Why Spare Air!

I'd like to tell you WHY I invented SPARE AIR...

Larry Williamson, Inventor of Spare Air

Larry Williamson, Inventor of Spare Air displays the HEED II and Spare Air back in 1986.

"One night I was lobster diving in the beautiful, clear cool waters off the coast of Catalina Island. After a short time, I realized I had failed to check my air supply. As I went to check it, I took a breath and discovered there wasn't one to be had. I panicked for a moment...got myself together and swam quickly toward the surface with the unnerving sense that it was too far away and I wouldn't make it! In this rush for the precious air far above at the surface, I began to black out...my only thought was... If I only had one more breath of air.

For days after this experience I would awake in a sweat during the night. Then I began to notice a recurring thought I had...it was the last words I recalled as I blacked out.... If only I had one more breath. Why was this coming back to me over and over again? Was I given a second chance to live for a reason? Then it dawned on me. There are others that didn't, don't or won't make it...There are others blacking out and never waking up... if they only had one more breath of air!

So the story ends with the present. SPARE AIR was born, and out of it my commitment to educate the world about preventable drowning and safe diving. I feel diving is safe, but it can and should be made safer. You, too, can join the quest and become part of the story of SPARE AIR. Read on for why Spare Air is for you"

Larry Williamson,
Inventor - Spare Air

For many years the standard response to "out of air emergencies" was to "share air" but

THAT HAS CHANGED!

Read the following articles from leading dive magazines to see WHY sharing air is NO longer the RIGHT answer!

ScubaDiving.com, October 31, 2011
Ask an Expert: Mandatory Redundant Air Systems?

"We must be prepared to solve our own crises, and carrying a redundant air source is the most versatile and safest choice possible, as it creates a fail-safe for air volume as well as correct function of both stages of a regulator."

Dive Training, July 2002
Air Sharing and Out-of-Air Emergencies by Lynn Laymon

"Sharing air is a safe and feasible alternative when both the donor and recipient are trained, proficient and practiced…and the donor has plenty of air to share. However, this is seldom the case. Many experienced divers would rather risk their lives making a solo emergency ascent than share air with someone they don't know or have little confidence in. And don't expect to find every diver willing to share air with you, especially if he is not your buddy and doesn't know you. Diving accident statistics reveal a sobering fact about cases in which one diver runs out of air and seeks help from another diver. If one diver dies, both divers often die. Sharing air is serious business."

Did you know there are over 21 ways a diver can run out of air!
Be prepared by carrying Spare Air!

  1. Forgetting to watch the time and staying down too long.
  2. Using air quicker than planned due to overshooting depth, getting caught in a current, getting lost, nitrogen narcosis, diving in cold water, getting caught in kelp or fishing line.
  3. Sudden regulator malfunction due to corrosion or too much time between overhaul.
  4. O-ring failure on any of the First stage regulator ports.
  5. Regulator stuck in "free-flow" due to foreign particles or sand.
  6. Regulator "freezing up" in cold water leaving you suddenly without air.
  7. Stuck Pressure Gauge reflecting incorrect pressure in your tank.
  8. Air cut off due to tank valve not turned on all the way.
  9. Rupture of SCUBA tank o-ring due to misalignment or wear.
  10. Second stage regulator diaphragm develops a tear or slips out of place.
  11. O-ring failure on BC air inflator or valve stuck in the open position.
  12. Burst disc failure on SCUBA Tank valve due to corrosion or age.
  13. Clogged filter on first stage regulator due to sediment or rust from tank.
  14. Leak develops at any one of the High or Low pressure hose fittings.
  15. Mouthpiece on second stage suddenly coming off regulator.
  16. O-ring failure on pressure gauge.
  17. Rupture of either High or Low Pressure hoses.
  18. O-ring failure on Octopus regulator.
  19. Rental tank not filled completely.
  20. Damaged First stage regulator due to falling object / impact.
  21. High or Low pressure hose cut or severed on sharp rock / impediment.

(Source: Dive accident logs, published articles in dive magazines, and letters from SPARE AIR customers.)

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