GulfDiver77
Guest
I was wanting to know which is used by most divers in the forum.The last setup I had was 1st stage, 2nd stage, octo. This time I'm thinking of going with an inline inflator reg to eliminate a hose. Any advice is appreciated
Octo or inline inflator reg?
- Thread starter GulfDiver77
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We (wife and I) switched over to the Airsource on our Seaquest BCD'ss at the beginning of last year really like them. Not sure if they are preferred by MOST of the members here (probably not) but if you and your partner both have them and are familiar with them they rock.
There are some who make the "streamline" argument in favor of the BCD integrated octos. Don't think that dog will hunt but they do reduce the number of hoses coming off your first stage and you don't have to concern yourself with where to hook your octo.
Major difference is that with an integrated BCD octo like that you donate your primary in an emergency and you breath off the integrated second stage.
I should also qualify my comments as being relevant to shallow (<60 feet) recreational diving. I would not recommend the integrated BCD for technical diving of any sort.
I got tech diving out of my system when I was young, bullet proof and was going to live forever.
'Slogger
There are some who make the "streamline" argument in favor of the BCD integrated octos. Don't think that dog will hunt but they do reduce the number of hoses coming off your first stage and you don't have to concern yourself with where to hook your octo.
Major difference is that with an integrated BCD octo like that you donate your primary in an emergency and you breath off the integrated second stage.
I should also qualify my comments as being relevant to shallow (<60 feet) recreational diving. I would not recommend the integrated BCD for technical diving of any sort.
I got tech diving out of my system when I was young, bullet proof and was going to live forever.
'Slogger
Personally, I wouldn't get one, but my significant buddy's dad has one. I would *strongly* recommend practicing with one if you do go that way. Feel what it's like to breathe off it (and if necessary, adjust your hoses, straps, or whatever), and practice manual inflation/deflation of your BC with it.
I've heard that you can deflate your BC while using the integrated regulator, which is something you'll really want to know (as you don't want to be sharing air in an emergency and then add an inadvertant potentially-DCS-inducing rocket to the surface).
One of the reasons I don't bother looking into them is that I've been led to believe that runaway power inflators can happen. In the event of a stuck inflator, I can just pop the LP hose off and keep going with the dive (manually inflating the BC is a skill that has become trivial to me). If I had an integrated secondary reg, in the event of an inflator problem, I'd be forced to call the dive (as I'd have only one second stage remaining, since I'd have disconnected my alternate).
It may or may not be a valid reason to the way you dive, but to me with my diving, I wanted to keep that option open. Also, the inconvenience of breathing off the corrugated hose didn't sit too well with my style of diving (although I could always use the pull dumps in an emergency, so that is also not necessarily an issue for everyone).
Of course, a secondary reg dragging in the sand (as we've probably all seen) isn't something I'd want to have to rely on... but if you're thinking about gear enough to ask about an integrated secondary/inflator, you're probably not apathetic or oblivious enough to dive with a dragging octo (there are *many* ways to secure an octo, after all).
I've heard that you can deflate your BC while using the integrated regulator, which is something you'll really want to know (as you don't want to be sharing air in an emergency and then add an inadvertant potentially-DCS-inducing rocket to the surface).
One of the reasons I don't bother looking into them is that I've been led to believe that runaway power inflators can happen. In the event of a stuck inflator, I can just pop the LP hose off and keep going with the dive (manually inflating the BC is a skill that has become trivial to me). If I had an integrated secondary reg, in the event of an inflator problem, I'd be forced to call the dive (as I'd have only one second stage remaining, since I'd have disconnected my alternate).
It may or may not be a valid reason to the way you dive, but to me with my diving, I wanted to keep that option open. Also, the inconvenience of breathing off the corrugated hose didn't sit too well with my style of diving (although I could always use the pull dumps in an emergency, so that is also not necessarily an issue for everyone).
