The Dive Otter

Spare Air™

[ Scuba Diver Magazine Field Tests]

Spare Air A Spare Air™ is nothing more than a low cost pre-configured Pony Bottle, so we can use Rock Bottom Gas calculations to determine if the Spare Air™ is a viable tool for scuba diving.

To determine the gas we need for an emergency direct ascent we can use the CAT calculation for one person under duress:
(1.5 RMV * Average Depth * Time of Ascent) = Cuft needed

Which Pony Bottle Do I Want?

Tank/BottlePriceCapacityMax CAT
Depth
Spare Air™ 300
$400
3 cuft
Unusable
Spare Air™ 600
$550
6 cuft
20ft
Standard AL13
$850
13 cuft
45ft
Standard AL19
$900
19 cuft
55ft
Standard AL30
$950
30 cuft
85ft
Traditional AL40
$1,000
40 cuft
100ft
Standard AL80
$1,000
80 cuft
>130ft
Calculating Air Need

Max Time at Depth

But what about the idea that having a Spare Air™ could give you the minutes you need to reach a buddy, who presumably has more air. We can do that calculation using a variation of CAT as well:

cuft / (1.5 RMV * Depth) = Time
DepthataDCRM300 TimeM600 TimeAL19 TimeAL40 Time
20ft1.62.4
75 sec
150 sec
8 min
16 min
30ft1.92.9
63 sec
126 sec
6 min
13 min
40ft2.23.3
55 sec
109 sec
5 min
12 min
50ft2.53.8
48 sec
96 sec
5 min
10 min
60ft2.84.2
43 sec
86 sec
4 min
9 min
70ft3.14.7
39 sec
77 sec
4 min
8 min
80ft3.45.1
35 sec
71 sec
3 min
8 min
90ft3.75.6
32 sec
65 sec
3 min
7 min
100ft4.06.0
30 sec
60 sec
3 min
6 min
* DCR = Depth Consumption Rate : RMV at depth

Final Opinion

I just do not see how a tank smaller than 19cuft is viable as an emergency air supply. And given that Spare Air™'s largest tank they sell is 6 cuft...I can not in good conscious recommend one.