Ascent using alternate air on inflator hose

[jfoster]

Having a Air2 on my Ranger BC i was curious about how it was going to work too. With my instructor as my buddy we practice acsending using the Air2 more than a few times and on several occasions just to get used to it and to know what to do and how to do it.
Like all new or unfamilar gear, one should practice and know how to use it before you need it.

 

[gypsyjim]

Practice with any new equipment until it is second nature. This is a lesson I had to learn the HARD WAY, when BCDs first came along. My first dive with this "new fangled contraption" (along time ago you realize): I understood the equipment basics, but dived without the actual practice. Near Disaster. Practice any and all possible problems with any substantially new gear until the solutions come naturally.

 

[pilot fish]

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 have air2 also but have never had to make an emergency ascent using air2. I do have a dump valve on my right shoulder, do you?, so I would use that. I would also take my air2 out of my mouth and purge any air in my BC, if I had to. On almost every dive I switch to my air2 to insure that it works. I also send it in when I do yearly manintenance on my reg. It's what you'll need if you have to share air so you'd better be sure it is working. I like air2 because it eliminates a hose and and to trim, I feel.

 

[emtdan]

On a dive a month and a hlaf ago or so, i did something simular. I had just gotten my regs back from being serviced, and they close something on my octo completely, so it was leaking a bit of air. Since everything worked fine, and my primary was fine, i didnt want to waste the air coming out of my octo, so i switched to breathing out of it. Everything was calm, quiet, and easy, and i ended up giving my primary to my buddy for a minuite during the dive, because his had fallen out, and he couldnt find it.
I had never really spent a long time breathing out my own octo, and to say the least, it was enlightening. I realized how uncomftrable the mouthpiece is, and how little air it delivers.

 

[carini]

thank you everyone who has responded to this. I have learned much. I do have a dump valve on the bottom of my bc. But again i just need to practice more with this equipment. I love diving and want to always continue to learn and practice. I want my skills to be as good as the instructors and dive masters i have been lucky to dive with.

 

[DiverDan25]

thank you everyone who has responded to this. I have learned much. I do have a dump valve on the bottom of my bc. But again i just need to practice more with this equipment. I love diving and want to always continue to learn and practice. I want my skills to be as good as the instructors and dive masters i have been lucky to dive with.

I guess I am just the opposite of most people here. I certified with the Air II system on a scubapro BC. When we did skills review in a pool a couple of weekends ago my brother-in-law was using an octo and i thought to myself what an odd contraption. I did not know that Air II was considered an advance piece of equipment I just took it for granted that it was the standard. I love using it and I am like others who have posted in that I am always using it during a dive and I am comfortable using it as a second source.

 

[OE2X]

thank you everyone who has responded to this. I have learned much. I do have a dump valve on the bottom of my bc. But again i just need to practice more with this equipment. I love diving and want to always continue to learn and practice. I want my skills to be as good as the instructors and dive masters i have been lucky to dive with.

So if you find yourself in a rapid ascent while using your AirII then you better go feet up and reach back and dump since you don't have a relief valve on your right shoulder.

The problem really comes when you make your ascent and you are sharing air with your buddy.

Scenario:
You only have rear dumps and a hose dump - no right shoulder dump.
You have just donated your primary to your buddy and switched over to your AirII. Because your buddy is on a 36" hose the two of you are vertical and facing one another. What happens when you go to dump air from your BCD now. Going feet up isn't an option. Tugging on the inflator/AirII hose isn't advisable. You may not think to take your AirII out of your mouth to purge.
Things aren't looking so good now for using the AirII are they?
What happens if your quick disconect on your AirII develops a leak? Dive over. If it happens on your inflator? Disconect and continue your dive.

My advice:
Don't worry about the extra hose and regulator. Each piece of equipment has its own function. EBay the AirII to some other unsuspecting sod and get a real backup regulator. There is a reason why this is such a heated subject. Most experienced divers frown upon them as poor choices for good reason. Include me into that group.
Ultimately the choice is yours.

 

[jfoster]

They both have their strong suits. There is no substitution for knowing your gear and the proper way to use it. Practice before you need it not when you need it.
for what its worth if something such as a inflator develops a leak during a dive and you have to disconnect it ....... might be wise to end the dive then..... accidents tend to be a series of small events that fall into a big one....

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

You may not think to take your AirII out of your mouth to purge.

Seems to me that ‘not thinking’ is the easiest way to get in trouble, no matter your gear or configuration. As has been said, practice is the surest way to keep a level head.

What happens if your quick disconect on your AirII develops a leak? Dive over. If it happens on your inflator? Disconect and continue your dive.

Like JFoster said, if the QD failed (not likely), and disconnect/reconnect didn't solve the problem, I would abort the dive either way. None of my dives are so important that I will risk minor failures adding up to a catastrophe.

Most experienced divers frown upon them as poor choices for good reason.

Granted, I don’t know most experienced divers, but I think that’s a pretty general statement. I’ve seen a lot of experienced divers that use them, including the Coast Guard dive teams that I work with.

 

[OE2X]

I was recently on a dive where the inflator connection to a wing was leaking midway through the dive. It did not have an AirII on it. He disconnected and reattached it a couple of times but it still kept leaking. He disconnected the hose until we surfaced. We had finished at depth but still had nearly half of the dive left. Since we were working our way shallower anyways, it made sense just to continue the dive.

Had he had and AirII then the dive would have been finished.

As it was we spent an additional 40 minutes, saw some cool stuff and had a worry free dive.

When we got to the surface and looked at his bcd we realized that the connecting inflator post was loose and all it needed was a wrench. Not a big deal. The decision to carry on with the dive made perfect sense. Had he needed to inflate his bcd he could have done so manually. Again if it had been his AirII that was part of the scenarion then we would have been done with the dive.