Frustrated!!!

[rpnick]

Every time I see what appears to be a "deal" on an inflator/octo combination, it appears to be no deal at all. Soooo... What would you choose for this application? I'm not rich, but I do believe you get what you pay for, so value is a concern. Or perhaps a more accurate question is what do you use, assuming you think it's a good piece of equipment? Thanks, ...N

 

[fishfood]

depends on what kind of diving your doing right now.. and more important what kind of diving you plan on doing in the future...

are you planning on being a shalow diver?
warm water?
cold/icy water
deep diver?
enriched air?

maybe your a little girl and looking for a smaller reg to fit better in your mouth... a lot of things other then price should be go into the reg you would want to buy... other question around how much are you willing to spend.. talk to your local dive store or check on line

 

[rpnick]

Heck no, not me! Warm I suppose, if you call SoCal warm. Deep? Whatever, depth doesn't matter to me as long as I'm having fun... Enriched air? Not now, but I wouldn't rule it out for the future.

Until lately, I've just used borrowed gear that was "extra" from my neighbor replacing his stuff. Ancient mostly, and I've moved so I don't have the liberty of using it when I want any more so I've been making some purchases. Shopping the sales I've managed a Vector 1000 BC, an Axis Pro reg, and a Catalina aluminum 80 tank for a grand total of $300. Borrowed pressure gauge and no octo has me shopping for a gauge package and octo. Inflator/octo combo seems like a nice idea to eliminate a hose.

So far, (6 dives as of 10/10/04) I'm happy with my new stuff, but since I signed up for an advanced course over Thanksgiving weekend, I need: A compass, which I hope to get in a 3-gauge console package; An alternate air source (well, maybe not NEED, but want!) Not to mention some gloves... Have a nice knife and light so don't need those any more, but this is getting expensive. (heavy sigh)

I don't expect this to be the last gear I buy, but I want it to last a while and not have me wanting something else in a few weeks due to ignorance. Thanks to all who provide information and inspiration. ...N

 

[rescuediver009]

IF you are warm and what doesn't sound like it is horendously deep yet, I would do the simple and common sense thing. If you are happy with your current Aeris rig, I would follow suit and get an octo of the same make. Most octos with the same design and a yellow cover perform the same as their primary counterparts. The A1 would suit you well, as well as the Gyro. I would assume that the Gyro performs the same as its oceanic cousin. It is one of the better performing Swivel style octos that I have breathed. Along with keeping the name the same you limit the number of trips you have to do if you run into a place that is able to service the brand(s) you have.

As far as gauges go, I think that is the simplest of your decisions. They are all the same and you just want soemthing that you can easily read the digits off of. If you wear contacts or perscription you want something that is fairly large and contrasts well with the background. They are all the same quality and internal parts for serivce so I would look for the cheapest one.

 

[wmspdi]

I have an Atomic SS1 Titanium on my travel/recreational rig. It is a great breather, and they include adaptors to fit different brands of BCDs. The SS1 also can be quickly disconected from both hoses and stored in your regulator bag. I tried the Seaquest Air Source and was not impressed by it. One of my dive buddies uses a Scubapro Air 2. Nice unit but I like the SS1 better.

If you have a 1" hose on your BCD order the Seaquest Air Source 1" hose for the SS1. It has a shoulder dump cable connection point midway down the hose. This allows you to dump air from the BCD 2-way shoulder dump valve by pulling on the hose at the mid point (you don't have to take the SS1 out of your mouth and hold it over your head).

I also ordered a new dump valve for my BCD and now have 2 complete assemblies (the original power inflator and the SS1 inflator/octo). I use the standard inflator with my tec rig just by swapping out the complete dump valve/hose/inflator assemblies at the BCD shoulder fitting.

