genesis octo vs. sherwood octo vs. genesis sko

[wetbehindtheear]

looking for an octo to add to a GS2000 - has anyone compared the genesis octo to the sherwood octo to the genesis sko?

does the diaphragm from the genesis octo fit the genesis sko?

is the sherwood octo more resistant to freeflow than the genesis?

and does anyone know a good place to find a wrench to open a genesis first stage?

 

[rescuediver009]

I would vote for the sherwood standard octo as it is likely the best performer out of the group. I know that the SKO sucks and am not sure about the genesis standard octo. As for the tool are you talking about the pin wrench?

 

[scubatoys]

I actually like the Dacor Viper Tec Octo. Small, cheap, works fine, compact, and doesn't matter if you hand it to someone on your left or right - don't have to worry about right side up - up side down in an emergency. Very convenient for that reason if using it to swim all the way back to the ascent point with my buddy in tow on my right side - most other octos, you'd be fighting the hose, but since this doesn't care if it's on the right or left - no problem.

Does it breath as good as an Atomic reg?? No... But when someone is out of air - I've never heard of them taking a few hits off an octo, complaining about the performance, then going elsewhere to look for someone with easier breathing equipment. Probably more important to make sure they don't get a mouth / lung full of water, and the small size, and ambidextrous design of the little viper tech works out great for that.

 

[wetbehindtheear]

this setup will be for my buddy. i already have a blizzard with an sko. i'm comfortable opening both up, and want to stay with something that doesn't require fancy tools to open & rinse out (and yes, i'm looking for a pin wrench for the first stage - pain in the *** if you ask me - the blizzard opens up with standard tools). i think the sko sucks too, and am considering putting a sherwood octo on the blizzard, and moving the sko to the gs2000. i've dove with buddies using a viper tech octo, and it's neat and i don't mind breathing on it, but i've also seen one freeflow on a 100' dive in 35F water, and i don't want to take that chance.

 

[wetbehindtheear]

and i did find the purge on the viper to be a little more cumbersome - certainly more difficult than the sko or a normal reg with thick gloves on.