Alternate Inflation Regulators

[mediver]

I also dive with a regulator on a necklace. And if you decide to go with that equipment configuration then Great!
If however you are still interested in a combination
inflator/regulator then you need to shop carefully. I used the AirII on rental equipment on and off for 3 months before buying my own setup. I chose the Sherwood Shadow+. I decided on them for several reasons.
#1 Standard fittings: the Sherwood (and similar Genesis) have standard BC quick disconnects. The AirII has(had?) special larger diameter quick disconnects.
#2 If you have a inflator problem and disconnect the hose, you still have a functioning regulator.
#3 When you breakdown and pack-up, the Shadow+ goes with your regulator, (in a reg bag?) the AirII lives with the BC. This was a traveling and/or shipping issue for my girlfriend and myself. On one trip I had to ship my BC to Florida and I took the reg. bag on the plane. The BC arrived two days late, during that time I rented a standard BC. No hoses to swap, no renting BC and reg. because of special fittings.
#4 Maintenance, (this is similar to #3) but I found it much more convenient to just take the regulators in for service. Others would require that the BC be taken in at the same time. Of course you should have you BC looked at too but not necessarily at the same time!
#5 If/when you decide that the DIR style is right for you then… The standard hoses on the shadow+ and sidekick(?) are about 22-24” and great length for your necklace regulator, so it’s not a complete loss.

Mediver

 

[jamiei]

i think most people that use an inflator/regulator will own their own bcd. Also, i'm not a big fan of sherwood anyway, but i feel the quality of a reg (such as scubapro's newer generation air2s) is a bigger factor. You don't have to worry about a well serviced scubapro reg, but i have my doubts about the sherwood models. I service my air2 so i don't have a problem, but even if i didn't its simple to remove the air2 from a bcd. just disconnect the hose and push the pin out that holds the cable for the dump valve.

 

[Wreck/Tec]

Stop the screwing around ! If you are in a genuine OOA emergency you want a regulator of equal quality to your primary. If you are in capacitated and someone else is trying to manage your ascent all the unnecessary buttons and levers are nothing more than potential trouble. How many articles have to be read about the deficiencies of this type of product. In my opinion dive shops put entry people at risk selling these instead of the traditional second stage for the sake of profit ! There are plenty of these in service, and some people love them. That's their perogative, I have whitnessed the fumbleing, unfamiliararity, and unreliability several times. I'm not sure if some of this is the result of poor or nonexistant service, lack of familiararity with the product, or poor design. Do you really want to keep removing it from your mouth to deflate ? These are poor examples of life support equipment, please think about it.................
Wreck/Tec

 

[Lead_carrier]

Wreck/Tec once bubbled...
In my opinion dive shops put entry people at risk selling these instead of the traditional second stage for the sake of profit ! There are plenty of these in service, and some people love them. That's their perogative, I have whitnessed the fumbleing, unfamiliararity, and unreliability several times. I'm not sure if some of this is the result of poor or nonexistant service, lack of familiararity with the product, or poor design. Do you really want to keep removing it from your mouth to deflate ? These are poor examples of life support equipment, please think about it.................
Wreck/Tec

Do you have anything other than opinion that shows dive shops are putting entry level divers at risk? I have also witnessed fumbling, pushing the inflate instead of the deflate button and general confusion using a alternate air source/power inflator. I have also watched newbies grap a power inflator and try to breathe off of it, hit the wrong button and lose their octopus. That is why they are in open water class, to learn how to handle these situations.

Your DIR rig, and that is NOT a shot at DIR setups, basically has a primary reg, secondary reg on a necklace, pony bottle, and a power inflator attached to your BP/Wings. Guess what, if a person has a problem operating a power inflator on my jacket bc, they'll have a problem operating the power inflator on my BP/Wings, because I use the same manufacturer for both.

Yes you are allowed you opinion and I'm allowed mine. I teach with both AIR 2's and octos because I don't have enough gear to go around, not because one is putting the students at risk. If that was the case you'd think that more shops would teach only with octos and power inflators.

