getting second hand , because most people think they don't need any maintenance so don't.
Personally I would go for two 7's stay side mounted, you already have the regs and the rig so for the cost of a spare air you could prob get another 7 l
If they were that good everyone would have one...
Getting the equipment to the shore dive can be a pain. We rock up after work, throw our gear on walk 5 to 15min and jump in and go. Carrying side mount would be a pain and 2 7ltr is two more tanks to maintain, taking two sets of regs, more gear to wash. The list goes on for a simple quick dive. Then the walk back after the dive plus the water weight with wet gear.
I have worked out assent rates and breathing rates hence why I am looking at at these. My sac on these dives is around 15 to 18 depending on conditions.
I want something small and compact that will add some wiggle room for shallow simple dives. I did use a 3ltr pony before but that was also to big...
Sold the 7 and 3 when I went side a few years back as was not using them...
I have worked out assent rates and breathing rates hence why I am looking at at these. My sac on these dives is around 15 to 18 depending on conditions.
I want something small and compact that will add some wiggle room for shallow simple dives. I did use a 3ltr pony before but that was also to big...
Sold the 7 and 3 when I went side a few years back as was not using them...
We're you looking at the little one or the larger one?
The larger one 300 model I think. 82 ltrs. Just want to know how they perform.
You've heard the popular opinion already but if it's a choice between this or drowning then I guess this would be preferable. Most people for shallow no-deco dives would just make a bee-line for the surface
I'd rather check my gas and not run out in the first place, failing that, a cesa takes preference to carrying a spare air.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
Thanks for everyones input, and understand where many of the comments are coming from and agree for deeper dives etc. But I still believe for the diving described, having a small bailout is better then having nothing.
Carrying a 3ltr / 7ltr is overkill in my mind, and a lot more hassle. The chances of me running out of air is almost nil, as I regular monitor my gas, its more of an extra safety net. (1st stage fails/breaks or a hose goes). I am a cautious diver and regularly carry out drills with my buddy, stay in close proximity, communicate a lot. Its a little piece of mind knowing I have that little bottle within an arms reach.
For anyone who dives with a pony/twins/sidemount there is a large relief knowing you have bailout right there, and its this I have noticed I miss when doing beach dives.
I would take spare air over a cesa any day of the week, as carrying out an emergency ascent will possibly involve me travelling to the surface quicker then I should, leading to the possibility of a trip to the chamber.
However £200+ for a new one is also a lot, but £70 to £100 for a decent 2nd hand one may be worth it.
This is why I asked the question on the quality, as we all know all equipement will last for years and years if looked after, and then there is the great stuff that lasts not matter how much abuse is thrown at it, and just wanted to know how these faired.
Carrying a 3ltr / 7ltr is overkill in my mind, and a lot more hassle. The chances of me running out of air is almost nil, as I regular monitor my gas, its more of an extra safety net. (1st stage fails/breaks or a hose goes). I am a cautious diver and regularly carry out drills with my buddy, stay in close proximity, communicate a lot. Its a little piece of mind knowing I have that little bottle within an arms reach.
For anyone who dives with a pony/twins/sidemount there is a large relief knowing you have bailout right there, and its this I have noticed I miss when doing beach dives.
I would take spare air over a cesa any day of the week, as carrying out an emergency ascent will possibly involve me travelling to the surface quicker then I should, leading to the possibility of a trip to the chamber.
However £200+ for a new one is also a lot, but £70 to £100 for a decent 2nd hand one may be worth it.
This is why I asked the question on the quality, as we all know all equipement will last for years and years if looked after, and then there is the great stuff that lasts not matter how much abuse is thrown at it, and just wanted to know how these faired.
just get a one or two liter cylinder , got to be better than a spare air ,,
One liter could be a possibility, and will certanly look into them. Would be cool, if you could get a combined 1st and 2nd stage to go on it, otherwise its more equipment again.
If your first stage breaks, or your hose bursts, you can still breath from your reg - more than enough to get you to the surface.
Also - I wouldn't let my buddy get out of sight or far away - but I'm quite good at this diving lark
: )
Janos
Also - I wouldn't let my buddy get out of sight or far away - but I'm quite good at this diving lark
: )Janos
If a low pressure hose bursts, it only takes around a and half for the tank to empty from full (now if it was halfway through/end of a dive) it will probably take somewhere around 30 seconds. Depending on where it broke you would have a hose letting out air going all over the place killing the viz. Basically a 3rd of the time I would have with a spare air at 20m, at 10m the tank will still empty at a similar rate and and I would have minutes on the spare air!!
Everyone trains for what to do but just watch all the videos on how people react, they stop and focus on whats gone wrong, then they go towards their buddy. No one knows how they will react in certain circumstances. I like to think that I will keep a cool head as I have been in a number of instances outside of diving and thats whats happened. But I also know everyone will panic under the right circumstances.
But the conversation has digressed a little away from the actual thread, which was "What is the quality like of these bailout cylinders".
Everyone trains for what to do but just watch all the videos on how people react, they stop and focus on whats gone wrong, then they go towards their buddy. No one knows how they will react in certain circumstances. I like to think that I will keep a cool head as I have been in a number of instances outside of diving and thats whats happened. But I also know everyone will panic under the right circumstances.
But the conversation has digressed a little away from the actual thread, which was "What is the quality like of these bailout cylinders".
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