PSDarchives.altairsource

Alternate Air Sources

10-17-02

Looking for a little help. Our team is purchasing some alternate air sources
and we'd like to know what you all are using. We'd like to know what type of
bracket system, what size tank, and what regulator systems is being used out
there. Thank you in advanced for any help you can provide.

Be safe,
Jeff Patterson
Fire Training Chief
Clearwater Fire & Rescue

10-17-02

We use a 19 cu ft pony with a fair quality Tusa first/second stage.
This mounts in the right side rear pocket of our LGS BCD, which is
designed for this. I've added a Shearwood miniature pressure gage which
screws into a HP port on the first stage. It's visable when getting the
pack ready to don. The second stage hose goes under the right arm to a
bright colored rubber keeper
in the mid-chest area.
Another improvement I added to my set is to add a piece of surgical
tubing to my main reg to hang it around my neck as the cave divers are
rigged. . I did this after a recovery in fast water where I took on a
few gulps of questionable quality river water after standing in neck
deep water and spitting out my reg to tell my partner I had the victim
under my right arm. I couldn't recover my reg without letting him go,
and with the current, his negative bouyancy and zero vis, I had no
intention of doing that.

Kirk Fredericks
Wolfville Fire Department
Nova Scotia, Canada

10-17-02

Chief, all the teams I have worked with have opted for 30 cft tanks and while some prefered the Zeagle pony straps for attactment others used a sling method (common for deco bottles or stage bottles up front) which can be made by your divers. I would recommend if this is your choice, using snap shackles with a lanyard for quick and easy deployment (use a crown knot and back splice about 3" to reduce possible snags and entanglement.) IF you do not already have 1st & 2nd stages for the bail out systems you might want to look at the Zeagle Envoy its very well built and out performs many of the costly regs out there at half the cost. I would be happy to shoot you a quote if needed? Any system is bettler then none at all what ever you choose ensure that your divers are using the system intraining and drills .

Hope that helps

W.H BEAL

10-17-02

Go to the internet and look up Tigergear which has a tank bracket made by a fireman named Jim Beck. He supplies the best pony bracket we have found to date, with a quick release mechanism. The size of the pony bottle depends on the depth you're team is most likely to dive, but the 30's tend to be a conservative choice. We utilize a Agualung Titan with a balanced 1st stage and high performance 2nd stage with a miniature tank gauge attached to the first stage.

Detective Estevan Martinez

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dive Team

10-18-02

the Idea behind the Bailout size is like Detective Estevan said related to the working depth of a dive, but we don't usually have a topographical map of our underwater scene so it would make sense to follow the rule of thirds. Most teams are employing standard

80 cft cylinders so it makes the 30 cft the minimum if safe practices are a priority of your department. that 30 cft is some-ones get home gas and in a catastrophic failure of your primary or being entangled in what seems like never ending line you can bet you will need the complete 1/3 . You might also find that the size and diameter is not any more cumbersome then a 19 cft or a 27 cft and there is no increase in price within this rage of tanks.

W.H. BEAL

10-22-02

I wear a 40 cube pony on my rig, and my divers all wear 30s. My 40 I got for a song, and is about the same length as an alum. 80. I figure if I am the one stuck, I want as much air as I can carry. I got 22 minutes out of the pool with it doing some pretty heavy swimming. Hope I never use it for real.....

Stay safe and have fun,

Steve Treinish
MFD Dive Rescue

Lifeguard Systems, Inc. Box 594 Shokan, NY 12481

Phone: 845-657-5544

Fax: 845-657-5549