I hate my octopus - help choose a new one

[Lopez116]

Hi all,

I have an Aqualung ABS octopus that always seems to free flow until I sort of bump it a bit. Turning it upside down never works. I have to smack it. It's been serviced recently already. I do mostly beach diving here in Southern California, but always soak my gear thoroughly after each dive.

Is this a crappy octo?

I am thinking about replacing it, but contemplating to things:

1) buy a Legend and use my Titan as my octo,

2) buy a new octo and keep my Titan as primary.

Thoughts/advice???

 

[Damselfish]

If it's been doing this since you got it serviced, I'd take it back and have them adjust it. Sadly, after service is actually when things are more likely to be wrong.

 

[Lopez116]

Had issues before an after...

 

[socaljohn]

I dive so cal shore almost exclusively and I have found that aqua lung regs, maybe all regs, hate sand. If you get a little in there going in or out it mine free flow also. LDS gets really mad when I say I smack them. I have successfully fixed this between dives by purging a lot, and blowing the sand out.

 

[Lopez116]

I dive so cal shore almost exclusively and I have found that aqua lung regs, maybe all regs, hate sand. If you get a little in there going in or out it mine free flow also. LDS gets really mad when I say I smack them. I have successfully fixed this between dives by purging a lot, and blowing the sand out.

It really is incredible how much sand gets into gear. Just going through the churned up water in the surf zone does it. For instance, my boots will looks pretty clean, I'll soak them, when they dry, sand just sloughs off out of nowhere.

 

[Nemrod]

It needs to be detuned (set the cracking effort to about 1.5 to 2 inches) and set the dive/predive lever to predive if it has one. N

 

[Lopez116]

It doesn't have one.

---------- Post added June 17th, 2015 at 11:35 AM ----------

Another reason I haven't been a fan of it is because it breathes wet...is this normal for this octo?

 

[kmurray719]

It doesn't have one.

---------- Post added June 17th, 2015 at 11:35 AM ----------

Another reason I haven't been a fan of it is because it breathes wet...is this normal for this octo?

Yes, it's normal for these octos. In my opinion they're crap. They breathe terribly and they free flow easily (although it does sound like yours many even more than usual). I use one in pool sessions, but use a legend octo in the ocean. I bungee my back up, so no way am I going to subject myself to an ABS octo in an emergency

 

[kcprofessor]

We are now teaching students to donate their primary in an out-of-air situation. Considering that the ABS, even when properly set up breathes wet, free flows and breathes hard at depth, why would YOU want to try breathing from it when you've got your hands full of panicked diver? Get another Titan LX or Legend second stage, put your primary on a long hose and bungee your octo around your neck. You won't lose it and it will stay out of the sand!

 

[Subcooled]

There's always the old stocking trick.
Keeps the sand out.

Doesn't get cloged (one hopes).