Integrated Air Source vs. Octo

[dherbman]

Kev, thanks for the post. You have neighbor kids, I have "The Committee". I wake up with them and go to sleep with them. If I'm lucky, I can manage them during the course of the day without offending someone. Not an easy task, but we improve with practice.

No surprises in your last post. I knew from reading your profile that you dive your butt off. I also know from other posts that you are far from being an average diver. It seemed that you were taking issue with my comments on a personal level and I really just wanted to point out that my statements were very general in nature.

I've only been involved with one OOA and that was my own. It was a long time ago and was more an experiment than an incident. I've had to resolve a few low air incidents with other divers, but my experience in no way rivals yours. My statement about the donor having to compensate for the OOA divers buoyancy comes from observing students in class settings and divers on trips who display poor buoyancy skills.
I have dived an AIRII for the last year, but have transitioned to the long hose. Over the last year, I've drilled alone, with instructors and a buddy on OOA shared air ascents. In my past life, I used an octo and found it to be the superior alternative. When I discovered the long hose, it just made better sense for me than any other alternative.

As you know, gear without ability is no solution. If a diver is not used to locating an octo, it can complicate things, making the use of an octo less desirable to something that they can easily locate...like an AIRII. Same goes for the long hose. If you aren't proficient at deploying it, it's not a good situation. At 600 dives a year, I'm sure you could master any configuration you choose, but for the "average" diver, I'd say that the simpler, the better.

 

[elmbruker]

Being new to the board (and diving), I have to say I really appreciate the information provided by all who contribute to this board on a daily basis. I feel my limited experiance puts me in a unique position of reading a thread and learning from the difference of opinion in an unbiased manner(LOL). That said, this thread really became informational, instead of confrontational as many others have. As I understand it, we should be able to comfortly dive within our abiliy, while being outfitted according to our inviroment. If a "long hose" setup is required(OOA cave ect.), then in MHO, it would be silly not to have your gear configured that way. Now being in shallow open water, no overhead ect. IMHO, the air2 system (less hose,hoses) seems easier, and more rational configuration, after all I do subscribe the saftey of the "minalist" theroy. So, as a recent OW student continuing learning from what I read on this board. It's great that I can learn so much on the benifit of different gear, while applying it be proficient in my own diving enviroment. Keep up the good work, the future of the diving community is in your hands...no pressure while posting your opinions But have we always thought through our awnsers

No, I don't use the long hose...but I will when the situation warrents!
No, I don't have an air2...seems like a simple rational choice for most divers though!

 

[tjmills]

Now just promise that you will actually practice with it and your buddy (when possible) to be prepared for either environment before you get into it with the equipment you choose. That, more than anything else, is the most important thing of all. Don't do it a couple times and 2 years later think you have it mastered.

I happen to feel exactly the same way that you rationalized this and glad to hear you pulled this information out of this thread. I enjoyed the opinions of everyone also and although I came to the same conclusions long ago, this reconfirmed my thoughts also.

 

[elmbruker]

My teaching professional had an air2 and had replied how well liked it for his current setup, although none of the students had one, he provided instruction on it's working so everyone knew he would be donating his primary(2nd stage) on OOA situation(think a 5ft. hose)was it an issue? not for myself, but some questioned why it wasn't good enough for the whole class, ect. Looking back he could of made it simpler, especialy coming from a dive shop that doesn't believe in the weekend warrior class. Let's be consistant....and this has inspired me to start my own thread.(For the newbies, but please come check up on me every once in awhile and make sure I'm not off track

 

[JustinW]

Elmbruker, welcome to the board. You did make a good point, a point that often times isn't expressed enough. Equipment that is practiced with or used often enough is better (in almost any configuration) than the "perfect" configuration without knowledge. I dive an AIR2, but if i went to a BP/W (which is possible) I will likely go to an octopus and a long hose. IMHO, they are both great setups and I appreciate both.

 

[Footslogger]

My wife and I always dive together and we both have Seaquest BCD's with the Airsource. We made that change last year. Granted, neither of us has had to donate air to each other or another diver ...so our minds may change at some point. But, after 30 years of diving (many of which were with an octo hanging under my right arm) I was glad to remove it from the first stage of my regulator. Just one less hose to deal with and one fewer item to maintain. I was already taking care of a low pressure inflator on my BCD so adding the Airsource didn't really increase the maintenance.

I've got over 30 years of dive experience and I am a Divemaster. I started with a double hose rig and then a single hosed set-up, before an octo was even being used. Feeling the pressure to conform, I upgraded my reg and added an octo and had been diving with that configuration for over 15 years when I added the Airsource. During those many years I never used my octo however on several occasions it did have air leaks and generally had to be serviced onboard before I could dive. I see the Airsource as making things simpler and not more complicated.

'Slogger

 

[dherbman]

I see the Airsource as making things simpler and not more complicated.

'Slogger

I'll agree with that, but shouldn't "safer and more efficient" be a priority?

 

[Footslogger]

I'll agree with that, but shouldn't "safer and more efficient" be a priority?

===============================================
Yes it should ...and I'm hoping that my experience proves that to be true in the case of the Airsource. Again, it's my wife and me diving together and both of us have the exact same set-up. So ...familiarity with gear is not an issue (or at least shouldn't be) and I really do believe at this point that it will be more efficent, at least for us. Time will tell. I still have the octos and the old low pressure hose set-ups

'Slogger

 

[tjmills]

I'll agree with that, but shouldn't "safer and more efficient" be a priority?

I also think that it is safer and more efficient using an AirSource/Air2 but that is just me. I don't think the octo will go away but I do think that its use is becoming much less in the market for the average tropical/non-technical diver. Its pretty evident. These things are becoming almost a standard item in the market at this point and I think everyone should become familar with their function and use. You are very likely to find a buddy on the boat with one if you didn't bring your own buddy.

AND...like I said, to me, these are the right choice and I believe are safer and more efficient to both me and my buddy for the diving conditions that I do today.