back up reg (Air2 or ATOMIC SSI)

[myrddin]

I want to pick up an Air 2 or an ATOMIC SS1 for my zeagle brigade. Would any of you have thoughts on which one is better? I have a MK25 with a s600 primary. Thanks for your thoughts.

Mike

what will I need to make them fit?

 

[voodoodiver]

I have both but prefer the SS1 as it has easier to use buttons if you need them.

 

[Kevfin]

I have an Atomic SS1 and like it. VooDooDiver has it right about the buttons. The buttons are well set up and easy to identify by touch. The SS1 breaths as easy as some regs I've used too.

It comes with several fittings, but I don't know about your particular case. Since Atomic sells through LDSs and not on-line, they should be able to help you fit it to your BC (I hope).

 

[ScubaTwo]

I want to pick up an Air 2 or an ATOMIC SS1 for my zeagle brigade. Would any of you have thoughts on which one is better? I have a MK25 with a s600 primary. Thanks for your thoughts.

Mike

what will I need to make them fit?

I have an air 2 and its horrid. There is little to no room to move in ooa situation. The person breathing off the air2 can barely move their head to see the other person. Its not worth the having one less hose.

 

[TSandM]

One thing to realize before you buy this kind of secondary is that, if you travel or otherwise want to borrow and try other gear, you can't, because the other gear won't have a secondary air source for you. So you're stuck dragging your own BC everywhere you go in order to dive, unless you rent EVERYTHING, and most of us buy gear because we don't want to rent life support (i.e. regulators).

I know you didn't ask for that, but I really regret having bought the Air2 in the first place for precisely this reason, not to mention that it is not, in my opinion, a convenient way to do an air-share.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Consider maintenance.

You currently own ScubaPro.

Both the Air2 and the SS1 are high-quality kit that should function as designed. The amount of time you'll spend on them over the next ten years will be measured in minutes. It's largely irrelevant which one you get.

But having to take one set of regs to one place for their annual overhaul, and then pulling your whatever off your BC to take it to a different place for annual maintenance would suck.

And if you're going to go with either, thats part of the price - maintaining your 'inflator' after each dive exactly as you would a regulator - including annual servicing...

Unless your LDS carries and services both, I'd suggest you consider going with either all SP or all Atomic.

FWIW. YMMV.


PS. to Scuba Two - the range of motion available with a secondary/inflator depends on the length of the corregated hose - not the device on the end of the hose. If its too short, get a longer corregated hose. Which will cause different problems, but either way, inconvenient inability to move your head while using the thing as a regulator isn't the fault of the secondary/inflator.....

 

[Kevfin]

I haven’t been on this board that long. But, I have seen this question asked several times. Every time, people respond that this type of set-up didn’t work for them. They suggest not using a combo inflator/reg set-up.

I’m sure that works well for the people that suggest otherwise, but in each of the cases I don’t remember the original question asking if they should use a combo or not, just a question about which combo to choose.

You’ll find for tech diving (i.e. DIR) that the combo is inappropriate and there are negatives associated with it. But, for people that are doing just recreational diving or that is what they are comfortable using, a combo rig suits their needs perfectly.

I know a lot of divers. Everyone has their own opinion about equipment and there always seems to be several opinions about what is right or wrong. Who cares, as long as you dive safe, know your equipment and are comfortable with it.

 

[ScubaTwo]

Consider maintenance.

You currently own ScubaPro.

Both the Air2 and the SS1 are high-quality kit that should function as designed. The amount of time you'll spend on them over the next ten years will be measured in minutes. It's largely irrelevant which one you get.

But having to take one set of regs to one place for their annual overhaul, and then pulling your whatever off your BC to take it to a different place for annual maintenance would suck.

And if you're going to go with either, thats part of the price - maintaining your 'inflator' after each dive exactly as you would a regulator - including annual servicing...

Unless your LDS carries and services both, I'd suggest you consider going with either all SP or all Atomic.

FWIW. YMMV.


PS. to Scuba Two - the range of motion available with a secondary/inflator depends on the length of the corregated hose - not the device on the end of the hose. If its too short, get a longer corregated hose. Which will cause different problems, but either way, inconvenient inability to move your head while using the thing as a regulator isn't the fault of the secondary/inflator.....

ty I agree. Unfortunatly a longer hose was not available for my air2 and as you state it also creates another whole set of problems. I am still using it and its better then nothing (barely) but I was just saying I would not use this product again if I had known of its limitations.

 

[liberato]

What is the problem with having a longer corrugated hose?

 

[markfm]

You might want to look at a Sherwood Shadow+. Same general concept, puts your safe second in-line on the BC inflator hose, but it has a standard LP connection which attaches to the inflator LP port on the corrugated hose. (In an OOA, you can also pop the LP connection, allows you to breathe the Shadow while flipping the big hose upwards to do air dumping during ascent.)