 

[jamiei]

I don't have to take my air2 out of my mouth to deflate... My head is higher than the highest point of my bc. I just hit the button... Its for emergencies only. In an emergency, you should be making a descent so you won't be on it very long. I don't see any difference in an air2 and a r190 or r380. Inside, where it counts, they're basically the same. Do you also say that these are poor and even dangerous regs? Isn't what really matters is how confortable a person is with their equipment? An air2 isn't the greatest reg in the world of course, but it serves its purpose. Why not use the air2 in conjunction with an octopus? Or even use a pony to inflate your bc with an air2. Only one hose to fail there...

 

[theslyfox01]

I'm about to get myself a new BCD with an 'air 3' system, I assume its simply the next generation from a air 2, or perhaps its because its got 3 functions instead of 2 (air-horn, BC inflate/deflate, reg)

I'm not phased by the possibility of having to take the reg from my mouth since the BC has 2 shoulder dumps and a kidney dump which are more easy to get to and use than the actual hose deflate button. With practice I believe the system would be alot more streamlined and just as easy to breath off as an octopus system


....only problem I could see is setting off the 120 decibel air-horn while its in my mouth inches from my ears -

 

[cavemanxxx]

Well, what about Solo diving. I have a 30 Cft Pony Tank, and recently got rid of my Octopus as I had too many hoses and junk hanging off me, and to ensure a clean rig, especially for wreck penetration.

I am considering the inflator hose / octopus as a third alternative . It is neat, clean , and most of all, as a third option.

( in the event I have a buddy, I gan give away my main ( tech style) and still have 2 options for my self )

 

[Grajan]

When we bought new gear recently (after a few years out of diving) we started off with AirII's - we did not like them:
- Too complicated (particularly in an emergency)
- Too restrictive on head movement
- Primary too short to share safely
- High maint part (reg) integrated with low maint part (BC)
- and other issues

So we reverted to a standard octo - I don't like that much better:
- Protecting spare reg a hassle
- Both service loops too long (entanglement issue)
- Secondary still too short to share easily
- Too much drag on mouthpiece when moving head

Now I'm going to a 5' primary and necklaced secondary - report to follow.

I stress that I am not promoting any particular solution (I am a recreational diver not a tech diver). This is my personal quest and does not constitute a recommendation.

 

[Albion]

I used an Apex Octo+ for 6 years without any major problem, i did find it would sometimes free flow slightly until it was fully 'wet' seemed a little suseptible to salt crystals.

I have just swiched bc's and now use a Sea quest design this is more up to date and much smaller, not much bigger than a regular inflator. My GF has used this model for 5 years without any troubles, so with us both diving the same gear it makes things simpler.

From the earlier argumants plus and minus i would add the following

1) as a combined piece of kit (reg and inflator) yes failure of one may cause problems for the other. But i find that as mine is serviced regularly the inflator part also gets looked at, as is the bcd itself. How many people service their regs but never touch the inflator. I have seen several inflator failures (due to lack of maintence), and this can also be as dangerous as OOA. on one ocasion the diver was 30m down and the inflator stayed wide open the pressure built up so fast they couldnt purge and the BCD didnt have an overpressure vavle, or maybe that was naff as well. It took myself and another diver to hold them down until the problem could be rectified.

2) There are many arguments between this arrangement and the necklace design, but ithink the important point is they are both better than the conventional setup. Far too many divers either stick the spare 2nd stage in a pocket where it cant be reached or leaving it to trail behind them dragging through the coral and sand.

If you have a real example of an 'AIR2' type reg failing then please come forward, but don't dismiss them as dangerous and unreliable with basis.

In recreational diving they have a place

 

[mdr231]

I've never tried an AIR2 style alternate air source. There seem to be 2 approaches for using them and deflating at the same time- 1) deflate bc while air2 in is mouth 2) alternate between raising air2 above head to release air and breathing.

Which works best?

thanks,
Michael