TESTCENTRE
The Spare Air is refilled via its adapter from a donor cylinder
Spare Air 300
COMPANY : SPARE AIR UK PRICE : £ 334 WEB : WWW . SPAREAIR . CO . UK TEL : 0208 994 6006
Air to spare ?
The cylinder is small and lightweight
As we all know , an alternative supply ( AS ) of gas should be carried on every dive , provided in the form of an octopus regulator or via a fully independent supply .
Below 30 metres BSAC recommends an independent air source with a capacity of at least 3 litres such as a pony cylinder . Alternatively , manifolded twins with separate regulators can offer a more balanced setup .
For no-decompression recreational dives in the above-30m range many divers prefer using a single cylinder for convenience . Although I ’ ve never had a real world outof-air experience , I know several people who have . One benefitted from the close proximity of their buddy , the other was forced to make a rapid ascent to the surface , albeit in shallow water near the beginning of a dive . In both cases the outcome was favourable and they learned from their
experiences . However , had they carried some form of emergency supply , I ’ m sure they ’ d have been grateful for even just a few extra gulps of air to get them to safety .
Features
One product that offers just this is the Spare Air . Smaller and lighter than a conventional pony setup , this US-made cylinder with integrated demand valve is distributed in the UK by Mike ’ s Dive Store .
There are several models available , ranging from the Spare Air 170 , offering a capacity of 48 litres , to the Spare Air 300 with just under twice the volume at 85 litres . I opted for the larger capacity which , in common with its sibling , is available in a choice of pressure indicator or gauge options .
Just 34cm tall and weighing just under a kilogramme , the 207 bar cylinder is topped off with a compact demand valve . There ’ s a small gauge and filling port on one side , a compact mouthpiece on the other and the purge button situated on the top .
Filling is a very simple process : unscrew the filling port cover , attach the refill adapter and do this in turn to the donor cylinder . Flip the silver knurled knob to the ‘ close ’ position and
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