Atomic SS1 and other Regulator/Inflator Combos
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Tcook
Guest
I just purchased an Atomic SS1 from Scubatoys (thanks Joe and James) for my trip next week to Cozumel and even though I haven't used it several folks I have talked to about it have commended the purchase. I also purchased an airless computer and now don't know what I am going to do with only one hose (regulator) to deal with! I'll no longer look like Medusa with all the snakes coming from my body!
Depending on your diving and where you dive will determin what kind of reg to purchase. If you can buy the best. Mares, Scubapro, Apex come to mind. I would avoid an Inflator/Octo combination. Reason is this. In an OOA( out of air ) situation where you provide the air source to a buddy. You give out your primary reg. ANd then you go for your octo. But it is attached to your inflator. How would you dumb air from your BC efficiently in this case. It causes a hazard in this case. If you are not properly trained. YES trained, have not practiced this..like most new divers do not do and even the experienced one do not do practice SKILL dives...your asking for a problem.
I would avoid an inflator/octo. If you are looking to avoid an extra hose. Ther is a simple fix. Having your octo attached to a Necklace around your neck. It is derived from Technical diving and is used widely by recreational divers to have the octo at the ready around the neck. So as to not fiddle around during and OOA.
Just a word to the wise.
Safe dives and happy shopping
Stephen
I would avoid an inflator/octo. If you are looking to avoid an extra hose. Ther is a simple fix. Having your octo attached to a Necklace around your neck. It is derived from Technical diving and is used widely by recreational divers to have the octo at the ready around the neck. So as to not fiddle around during and OOA.
Just a word to the wise.
Safe dives and happy shopping
Stephen
Pegleg
Registered
I have the Atomic B2 regulator and Atomic SS1 both work great, the SSi is in MHO probably the best working and breathing of the bunch. So is Reg. love being able to take SS1 off hose to clean out BC and when I travel, Take Reg, SS1, and Computer in carry on. You cant go wrong with Atomic !
TheWallDiver
Registered
My wife and I also have the Atomic B2 & SSI combo. We also have the Vytec computers with the wireless connection, so we have two less hoses than most people.
We've had these for nearly two years and have over 100 dives on them. We bought them shortly after our OW certification so we are very comfortable using them, but have not used the normal console & alternate air source much, so me comparing the two sets of equipment is not fair to the "normal" way.
ScarefaceDM brings up a good point about dumping air on an ascent, but my wife & I make it a point to practice our safety skills often so we don't have an issue in an out of air situation (or other equipment failure).
That said, you have to do things a little differently with an SS1 than others because the BCD inflator is on the same hose.
One key thing for us is that my wife is ALWAYS my buddy, and we know each other's equipment well.
When we have taken classes and been buddied up with strangers we always have to explain in detail how to handle an out of air situation. While most of us are taught to hand over our alternate to the person out of air, I think in the real world they are going to take the primary anyhow, and I'll be breathing on my alternate, and this is exactly how the SS1 is meant to be used.
The only difference is how to handle venting the air in the BCD as you surface, and you need to know how to do this, and practice it.
It is different, but not that much harder to control your buoyancy using the SS1 as opposed to the conventional way.
However, I would NOT recommend anyone to get an SS1 unless you practice regularly on how to use your equipment. When you are in a real emergency it is not the time to try to figure out how to use the equipment. Breathing on the SS1 in an out of air situation is easy. Ascending safetly and under control is harder. If you don't practice it you could find yourself in an uncontrolled ascent for the both of you, which could result in DCS.
By the way, as part of the practice we breathe off our SS1's at least once during every dive day. They breathe great, even at depth.
Wally
We've had these for nearly two years and have over 100 dives on them. We bought them shortly after our OW certification so we are very comfortable using them, but have not used the normal console & alternate air source much, so me comparing the two sets of equipment is not fair to the "normal" way.
ScarefaceDM brings up a good point about dumping air on an ascent, but my wife & I make it a point to practice our safety skills often so we don't have an issue in an out of air situation (or other equipment failure).
That said, you have to do things a little differently with an SS1 than others because the BCD inflator is on the same hose.
One key thing for us is that my wife is ALWAYS my buddy, and we know each other's equipment well.
When we have taken classes and been buddied up with strangers we always have to explain in detail how to handle an out of air situation. While most of us are taught to hand over our alternate to the person out of air, I think in the real world they are going to take the primary anyhow, and I'll be breathing on my alternate, and this is exactly how the SS1 is meant to be used.
The only difference is how to handle venting the air in the BCD as you surface, and you need to know how to do this, and practice it.
It is different, but not that much harder to control your buoyancy using the SS1 as opposed to the conventional way.
However, I would NOT recommend anyone to get an SS1 unless you practice regularly on how to use your equipment. When you are in a real emergency it is not the time to try to figure out how to use the equipment. Breathing on the SS1 in an out of air situation is easy. Ascending safetly and under control is harder. If you don't practice it you could find yourself in an uncontrolled ascent for the both of you, which could result in DCS.
By the way, as part of the practice we breathe off our SS1's at least once during every dive day. They breathe great, even at depth.
Wally
djanni
Contributor
Here's another happy and satisfied Atomic B2 + SS1 user. When using a combo like that you donate your primary in an OOA situation.
Packhorse
Contributor
I use a SS1 as well and am very happy with it. But as another poster commented it pays to practice using it while ascending. This can be a little tricky.
pennypue
Contributor
I started out with an Atomic Ti2 and a Tusa inflator/octo. I still like the way that Atomic breathes (I now use Apeks, I've gone to the dark side....what can I say, they had cookies!) Anywho........the reg is awesome, the inflator/octo combo sucked. I hated it. Had to deal with some alternating freeflow issues while using a ScubaPro setup (prior to picking up the Atomic/Tusa used as part of a package). The octo/inflator did not perform well. We were shallow, it was cold and dark, but shallow, I would have really been peeved to have to breathe off it 60 or more feet.
I had tried using the Tusa octo/inflator to breathe off for practice. Didn't like it either. But then it didn't take me long to move to Apeks, a long hose, a bungeed back up and doubles.
I'm not up for any of the octo/inflators, no matter who makes it even though I LOVE the way the Ti2 breathes.
My rec: get a real backup, consider a long hose. Borrow one and try it. I loved mine from the first dive. I don't mind breathing off either my primary OR my backup. They're both the same.
I had tried using the Tusa octo/inflator to breathe off for practice. Didn't like it either. But then it didn't take me long to move to Apeks, a long hose, a bungeed back up and doubles.
I'm not up for any of the octo/inflators, no matter who makes it even though I LOVE the way the Ti2 breathes.
My rec: get a real backup, consider a long hose. Borrow one and try it. I loved mine from the first dive. I don't mind breathing off either my primary OR my backup. They're both the same.
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