BC Inflator versus traditional octopus

[ba_hiker]

Well several of these, the combo regulator/bc inflators, have very good breathing (atomic is one). If you believe Rodels at least three are good enough for serious work at depths of 165 ft. Still there are several considerations..

1 YOU will breath from the combo, the hose is too short for anything else. You and your buddy should clear that if you need to, you will donate your primary

2 Bouyency control, while breathing on the thing is more difficult than with a octo. Not really difficult but a skill that you should learn before you need it. If youy do not have a shoulder deflator, and must deflate using the combo, you may need to take it out of your mouth. You do not want to inhale and operate the BC inflator at the same time.

3 Some of them have buttons designed with out consideration for their use. They are hard to work.

I prefer an octo. I have dove with several buddies that used them and they seemed to work find.

I have seen some tech (maybe) divers use them when they desired an alternate regulator on the left post of a doubles rig. Particularly for divers using isolated doubles. These guys had 4 second stages (two on the left tank and two on the right). One of the combos really seemed to help.

 

[RiverRat]

Just my 2 cents. I don't like the idea of an inflator AND octo in one unit. If ONE fails then they BOTH may fail. If the inflator sticks, you go buoyant, you try to dump air, unplug the LP hose and breathe at the same time while bolting to the surface? I think having 2 separate units would be easier to troubleshoot under pressure. The chances of a failed primary reg and then an inflator going at the same time may be remote, but I like to be prepared for the worse case scenario. What if your buddy's reg fails, you're now sharing your primary, maybe on a short hose, and now you have to breath off this thing while trying to adjust buoyancy and while hanging onto another diver. To much task loading if you ask me.

 

[Marvintpa]

An integrated octo is very common in some areas, and in others you won't see a single one. I've seen them used well and poorly.

It's one thing to explain to a diver when he's dry on the boat and concentrating on the coming dive how he should change from what he has been taught and practiced and take the reg from your mouth instead and use a shorter hose than what he's accustomed to, etc., but when it comes down to it and the feces hits the fan I doubt much of that will be sufficiently retained to make a difference in far too many cases. Emergencies happen, and standardization can truly help. Using a normal octo is what most singles divers are accustomed to, and will expect in an emergency... to me, that has to help, and afterall, we're talking about something that only gets used in emergency (or close to it) when something went wrong.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I'd 'vote' against the Air2.....I only dive the 'traditional' octo. Consider this: have you EVER seen 'tech' divers ...in photographs/videos/TV/ in-person using an Air2 ? I suspect there's a good reason you don't see professional divers use them...and if you ever expand your dive training you will get to see in real-life why this is the case.

I defy you to find a technical diving class of any sort where an Air2 would be permitted anyway...so if you insist on using an Air2, give up on seriously expanding your dive training/career...you won't be allowed into the water with it.

If you have no intention of becoming a more serious diver and are content to stick with very simple recreational diving, you are certainly 'free' to use an Air2...and if you are lucky you will never be confronted in real-life by one of the many situations where an Air2 will lead to tragedy......only then will you appreciate that just maybe those 'tech' divers know what they are talking about.

In case anyone missed it before, this is one of the arguments against the Air2 that I mentioned. It is unfortuantely also a logical fallacy that perpetuates the dogmatic approach of most tech training agencies. it also highlights the underlying techie assumption that anything that works well in a techincal situation must be inherently superior to everything else in every other diving situation.

But I'll state it again, the Air 2 works very well in recreational diving situations where the dive ends and an ascent is started if someone's primary fails. As long as you are not having to swim out of a cave or a wreck a long hose is not required to safely ascend.

I think the assertion that using an Air 2 will lead to tradgedy is a misstatement and is certainly not true in recreational situations where it will be used. SP has sold the Air 2 for over a quarter century and if that were true they would have been sued out of existance by now. In fact the opposite is occurring as the idea has been copied by numerous other companies who certainly don't seem to see it as a good way to kill off customers and avoid that annnoying repeat business.

But the statement that an Air 2 will not be allowed in most, if any, tech classes is certainly true.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Hi Rich,

I'd 'vote' against the Air2.....I only dive the 'traditional' octo. Consider this: have you EVER seen 'tech' divers ...in photographs/videos/TV/ in-person using an Air2 ? I suspect there's a good reason you don't see professional divers use them...and if you ever expand your dive training you will get to see in real-life why this is the case.

I defy you to find a technical diving class of any sort where an Air2 would be permitted anyway...so if you insist on using an Air2, give up on seriously expanding your dive training/career...you won't be allowed into the water with it.

If you have no intention of becoming a more serious diver and are content to stick with very simple recreational diving, you are certainly 'free' to use an Air2...and if you are lucky you will never be confronted in real-life by one of the many situations where an Air2 will lead to tragedy......only then will you appreciate that just maybe those 'tech' divers know what they are talking about.

Karl

I dive for a living, which I guess would make me a proffesional diver, even though is only easy, basic, simple recreational diving. I usually dive twice a day, except on weekends when I dive four times a day. I guess I've only made about 4000 dives since 1983, but you know, I keep trying. Maybe if I were a more serious diver I'd know a little bit more about the equipment, but for now I just work out on the reef, and repair regulators... some of them for technical divers. Anyway, so I have an Air 2. I like it just fine. I can push the buttons and make it work and everything. I think it even works better than a regular inflator for fine tuning my full jacket recreational BCD. I'm not overly into equipment though, I mostly just like diving. Yeah, I'd have to say that I'm alot more interested in the dive than the equipment.

 

[5615mike]

I've had many dives with my AirSource and my wifes DuoAir. Both breath well at 80-90 ft. Gave mine up when I started technical diving though. Still like the idea since it breathes as well or better than many intro level octos that many divers use. Trying to get my wife out of hers but shes having none of it!

 

[RiverRat]

I guess I've only made about 4000 dives since 1983, but you know, I keep trying.

Hey Scubakevdm, Now that's what I call DIR! No pun intended :-0

 

[divezilla80]

The idea of the the combo is great because of the reduced clutter and drag, but in this case deeper or otherwise more dangerous dives a good idea can be fatal!!! I'd use a combo inflator/octo, but only if I had a totally redundant pony with an additional high performance reg... What fun is a dive if you dont live to remember it? Just my thoughts, but what are those worth, being a rookie n all? Look forward to earnin my vethood though...

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

I have both. AIR2 is mounted on my primary reg power inflator on post one, and my octo is mounted on post two. I sling a 30 pony too.

 

[terrylowe]

My vote is for Air 2. One less hose and easy access.