Pros vs. Cons: Alt air on BC inflator?

[gogums]

Hi,
New to board and diving (rec diving from shore in warm water and playing with UW video). I'm curious about using a alternate air source attached to the BC inflator hose vs. traditional safe second. If I understand correctly, if your buddy is OOA they use your primary 2nd stage and you use the reg. attached to the inflator hose. I don't have my regulator system purchased yet and I like the idea of one less hose, but wanted to get some advice from the experienced bunch here before buying. Thanks!

 

[ShakaZulu]

Practise the OOA with a buddy on a AIR2 BC and let us know what you think........Now, let's take it one step further and add low viz, cold water, current etc.

 

[tedwhiteva]

Hi,
New to board and diving (rec diving from shore in warm water and playing with UW video). I'm curious about using a alternate air source attached to the BC inflator hose vs. traditional safe second. If I understand correctly, if your buddy is OOA they use your primary 2nd stage and you use the reg. attached to the inflator hose. I don't have my regulator system purchased yet and I like the idea of one less hose, but wanted to get some advice from the experienced bunch here before buying. Thanks!

Short answer - Stay with an octopus

 

[ScottZeagle]

Depending on where you dive, how often you dive, and who you normally dive with, an alternate air source may work just fine for you. You are correct that it eliminates an extra hose.

I haven't used a standard octopus in years.

Scott

 

[Dryglove]

If you ever have to disconnect the LP hose due to a sticky inflator button, inflator leaking into bladder, etc you lose your alternate air source.

 

[MSilvia]

I haven't used a standard octopus in years.

Have you had to do an ascent while sharing air while using that thing? I never had, but it seems to me like breathing through it while controling your bouyancy and monitoring your depth and ascent rate would be a big enough pain in the tookus to negate any benefit you gain.

I mean, does the extra hose really bother you? I hardly notice mine, and that's with a 7' primary, bungied backup, BC inflator, drysuit inflator, and SPG.

 

[jbichsel]

I think the idea of attaching an alternate air source to the BC inflator is a bad idea. I have used one a couple of times just to try it. Even not buddy breathing, but breathing off the AAS and trying to ascend from 30' was a friggin' pain. trying to time your breathing to when you need to remove the reg from your mouth to vent or add air seems like some sort of barotrauma just waiting for a place to happen.

Sure, they're cool looking when not in use, eliminate an extra hose. But in practice I believe they are a hazard.

 

[redacted]

The extra hose is pretty much a non-issue. you will not notice it while diving. The biggest plus is probably that it does not have a tendency to get loose and get dragged thru whatever in and out of the water. A combined octo/inflator would be inappropriate for anything but an immeadiate direct ascent. It is not as easy to use as a seperate octo and will not perform as well as a high quality 2nd. A quality 2nd, bungeed below your chin, overcomes these problems.

BTW, I'm still using my Air2. It worked just fine when I occasionally carried a hard-mounted a pony and bungeed its 2nd below my chin. A std octo would be excessive in this configuration. I now sling the pony (when I carry it) and either would work OK with that configuration.

I also do a fair amout of solo diving (often in a shallow, strong flowing river) where the std octo would be mostly unnecessary and in the way more than my air2.

If you can't find a good reason to go with the octo/inflator, I would suggest you go with the std octo on a bungee.

 

[Corigan]

I have both an Air2 and an octo for AAS. I guess you can never have enough if you ask me. I could help out 2 divers OOA if need be.. As for controlling boyancy while using an AIR system, it's easy as cake. I had read a bunch of negative reviews about how people had problems doing this. Of course I take reviews with a grain of salt, and had to go try it out myself. I ascented, decented, swam around and had zero problems doing all of that with the AIR2 system. I see why people wouldn't like it, but I think it's a pretty well devloped system that has it's place.

Matt

 

[scubaculture]

I have used an Air2 for quite some time, best solution? Probably not.

The problem adding/removing air during an OOA is not an issue, you DONT have to remove the reg from your mouth to operate the inflator, looking up while ascending the inflator works fine.

I have been involved in only one OOA though, that was at Aliwal Shoal from 30m in a pretty strong current, we had no problems.

Just practise your skills with it and you will do fine