Air2 AND octo?

[MaxBottomtime]

When I worked at a dive shop the Air2 was the one item that was returned for repair the most. I'm sure they are better built now as there are many happy customers on Scubaboard. I never saw the point of them. They create more problem than they solve during an air sharing event. The only reason dive shop sales staff give is that they reduce the need for another hose. If you use a bungeed neklass on your backup reg that "extra" hose is out of the way and streamlined. Also, there was a report on Scubaboard a few years ago of a woman at Catalina who squeezed her entire inflator and rocketed to the surface. She thought she was only depressing the deflator button but obviously not.

For the extra purchase price, having to maintain it as you would a regulator and the extra effort to breathe from it while ascending and still adjusting the air in your BC it really makes little sense to buy one.

 

[johndiver999]

+1!
What method do you recommend for securing an octo?
I've gone through four different retainers, and dislike all of them. I use a 2" SS ring now, for a small loop of octo hose, but it's not a clean setup.

I use a neck lanyard, but before I went to that method I used a fastex clip. The male end is zip tied securely to the octo hose about 5- 6 inches from the octopus. The fastex clip has an angled face, so the clip will sit on the on the hose in an extermely stable and fixed location - use two or 3 zip ties.

On your chest D-ring or whereever you want to mount the octo on your chest, you use several cut rubber bands to tie the female clip to the BC. The idea here is that with a really good tug, the rubber bands will break and the female clip (while secured to the male clip) stays on the reg hose. In a normal deployment of the octo- and with a little practice, it is easy to pinch the fastex clip and avoid breaking the rubber bands. In an emergency with a panicked diver, the break away will allow instant deployment. Costs about nothing if you have a 3/4" wide fastex clip around.

The rubber bands require checking every several months, but it is not a big deal. It is very secure, will never fall out or come apart - unless the bands wear out.

And since we are on the Air 2 discussion, to vent air from the Air 2 you can press the deflate button and elevate the AIR 2. Is it a problem to remove the air 2 from your mouth in an emergency when venting? It remains in your hand. Normally on a SP BC, you can dump with the pull dump on the right side of the BC, but if you need to dump from the Air2 pressing the deflate button and holding over your head is not a big deal for literally 2 seconds. You have to exhale sometime, does it really matter if the emergency reg is in your mouth when you are exhaling? It really is a non issue in my opinion.

 

[caruso]

. If you use a bungeed neklass on your backup reg that "extra" hose is out of the way and streamlined. Also, there was a report on Scubaboard a few years ago of a woman at Catalina who squeezed her entire inflator and rocketed to the surface. She thought she was only depressing the deflator button but obviously not.

The extra hose is still one more hose coming out of the first stage, wrapping around in a loop and ending up under your chin where there is an additional mouthpiece, it's not all that streamlined. As far as your second point, any gear can be used incorrectly that doesn't mean it doesn't work as intended when properly used.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The extra hose is still one more hose coming out of the first stage, wrapping around in a loop and ending up under your chin where there is an additional mouthpiece, it's not all that streamlined. As far as your second point, any gear can be used incorrectly that doesn't mean it doesn't work as intended when properly used.

My backup reg goes under my right arm, across my chest and stays under my chin. The hose doesn't stick out anywhere. It is very streamlined.
Even when properly used you still need to inflate/deflate while breathing from the Air2. It's a silly design.

 

[caruso]

Even when properly used you still need to inflate/deflate while breathing from the Air2. It's a silly design.

Yes, when properly used you still need to inflate and deflate while breathing from the Air 2..somewhat inconvenient during the possible once or twice in your diving lifetime OOA diver rescue.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

So what is the point of the Air2 if it can be an inconvenience?

 

[HeatCker]

sharing air .... when breathing off an air2, to deflate your BC while ascending simply push the deflate button, or use the right shoulder pull dump, both work if in the proper position for dumping air

just to be clear you "do not" have to remove the air2 from your mouth to deflate

 

[boulderjohn]

sharing air .... when breathing off an air2, to deflate your BC while ascending simply push the deflate button, or use the right shoulder pull dump, both work if in the proper position for dumping air

just to be clear you "do not" have to remove the air2 from your mouth to deflate

Please help with this.

If you have the Air 2 in your mouth, it will not be at the highest point. How effectively will it deflate if it is not?

If you are gripping the OOA diver with the right hand, as is taught, how to you use the right shoulder dump?

What about BCds with no right shoulder dump?

 

[caruso]

So what is the point of the Air2 if it can be an inconvenience?

The divers who use an Air2 or equivalent BCD mounted regulator do so because to us, it's worth the possibility of an inconvenience during an air share with an OOA diver which might or might not happen in 100s of hours of diving, in exchange for the convenience and call it "luxury" of enjoying a more streamlined rig with one less hose, and one less mouthpiece. It's also that much less to pack into a carry on bag. If you've never appreciated the difference, try pulling not one but two hoses off your first stage which is how it is when you've got an air integrated wrist computer and don't carry an spg (or carry a mini spg on an extra thin hose) and you'll be amazed at how much less space it takes up in your bag.

To put it another way, @MaxBottomtime, I carry several pieces of gear on recreational dives that most divers do not, including a spool, a deployable marker buoy, as well as a safety sausage, as well as a foldable snorkel in a pocket I went to the trouble of attaching to my BCD. I also have a backup computer clipped off in a BCD pocket which needs to be configured for each Nitrox dive, and batteries inspected and replaced, etc. It's an inconvenience to carry and maintain those addtional items, and you might ask me "well then why do you do it if it's inconvenient" and my short answer is because it's a trade off for safety and piece of mind.

 

[ibj40]

sharing air .... when breathing off an air2, to deflate your BC while ascending simply push the deflate button, or use the right shoulder pull dump, both work if in the proper position for dumping air

just to be clear you "do not" have to remove the air2 from your mouth to deflate

And as you and others have pointed out, and as those of us who dive an Air2 are well aware of, the Air2's inflator and deflator buttons are actually right in your hand, and one does not have to reach for another device in order to maintain buoyancy control.