 

[dewhite]

IF you are warm and what doesn't sound like it is horendously deep yet, I would do the simple and common sense thing. If you are happy with your current Aeris rig, I would follow suit and get an octo of the same make. Most octos with the same design and a yellow cover perform the same as their primary counterparts. The A1 would suit you well, as well as the Gyro. I would assume that the Gyro performs the same as its oceanic cousin. It is one of the better performing Swivel style octos that I have breathed. Along with keeping the name the same you limit the number of trips you have to do if you run into a place that is able to service the brand(s) you have.

As far as gauges go, I think that is the simplest of your decisions. They are all the same and you just want soemthing that you can easily read the digits off of. If you wear contacts or perscription you want something that is fairly large and contrasts well with the background. They are all the same quality and internal parts for serivce so I would look for the cheapest one.

Aeris? Didn't he say Axis Pro? I'd imagine that's a Mares Axis Pro to match his Mares vest. Unless I missed something...

 

[Henryville]

Heck no, not me! Warm I suppose, if you call SoCal warm. Deep? Whatever, depth doesn't matter to me as long as I'm having fun... Enriched air? Not now, but I wouldn't rule it out for the future.

Until lately, I've just used borrowed gear that was "extra" from my neighbor replacing his stuff. Ancient mostly, and I've moved so I don't have the liberty of using it when I want any more so I've been making some purchases. Shopping the sales I've managed a Vector 1000 BC, an Axis Pro reg, and a Catalina aluminum 80 tank for a grand total of $300. Borrowed pressure gauge and no octo has me shopping for a gauge package and octo. Inflator/octo combo seems like a nice idea to eliminate a hose.

So far, (6 dives as of 10/10/04) I'm happy with my new stuff, but since I signed up for an advanced course over Thanksgiving weekend, I need: A compass, which I hope to get in a 3-gauge console package; An alternate air source (well, maybe not NEED, but want!) Not to mention some gloves... Have a nice knife and light so don't need those any more, but this is getting expensive. (heavy sigh)

I don't expect this to be the last gear I buy, but I want it to last a while and not have me wanting something else in a few weeks due to ignorance. Thanks to all who provide information and inspiration. ...N

Small suggestion, go for a wrist mounted compass. It will travel with you when and if you get new gear, and you can cut down on the size of your console. I also think they are easier to orient (you'll learn the technique in your advanced class.) The octopus ought to be your first buy, though.

 

[rpnick]

Yep, that's right, Axis pro as in Mares... But matching? My whole life has been designed to avoid such things as matching... Just kidding, I get the idea. I like that Atomic, but it's $$$ from what I've seen locally. Maybe I'll check mail order, but I've heard there can be warranty issues if purchased mail order? ...N

 

[wmspdi]

Yep, that's right, Axis pro as in Mares... But matching? My whole life has been designed to avoid such things as matching... Just kidding, I get the idea. I like that Atomic, but it's $$$ from what I've seen locally. Maybe I'll check mail order, but I've heard there can be warranty issues if purchased mail order? ...N

I purchased my Atomic gear new on eBay. I decided that the $400.00 + that I saved would pay for a lot of repairs, and the money saved was worth losing the warranty. The biggest "repair" expense is the annual service and parts, which are not covered under the warranty anyway, plus most Atomics are on a recommended 2 year service cycle. Since an actual "repair" that would be covered by a warranty is rare (with modern high quality regulators) I decided I could do without it. Since you won't file an owners registration card, you won't notified of any factory recalls. However word of problems spreads pretty quickly on the boards. You'll probably read about a recall here before you get a card in the "snail mail" from Atomic anyway.

If you want Atomic at a lower price, but still want the warranty, call Larry at Scuba Toys. From what I understand Atomic will permit telephone sales, but not internet sales. Scuba Toys is an authorized dealer and their prices fall somewhere in between retail and internet. You'll get a lower price than your LDS and still have the warranty.

BTW- Just make sure that you have someone in your area that will work on it. I have a shop around here that won't do any work (paid service or otherwise) on any regulator purchased on the internet. He knows the nearest dealers for the brands he carries are over an hour away so he can "take a stand against web purchases".