mozzy105
Guest
What are your opinions about having the hose and a low profile octo vs. just having a combination alternate air/BC inflator?
Octo or BC inflator/alt. air combo
- Thread starter mozzy105
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mozzy105:
For my recreational rig, I switched from a traditional octo to an inflator octo combo. I like getting rid of another hose. I use the Oceanic inflator reg, but others make a good unit as well. AirSource, Atomic and TUSA all have decent regs for this. Zeagle makes a unit that mounts inline with your original inflator hose. The traditional octo seemed to be easier on the fatigue for long usage since the inflator hose adds weight to your jaw when you use the combo, but not overly so.
I also went with a hoseless computer to eliminate the SPG/Depth console. I like the simplicity.
Boogie711
Guest
mempilot:
Mem - I see you're interested in getting rid of hoses. Getting rid of hoses is good, right? Like a COMPLETELY hoseless regulator?
You're gonna get a LOT of responses on this one...lol. I personally use the AIR 2 inflator/octo setup, and love it. Tech divers and DIR types are not going to like them, but for rec diving, I have found it to be a decent setup, since it does get rid of a hose. As Mempilot said, it just seems to simplify things. I believe you'll find that the people who don't like them, for the most part, are either tech divers, who justifiably don't want to use them, or are people who have no experience using them and are just parroting things they've heard. My best advice is to try one and see how YOU like it, then make your decision based on that.
I have owned a setup with an AIR 2 inflator/octo. It does remove an extra hose. It breathes well and functions well as an octo for you but is not as useful as an alternate air source for your dive buddy due to the short hose.
The longer hose of a standard octo setup works much better for buddy breathing. AIR 2 type setups do work but they require that the buddy breathing off the AIR 2 basically be face to face with you instead of comfortably allowing them a greater range of position relative to you in the water.
The longer hose of a standard octo setup works much better for buddy breathing. AIR 2 type setups do work but they require that the buddy breathing off the AIR 2 basically be face to face with you instead of comfortably allowing them a greater range of position relative to you in the water.
gfisher4792
Guest
BrettM:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but, for an AIR2, doesn't the OOA diver get the primary and the provider breathes off the AIR2?
From Firefyter:
You're gonna get a LOT of responses on this one...lol. I personally use the AIR 2 inflator/octo setup, and love it. Tech divers and DIR types are not going to like them, but for rec diving, I have found it to be a decent setup, since it does get rid of a hose. As Mempilot said, it just seems to simplify things. I believe you'll find that the people who don't like them, for the most part, are either tech divers, who justifiably don't want to use them, or are people who have no experience using them and are just parroting things they've heard. My best advice is to try one and see how YOU like it, then make your decision based on that.
I agree and do the same thing for non-training dives. I love not having the extra hose.
You're gonna get a LOT of responses on this one...lol. I personally use the AIR 2 inflator/octo setup, and love it. Tech divers and DIR types are not going to like them, but for rec diving, I have found it to be a decent setup, since it does get rid of a hose. As Mempilot said, it just seems to simplify things. I believe you'll find that the people who don't like them, for the most part, are either tech divers, who justifiably don't want to use them, or are people who have no experience using them and are just parroting things they've heard. My best advice is to try one and see how YOU like it, then make your decision based on that.
I agree and do the same thing for non-training dives. I love not having the extra hose.
My problem is that I am really looking for a long term investment and if it takes 3 or 4 years for this thing to break or have serious problems, that isnt something I can go out and just test out. Have you guys experienced any problems with free flows or other things that have gone wrong with the inflator/octo whose hassle would outweigh the benifits of losing a hose? I could just replace it every few years but I really would rather not and keep one, fully functional octo and not have to worry about a possible failure after owning the unit for a year or two.
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