How can I make my intergrated alt air reg fit a rental BC?

[scubasassy]

Will be travelling in Asia for a month and only diving for a week. My problem is that I want to travel light and am thinking about leaving my bc at home and just bringing my reg.computer.mask. My reg is set up for my BC which has an intergrated alternate air source. I do know I can add hoses to my first stage so would I need to buy an octopus to make it compatible with the rental gear? I'm pretty much positve they are not using the newer integrated BC's in Thailand.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Get an Octo and swap out your alt-air inflator hose with a standard hose...or take your BC...or just use their rental reg...yuck!

It will be more trouble than it is worth to try to fit your alt-air inflator to a rental BC and it's likely that the shop would not want you to do it anyways. It may be do-able, but I don't think that it's worth the chance that it's not. The Atomic SS1, for instance, has three different adapters sized to fit different sized corrugated hoses. You'd have to take those with you, get permission from the shop to make the switch, then either have them do it or do it yourself. It's not hard to do and doesn't need much in the way of tools...but there may be some compatability issues.

 

[Markdone]

thinking about leaving my bc at home and just bringing my reg.computer.mask. My reg is set up for my BC which has an intergrated alternate air source. I do know I can add hoses to my first stage so would I need to buy an octopus to make it compatible with the rental gear?

You're right - I have yet to see a rental Air2 rig.

I know most of the experts here will laugh, but I found out the hard way that not all LP hoses are equal at the QDC end. My LP hose, which connects to my Air2, will not fit my son's BC when I tried to use part of his gear with part of mine (long story).

There are at least 3 different LP hose QDC types according to my LDS guru. Food for thought.

My solution, was to unscrew the air2 and put it on my son's BC, since the shoulder dump valve attachment assembly was the same size. So, you might be able to do that. Your safest bet is to either haul your BC, or show up early and let the local operator make the necessary adjustments. They could even pull an octo off one of their rentals and attach it to another LP port on your 1st stage.

 

[redacted]

If you really have to have your octo/inflator and you can determine the brand (and model to be safe) of BC you will be renting, you could buy the appropriate connector from the shoulder thru the corrugated hose and add your octo inflator to it. Then you or the dive op could swap out from the shoulder connector on down. Probably less expensive than buying a conventional octo and std LPI hose for your current reg.

 

[scubasassy]

Thanks guys. I hate to think of leaving gear at home, but I'm going to be all over the place in Thailand and a heavy bag doesn't work for that and I would be nervous having a hotel hold my gear when I'm not diving. I haven't rented in a while so now I'm confused about the inflator hose to the BC. Will it not work on the rental BC? Guess I'll just go down to the shop and see what they think.

 

[scubasassy]

OOps, Stephen already answered that I just swap out my BC hose for a standard hose. Wonder how much this will cost me!

 

[Turtle Diver]

It was this very reason why I stopped using my Seaquest Airsource, and went to a regular backup regulator on a necklace. Even if you bring your BC, you still have the possibility of either the BC or reg breaking in some way, and now you're trying to match up your remaining gear with rental gear.

I don't miss the Airsource at all.

 

[Randy43068]

Get an Octo and swap out your alt-air inflator hose with a standard hose...or take your BC...or just use their rental reg...yuck!

It will be more trouble than it is worth to try to fit your alt-air inflator to a rental BC and it's likely that the shop would not want you to do it anyways. It may be do-able, but I don't think that it's worth the chance that it's not. The Atomic SS1, for instance, has three different adapters sized to fit different sized corrugated hoses. You'd have to take those with you, get permission from the shop to make the switch, then either have them do it or do it yourself. It's not hard to do and doesn't need much in the way of tools...but there may be some compatability issues.

Hey Steven, The person who designed the Air2 should be... well he should be sent to bed without his dinner. The thing is dangerous and poor design.
Too bad proper use of the long hose isn't taught during basic open water.

 

[stevetim]

Hey Steven, The person who designed the Air2 should be... well he should be sent to bed without his dinner. The thing is dangerous and poor design.
Too bad proper use of the long hose isn't taught during basic open water.

Could you elaborate on the design flaws and the danger in using an Air2. I dive a Tusa Duo-Air which is pretty much a replica of the Air2 and love it. But if there is some flaw in the piece I would like to hear it. No problems at all to this point with it.

 

[Randy43068]

Could you elaborate on the design flaws and the danger in using an Air2. I dive a Tusa Duo-Air which is pretty much a replica of the Air2 and love it. But if there is some flaw in the piece I would like to hear it. No problems at all to this point with it.

Please do a search on it if you’re really interested. I’ve posted ad nauseum about it in other threads.