How long a hose for your primary when using BCD inflator air second?

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Seems like everyone has anecdotal issues with the Air2, and in over 30 years of diving one, I have never had a problem.

It is a proven piece of equipment, which, as with all other equipment, used and maintained properly, continues to function as designed.

I'm not saying it's a bad piece of kit, I've only dived the second version of the air2 and in my opinion it just doesn't breathe optimal compared to a good second stage.

Ofcourse it works, but you can't get the breathing as light as let's say a properly tuned g250 or s600 or whatever balanced second stage with a big diaphragm and high quality poppet that can be tuned under 1.0

Another issue I have with it, is that you need a long inflator. I usually run them very short so they dont flop around and interfere with d-rings.
 
Which means that it is a legit option and is reliable without issues for it to stay in production and market for DECADES. I doubt very much that Aqua Lung, Atomic and Scubapro would keep making it and selling it for this long if there were any issues selling it or if there wasn't a huge market for it.
Huge market? It is in your dream!

I see more weight integrated bc or AI computer than this inferior device which have been around since 1979!
Have you ever came across any dive operator using it than the conventional 2nd stage?
It was NOT allowed in Queensland at least 20yrs ago. Not sure about it nowadays.
 
Actually, I should have said, you need a longer primary hose. There have been divers who had an OOG situation where they had to climb over a reef to get back to shore to their starting location. Extremely rare to be a dive site that requires a swim through AND have OOG, but I'm extremely conservative while attempting to stay within reason.. The primary was too short for them to lock arms and flutter kick (a long hose is better however so that both can frog kick). I have always taught my OW students to swim together sharing gas, as they are more likely to run into a situation with boat traffic and cannot ascend straight to the surface.

Single file gas sharing is beyond my abilities as a diver and an instructor. I don't teach that as I can' teach that as I haven't been trained to dive that.
Trained wreck diver would understand the importance of single file in gas sharing.
Standard equipment is 7' primary hose in overhead environment.
 
Yes, but this thread is running in the "Basic Scuba" forum.

rx7diver
I know but someone brought up the subject first. So I thought it is better to offer a proper reply.
I would regard that as "basic" knowledge.:wink:
 
Bias does not work in scuba diving! There are a lot of clever/intelligent divers around!
You should have noticed there are more divers with weight integrated bc or AI computer than this device. There must be logical reasons other than bias! Do you know how long the integrated alternative air source have been around?

I have never ever seen any dive operator offer this to anyone!
I have never ever seen any instructor using that device in scuba training classes.
Bias? NO way!.

Perhaps a better word than bias might have been familiarity. While I cannot see myself using such an option, I don’t rule out that there are not divers that love it or that somewhere for some divers there is a good use for this option. As has been said on SB many times, “You don’t know what you don’t know”.
 
There has been a huge amount of ignorance and bias about new or innovative scuba gear for many years, very little of which has been justified! I first dealt with it when I purchased my Seaquest ADV BCD in 1984, on a recommendation from my OW Instructor, then my Zeagle back inflate in 1991, literally every dive shop and dive boat I worked for gave me crap about that new fangled back inflate BCD that couldn't have as much lift as their jacket BCD's (the jacket BCD's averaged 30-35 lbs of lift, the Zeagle was 45 lbs) and was not safe! Every single one of those divers eventually switched to a back inflate or BPW! Then there was the under the arm routing of my first stage that I was also using and the Scubapro Air 2. After that there was the dive computer and then the AI dive computer. Finally there were the split fins, I still get crap about those until I prove that I can out swim most people with them and yes I have pulled the float ball on a drift dive with them many times. To answer your question, I personally use an Air2 style regulator/inflator and have my primary on a 48" hose routed under my arm with a swivel or elbow on the first stage and have been using that configuration since 1990 although I had a conventional alternate until 1992 and continue to add one in addition to the Air2 when I am teaching so that I can demonstrate the use of both. If you decide to get an Air2 style inflator you want to practice with it including dumping and adding air to your BCD while using it, I usually spend a few minutes on on a regular basis breathing off of it and using the controls, I have even done a complete dive using it when I had a problem with the diaphragm on my primary, my Atomic SS1 does not breathe as well as my primary but it does breathe better than regulators that I have used in the past.
 
Seems like everyone has anecdotal issues with the Air2, and in over 30 years of diving one, I have never had a problem.

It is a proven piece of equipment, which, as with all other equipment, used and maintained properly, continues to function as designed.

Same here without ANY issue at all, none!
 

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