Of course, a secondary reg dragging in the sand (as we've probably all seen) isn't something I'd want to have to rely on... but if you're thinking about gear enough to ask about an integrated secondary/inflator, you're probably not apathetic or oblivious enough to dive with a dragging octo (there are *many* ways to secure an octo, after all).
Grey_Wulff
Contributor
IMHO go for the seperate octo. When handling any form of out of air emergency situation the octo is going to give you more and easier to execute options compared to handing off your primary and going to an Air2. Further, I would strongly recommend going for an octo on an extended hose, minimum 40 inches. This makes handling an out of air emergency even simplier.
Grey_Wulff
Grey_Wulff
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Remember that in an OOA you are the one on the air2(or what ever)
breathing on a inferior reg operating your BC.
Had one, done that, got rid off it.
IMO don't :no
just my 2 ct
breathing on a inferior reg operating your BC.
Had one, done that, got rid off it.
IMO don't :no
just my 2 ct
OP
GulfDiver77
Guest
Ok thanks for the answers. I had always thought about if you had inflator problems it could affect the intergrated secondary. I really didn't have a bad hose problem before anyway, because I kept my octo clipped in a tight clip.
Hi. I would go for the separate octo for the reasons mentioned above, unless you have a redundant air supply like a pony tank and reg.
If you still wanna go for inflator units instead of an octo, get a good one, like the Atomic Aquatics SS1 or Genesis Gemini GS 070, which Rodales says breathe as well as most octos at deeper depth (remember you'll be donating your reg and breathing on this). You'd probably want to practice using it because of the differnet position (on the left) and the location of purge is different as well.
Dive safely.
If you still wanna go for inflator units instead of an octo, get a good one, like the Atomic Aquatics SS1 or Genesis Gemini GS 070, which Rodales says breathe as well as most octos at deeper depth (remember you'll be donating your reg and breathing on this). You'd probably want to practice using it because of the differnet position (on the left) and the location of purge is different as well.
Dive safely.
Parrothead_Diver
Contributor
As a diver who uses the Atomic SS1, I would recommend that you go with a seperate Octo. This is what I would do if I had to do it all over again.
But not for the previously stated reasons. My reasoning is that with an intergrated inflator alternate air source you are limited in your gear swapping choices. For instance, if I go on vacation and only plan on doing one or two days of diving I have to take my BC along with all of my other gear if I want to use my own regs. If I had a standard setup I could get away with just packing my mask and regs and then rent all of the rest. (Rental BC's do make me a little nervous, but not nearly as rented Regs).
But not for the previously stated reasons. My reasoning is that with an intergrated inflator alternate air source you are limited in your gear swapping choices. For instance, if I go on vacation and only plan on doing one or two days of diving I have to take my BC along with all of my other gear if I want to use my own regs. If I had a standard setup I could get away with just packing my mask and regs and then rent all of the rest. (Rental BC's do make me a little nervous, but not nearly as rented Regs).
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For Northeast diving: I dive a 1st & 2nd stage on my primary and a 1st & 2nd stage with a yellow hose on my pony.
For the Caribbean diving: Take the 2nd stage with yellow hose and add it to the other 1st stage which gives me the 1st stage, 2nd stage and octo.
Both regulators are Aqualung Legend ACD’s
For the Caribbean diving: Take the 2nd stage with yellow hose and add it to the other 1st stage which gives me the 1st stage, 2nd stage and octo.
Both regulators are Aqualung Legend ACD’s
After working with both and watching people work with it I would not recommend it. Most people could not maintain their buoyancy when sharing air and breathing off their that was on their inflator hose.
If you do go with it, practice with it and know how to use it and maintain buoyancy at the same time. Don't settle down on the bottom of the pool to practice the out of air drill, swim around while practicing.
Cheers
Chris
If you do go with it, practice with it and know how to use it and maintain buoyancy at the same time. Don't settle down on the bottom of the pool to practice the out of air drill, swim around while practicing.
Cheers
Chris
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