octapus

[jiveturkey]

I'm putting together a regulator package and i'm wondering what kind of octapus i should buy. I found the Sherwood Magnum oct for pretty cheap but there are lots more out there. Is it ok to buy a cheap octopus? Is it compatible with a Mares primary reg? I'm hoping for this gear to last me but i don't want to look back in 6 months and think I should have spent the extra money.

 

[notabob]

Just think of your octopus as a piece of backup life support equipment, rather than just yet another piece of equipment that you're required to lug along. If something happens to your or your buddy's primary reg, one of you will be depending on the octopus to stay alive. You want it to be a good, solid, quality piece of equipment. It doesn't have to be an equivalent of your primary 2nd stage, but should be capable of delivering decent performance and reliability. Majority of generic cheap octos you see out there fall short. Invest in a decent one. You can typically get a very well-performing octo (a lower end Mares since that's what your primary is, ScubaPro R380, Apeks ATX40, maybe one of the Oceanic models) for less than $150 if you shop around. I'm sure there are other manufacturers that make equally capable octos. Hope this helps.

-Roman.

 

[jonnythan]

What's your primary reg, or first stage?

You can't really go wrong by buying another second stage (or octo) from the same manufacturer as your primary regulator. Different companies design their second stages around different IP's, so you might notice a performance hit if you're putting a second stage designed for 160 psi into a first stage delivering 130 psi, for example.

Of course, this isn't always the case, but your decision on which octo should involve what your primary is.

 

[Norm]

Your octopus needs to breathe at least as well as your primary!
If it does not, what good is it?
If you are at 100' and you have to go to your "pig" octopus will you make it up? If you are at 70' and your panicked buddy swims up about to die for air and grabs your "pig" octopus, (not my first choice but...), will it supply them enough gas to get you both safely to the surface? If a cheap octopus begins to freeflow violently at depth will you make it to the surface before your tanks boils empty? Just a few of the things to consider. I keep all of my octopus regs tuned as razor-sharp as my primaries.
Get a good octopus. JMO
Norm

 

[jiveturkey]

Thanks for the advice. I'm actually decided to go with a sp primary and use the r190 as my octo. I think that's a good setup. At least I'll have confidence in my gear.

 

[captjohnr]

In real life if someone is out of air they pull the primary reg out of your mouth and you are stuck with the Octo. Most of my Octos are of the the same/near quality as my primary for that reason.