How long a hose for your primary when using BCD inflator air second?

[BoltSnap]

It has been around for yrs!

Which means that it is a legit option and is reliable without issues for it to stay in production and market for DECADES. I doubt very much that Aqua Lung, Atomic and Scubapro would keep making it and selling it for this long if there were any issues selling it or if there wasn't a huge market for it.

 

[ibj40]

Inflator hose integrated second stages eliminate any dives where a swim through is required.

Can you clarify this?

Would that also preclude using one in, say, a cavern-type cenote dive?

 

[rx7diver]

Would that also preclude using one in, say, a cavern-type cenote dive?

@ibj40, I posted above that I sold my first Air 2 when I was about to take my cavern training:

I bought my first {Air 2] (a 2nd gen) in 1987. Sold it a few months later to fund the purchase of my Mk 10 + G250 (since I, being a grad student at that time, was short of funds, and I needed a second complete regulator because I was about to do Cavern + Basic Cave training in Ginnie Springs FL).

For cavern, you need to be able to share air while diving approximately side-by-side, swimming horizontally. So, my course (NACD/NSS-CDS, in 1988) required two complete separate regulators, with the primary 2nd stage on a 5 ft hose (minimum, but 5 ft recommended for cavern). This was my introduction to a long-hose configuration. And it made/makes perfect, complete sense--for a cavern environment. An Air 2 + 32" primary is not optimal for this.

rx7diver

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Can you clarify this?

Would that also preclude using one in, say, a cavern-type cenote dive?

Actually, I should have said, you need a longer primary hose. There have been divers who had an OOG situation where they had to climb over a reef to get back to shore to their starting location. Extremely rare to be a dive site that requires a swim through AND have OOG, but I'm extremely conservative while attempting to stay within reason.. The primary was too short for them to lock arms and flutter kick (a long hose is better however so that both can frog kick). I have always taught my OW students to swim together sharing gas, as they are more likely to run into a situation with boat traffic and cannot ascend straight to the surface.

Single file gas sharing is beyond my abilities as a diver and an instructor. I don't teach that as I can' teach that as I haven't been trained to dive that.

 

[johndiver999]

deleted..

 

[rhwestfall]

Do you know how long the integrated alternative air source have been around?

since 1979

 

[ibj40]

since 1979

I got certified in 1986. First BCD I bought right after certification came with an integrated alternative air source.

Been diving with one ever since, probably close to 1,000 dives, worldwide.

Never a problem, never an issue.

Been in any of number of swim throughs, and over two dozen cenote cavern (not cave) environments.

As noted above, I did recently (within the past five years) upgrade to a 40" on my primary.

 

[Joris Vd]

I've seen the AIR2's used as a 'third' option. So the diver will have his octo and primary, and an AIR2 as an inflator.

I would not suggest using the air 2 as a secondary without backup.
Ofcourse you can do whatever you want, but they don't really breathe that great for long, and you'll constantly be deciding between breathing comfort or an inflator that scares the holy bejeebus out of you because it will freeflow so easily when entering the water.


For the primary length I would suggest going for 3 foot minimum (so 90cm) preferrably even 1m or 1m20.
When diving ffm I dive my octo with a 1m10 hose with an omnidirectional second stage routed from the left.

To tuck in the excess hose I suggest to just tuck the excess in your waistbelt. it easily flops out when needed and stays nicely tucked away when not.

 

[ibj40]

I've seen the AIR2's used as a 'third' option. So the diver will have his octo and primary, and an AIR2 as an inflator.

I would not suggest using the air 2 as a secondary without backup.
Ofcourse you can do whatever you want, but they don't really breathe that great for long, and you'll constantly be deciding between breathing comfort or an inflator that scares the holy bejeebus out of you because it will freeflow so easily when entering the water.


For the primary length I would suggest going for 3 foot minimum (so 90cm) preferrably even 1m or 1m20.
When diving ffm I dive my octo with a 1m10 hose with an omnidirectional second stage routed from the left.

To tuck in the excess hose I suggest to just tuck the excess in your waistbelt. it easily flops out when needed and stays nicely tucked away when not.

Seems like everyone has anecdotal issues with the Air2, and in over 30 years of diving one, I have never had a problem.

It is a proven piece of equipment, which, as with all other equipment, used and maintained properly, continues to function as designed.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

since 1979

so as long as Spare Air, eh?

1979 was a pretty bad year for scuba gear innovation.