Ascent using alternate air on inflator hose

[hermosadive]

Air2 has been a subject of discussion numerous times on this board, and every time the conclusion is that the LDS who sold you that setup is trying to kill you.........

I think the equipment is seldom the cause of diver death. Diver's actions are more likely to kill. If you are weighted correctly, you probably would be diving with very little air in your BC even at 60'. Dumping the air before assending would have prevented the issue.

If there isn't a dump valve in you BC, go have one installed at your LDS. Its a cheap mod, then practice using it.

 

[wedivebc]

Air2 has been a subject of discussion numerous times on this board, and every time the conclusion is that the LDS who sold you that setup is trying to kill you.........

I have read plenty of those threads and not arrived at that conclusion.

 

[molksmith]

Until I actually searched and found out what AIR2 was. (I wasn't familiar with this before) I could not understand why he was breathing from his inflation hose.
It just seems that an Octupus is the smartest set-up or at least an octupus with Air2.
Can anyone enlighten me on why one would use this set-up?

 

[hermosadive]

Until I actually searched and found out what AIR2 was. (I wasn't familiar with this before) I could not understand why he was breathing from his inflation hose.
It just seems that an Octupus is the smartest set-up or at least an octupus with Air2.
Can anyone enlighten me on why one would use this set-up?

I think in most cases the argument is "one less hose". In reality the "extra hose" shouldn't really be and issue that effects your diving. I think the fact that most people see other divers with their Octos dragging behind them or find that they are constantly coming unclipped from the holders so they feel the Air2 will help streamline their diving, which is does. So does a bungied reg around you neck. Thats where my 2nd reg is I i don't even notice it when I'm not using it. Lots of options, no right answer.

I think if you have an Air2 its important to use your rear or shoulder dump for your regular diving bouyancy control, that way it will be 2nd nature when the time comes to actually have to use the Air2 as your primary air source. Messing around with a deflator/inflator button thats connected to your air source seems like a bad idea.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Air2 has been a subject of discussion numerous times on this board, and every time the conclusion is that the LDS who sold you that setup is trying to kill you.........

Maybe your conclusion...

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

I was just wondering if anyone else out there has made an ascent using alt on inflator hose. I had something happen last summer and it really scared me. I was diving in the local quarry of which i have spent alot of time. I made my descent to 60feet. Once there i developed a free flow in my seconday. So i switched to alt. But since i had never done this before my ascent was to fast. I kept grabbing for my inflator hose to dump air :11: . Well it was not there. It was in my mouth. I was wondering if this has ever happend to anyone. And to let those who have alt on inflator hose to practice it before this happens. I was lucky. Did not have any problems.

I had the Zeagle/Beauchat equivalent for a number of years. I never had an emergency where I needed it, but also practiced with it fairly regularly.

Also, the LDS that installed it for me put a slightly longer hose on my primary, to make it easier to donate to a OOA buddy.

 

[JustinW]

muscle memory recall is much better with an Air2, since you are touching and using it throughout the dive to adjust bouyancy. When an emergency comes, your response to finding your air 2 is much better than your response to searching for your octo, which most people have never had to use. On a typical dive I touch my air 2 a few dozen times, dumping air, adding air, inflating at the surface etc. You should never have the issue of a fast ascent, you should have alternate dump valves elsewhere on your BC. The argument is very much, one less hose, simplified setup, better muscle memory recall to using the Air2. To each their own.

 

[SoCalOffshore]

In an emergency, hand your primary to the OOA diver (they will probably take it without hesiatation from your mouth), put your Air 2 in your mouth and breath, then begin a controlled ascent.

 

[jonnythan]

This is why you need to practice OOA ascents..

 

[akscubainst]

One thing that never seems to get mentioned in the Air II discussion threads is that the AIR II being a Scubapro product and primarily (though not only) intended to be installed on Scubapro BC's.

All Scubapro BC's have a pull to dump valve on the right shoulder as well as the BC Inflator hose, the AIR II button and the rear dump. If you are using an AIR II on a Scubapro BC you have 4 ways to get the air out of the BC.

It's your responsibility to practice and figure out which way works best for you but you are not really handicapped just because the BC inflator is in your mouth.

In 17 years of diving, I've used an AIR II or shadow for most of them without any problems. If you are going to use an advanced piece of equipment, you need to make darn sure you're competent with it and your buddy should know exactly what to expect should it be necessary to use it.

Personally, I've made the switch to the long hose and Hog rig but I don't feel there is anything wrong with the AIR II or similar configuration if you are prepared to use it.

Dave