{"id":59483,"date":"2019-09-17T00:13:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-17T00:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diving-info.com\/?p=59483"},"modified":"2023-05-03T14:05:06","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T14:05:06","slug":"spare-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diving-info.com\/spare-air\/","title":{"rendered":"Spare Air: A Detailed Comprehensive Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

In this post, we take a look at Spare Air and what it and similar products can do to enhance the safety of your SCUBA adventures. The peace of mind in knowing you have Spare Air as an auxiliary supply of extra breaths beyond what is in your main tank serves to make your underwater recreational experiences more enjoyable; and more safe.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What Is Spare Air?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

SCUBA diving is an awesome hobby and a fantastic pastime, but like many leisurely pursuits, there can be an element of risk associated with engaging in it. Anyone well versed in SCUBA safety can recite at least 21 or more ways you can run out of air during a dive. That is where Spare Air comes into play because it is a simple, fast, effective way to add a precious few extra breaths to your diving gear load-out.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spare Air is a small stand-alone air supply with its own mouthpiece and regulator, independent of all your other gear: your back-up in time of need. Your Plan-B. This product gives you a chance to intercede on your own behalf and perform a self-rescue back to the surface.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The police, military, firefighters and other first responders have a saying: “Two is one and one is none.” Meaning if you have just one of a particular item, it is the same as having none, because it can\u00a0be lost, experience a catastrophic malfunction, or in other ways be\u00a0made inoperable or inaccessible. With some equipment this is not a big deal, but with critical hardware it can mean life or death. This is where bringing a redundant auxiliary air supply along is more than just a good idea, but a potentially lifesaving decision when you dive.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When talking safety there is but one word to describe a product like this Spare Air: indispensable. Spare Air is a lifeline between you and the surface above your dive site. It is your second chance; your guardian angel in a bottle; your security blanket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Safety-minded boaters do not go out on the ocean without a life raft or life preserver, a parachutist does not jump without a reserve chute, a mountain climber always has a spare safety rope for his belay, and every police officer wears ballistic armor. Why? To give one a second chance against fate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Product Specs<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spare Air for use in maritime environments comes in three different models:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spare Air Model 300<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n

[amazon box=”B07KFQYSLC”]<\/p>\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This model has a maximum capacity of 85 liters with a maximum pressure of 3000 PSI which equates to about 57 breaths at surface level.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spare Air Model 170<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n

[amazon box=”B072596K5X”]<\/p>\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This model has a maximum capacity of 48 liters with a maximum pressure of 3000 PSI which equates to about 32 breaths at surface level.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spare Air Model 300-N<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n

[amazon box=”B07N7TDWPJ”]<\/p>\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This model has a maximum capacity of 85 liters with a maximum pressure of 3000 PSI which equates to about 57 breaths at surface level. This product is for use with Nitrox dive systems.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

All models of Spare Air come with a free refill adapter which allows you to fill it directly from your own scuba tanks. Also included is a safety leash to keep you from accidently losing it, especially at a critical and inopportune moment. Lastly, each Spare Air comes with a free, durable holster that will allow you to find the correct mounting solution tailored to your specific needs and style.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Remember all Spare Air models can be\u00a0be\u00a0filled four different ways. First the free refill adaptor lets you refill or top it off from your own SCUBA tanks. If you own a Personal Breathing Compressor, that will work too. Any local dive shop will also be able to fill it. Lastly you can fill it with a hand pump, though you will\u00a0find that to be time consuming and work intensive, so we do not recommend it except in emergencies.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mounting Spare Air to your current diving gear load-out is super simple, and you can easily attach it in whatever manner works best for you. Some popular methods are a shoulder mount and a “D” ring mount, with the bottom holster strap attached to the tank strap and the top holster strap attached to a “D” ring.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The most popular mounting method is the tank mount where the tank strap is threaded through the holster mounting strap on the back of the holster. There are all sorts of ways to mount Spare Air, so if these tried-and-true methods don’t work for you, use a little imagination to find a method suited to your needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What Practice Do I Need with Spare Air?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"scuba<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As with all vital and critical equipment, familiarization, planning and practice are essential to success. The manufacturer recommends that prior to your first dive with Spare Air, you attach it using your preferred mounting method using the covered holster and then practice multiple evolutions of removing the Spare Air from its holster.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

After that familiarization process, they recommend you breathe the unit to empty above water, counting the number of breaths you are able to receive. Then on a normal dive you should practice actual usage of Spare Air from recreational depths so you can assess how many breaths you can draw based on depth, lung capacity weight, temperature, activity level and so forth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How It Compares\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We picked a few similar products available<\/a> on the market to see how they compare. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n