Air2 AND octo?

[CuzzA]

Diving in a team of three, my buddy had an uncontrolled free flow. I donated my long hose and we shut her gas down. She was very comfortable doing her ascent on my long hose. By having the air2 (actually atomic's version) on my inflator hose, it meant 1) having to take it out of my mouth to vent and 2) my head was stuck looking either straight forward or to the left. The short length of the inflator hose restricts your ability to look to the right. In order to watch where all of my team members were, I had to helicopter around occasionally to keep everyone in view and of course in doing so, had to coordinate with my buddy for those movements. None of those things were a big deal, but a simple octopus bungeed under my chin would have allowed me full range of head motion and would just been simpler. Sure, I could get a longer inflator hose, but then that begins to encroach on some of the streamlining that the air2 is aiming for. For me, a bungeed hose under you chin still feels pretty streamlined.

Adding a couple inches to the inflator isn't noticeable. When I added the ScubaPro Air2 I replaced the hose with the correct length. I think if you are typically someone who buddy dives and doesn't back mount a pony you should necklace an octo. However, stating they essentially have no benefit is hogwash. We all dive for different reasons. My dives are probably much different than yours and therefore the Air2 serves for a lot of utility on my configuration.

 

[caruso]

I do maintain and inspect my gear very thoroughly. I’m not saying you are, but don’t get arsenal now

Dude you're the one worried about pulling your dump off your BCD, not me.

 

[Bob DBF]

By having the air2 (actually atomic's version) on my inflator hose, it meant 1) having to take it out of my mouth to vent and 2) my head was stuck looking either straight forward or to the left. The short length of the inflator hose restricts your ability to look to the right

At first it sounds like the issue is a poor design in the Atomic. My buddy's actual Air 2 and my Oceanic version had hoses long enough for a normal view, and a pull dump to use while breathing. If it was your choice to have a short hose and not use a pull dump, then it was a matter of disabling design features and not choosing the right tool for the job.

With the way you had to use the unit, your displeasure is understandable.


Bob

 

[RyanT]

However, stating they essentially have no benefit is hogwash. We all dive for different reasons. My dives are probably much different than yours and therefore the Air2 serves for a lot of utility on my configuration.

I never said they have no benefit. I agree that folks dive for different reasons and in different configurations. I was simply suggesting that there are better tools for the job. If you saw my first response to the OP, I even gave an alternative reason for why a friend of mine dives both an octo and air2. Dive whatever rig you would like.

 

[CuzzA]

Never said you will die.

You should try to dive the same configuration all the time. Why do you use a long hose only on doubles? You should use a long hose all the time so you become more proficient in its use by diving the same gear all the time (with exceptions)

Nah, I'm proficient with both of my rigs. The goal should be to be a proficient diver who is confident in his abilities. That means my water skills are good enough that I can pick up your rig and dive it like it's my own. For example, one day I can hop in a 4 wheel drive Silverado truck and navigate tight spaces without hitting anything and also hop in a manual transmission Corvette and whip around town the next day.

Furthermore, some configurations create more problems than they solve depending on the activity. For example spearfishing with a long hose. I'm of the belief the long hose is for single file air sharing exits in caves and wrecks. If you do not do these dives I see no utility in them for open water.

Also, if you back mount a pony for whatever reason, say you're a NatGeo photographer with a giant camera rig. Having too many octos is a recipe for disaster. I'd rather have an Air 2 and necklace the pony, knowing the pony is for if I am OOG, the Air 2 for air sharing situations with a buddy. My opinion of course.

 

[EireDiver606]

So the once or twice (if ever) in your life where you faced an OOA emergency for a few minutes, the Air 2 was not quite as convenient- meanwhile on the 100s of other uneventful dives, you aren't carrying an extra hose and mouthpiece thanks to the Air2.

See that is typical sheep diver thinking. “Oh well if it is fine for a few hundred dives because I never needed to use it.” Those few minutes you’d much rather have a proper reg bungees under your chin than an air 2. Why get a less optimal setup for OOG scenario? It clueless reasoning.

That gas sharing scenario is a few very important minutes of your life is all I will say. As saying a gas sharing scenario with a panicked diver in an overhead or non overhead could be a life or death scenario would induce a coma to some of you out there

 

[caruso]

See that is typical sheep diver thinking.

Funny you should say that. In preparation for next weeks dive trip my girlfriend shaved my hairy body from top to bottom. There was so much hair on the floor (mostly from my ass) we could have filled a pillow! She describes it as "shearing the sheep".

@EireDiver606 finally got something right

 

[caruso]

recently had a buddy let me borrow a wrist AI computer on a trip to Belize. It was nice having that. I'm thinking before I go to the Solomons next year I'll have a wrist computer.

Once you go hoseless AI you never go back. (That's why they make them in black).

 

[EireDiver606]

Funny you should say that. In preparation for next weeks dive trip my girlfriend shaved my hairy body from top to bottom. There was so much hair on the floor (mostly from my ass) we could have filled a pillow! She describes it as "shearing the sheep".

@EireDiver606 finally got something right

We can agree to disagree about certain things but as long as we are joking in the thread and don’t get too serious, it makes SB a better community

Am I right sheep diver?

 

[boulderjohn]

meanwhile on the 100s of other uneventful dives, you aren't carrying an extra hose and mouthpiece thanks to the Air2.

Having one less hose is the common selling point for this setup. I am not sure how having both the Air 2 and a standard octopus (the topic of this thread) fits into that reasoning.

Tech divers do not use Air 2's because

1. they want their alternate to be of the same quality as the primary
2. they do not want pull dumps because of their potential for failure.