Question for the Aqua Lung i3 owners - 'dump from any position'

[CapnBloodbeard]

G'day divers!

Doing my research on BCDs (yes yes, I know, I'm supposed to buy a BP/W, it's not my first day on this forum )

I came across the Aqua Lung i3 inflator on a few of theirs. I know there are a couple of threads on here - but I'm just looking at something specific: Apparently it's great because you can dump in any position.

Well.....can't you do that already? Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that it's the equivalent of using any dump valve in any position? That it avoids the mistake of, say, being slightly head down and mistakenly dumping from your shoulder rather than your bottom valve?

This is all just what i'm guessing from reading about it, but it seems that while it might be nice to not have to think about which dump valve to grab (especially if the one you want to grab is tangled up somewhere and you can't find the cord).....I can't see that 'dump in any position' is a thing. What am I missing here - is it my understanding of dumping that's off?

 

[Centrals]

BP/W is not everyone cup of tea. So there is nothing wrong to look for the "conventional" jacket style bc.
Why would you need to ventilate all the three dump valves at the same time? You might dump more than necessary.
One dump valve and the one in the inflation hose are adequate.
Dump valve will leak if not carefully maintained.
Keep it simple.

 

[DiveClimbRide]

You have one control that is always in the same place and that allows you to dump air in any position. For beginner divers especially that's really good (yes yes equipment solution to a skills problem Yada Yada)

 

[KenGordon]

My other half has one.

Yes, there is one control that works two or three dump valves. The traditional low pressure inflator with a corrugated hose is not present. Very often new divers use that hose as a kind of comfort blanket and you can see the swimming about permanently with their left arm held up and fingers on the buttons and always head up so they can dump. There and others often NEVER use the hip dump on a bcd and literally cannot find it.

The i3 helps avoid these issues and so makes a diver a bit more comfortable at first.

Of course learning to use all the dumps is really an important skill, but very often overlooked.

Like many unusual bits of kit you should consider how it impacts on buddies. If you always dive with the same people this is not a big deal, if you get random buddies who might not speak your language on boats in far off places it might matter.

 

[OTF]

You are right that you can already dump from any position without it. The i3 sucks, it's literally just a gimmick to add another unnecessary feature to upsell new divers. It adds unnecessary complication.

Go for something like the Pro HD or Axiom without I3. Or, Aqualung's military/professional line has some nice rugged BCDs, the Pro-QD-M and BC-1 which are like their normal BCs with the gimmicky stuff stripped away. If your shop can get them for you.

Quality BCDs are abundant and cheap on the used market as well, might be a good place to save some cash to reinvest in other gear.

 

[wnissen]

You are right that you can already dump from any position without it. The i3 sucks, it's literally just a gimmick to add another unnecessary feature to upsell new divers. It adds unnecessary complication.

Go for something like the Pro HD or Axiom without I3. Or, Aqualung's military/professional line has some nice rugged BCDs, the Pro-QD-M and BC-1 which are like their normal BCs with the gimmicky stuff stripped away. If your shop can get them for you.

Quality BCDs are abundant and cheap on the used market as well, might be a good place to save some cash to reinvest in other gear.

The worst part of it underwater is that you get much more seawater ingress when you're opening all the valves at once. If you're only venting over the bubble no water gets in. Plus the lines have to go all over the BCD from the lever, seems more likely to break and certainly more of a pain to maintain.

I have an Aqualung Dimension, which is one of their higher end back-inflate ones, but without i3. Just the standard hose. I love it. You also don't get the quick disconnect tank strap without the i3, but that's minor. The location of the bladder on the ProHD made it much harder to keep good trim.

 

[keyshunter]

You have one control that is always in the same place and that allows you to dump air in any position. For beginner divers especially that's really good (yes yes equipment solution to a skills problem Yada Yada)

I disagree. A beginning diver needs to understand where the BC's air is located at any body orientation and which dump to use, and how to dump (and add) air in tiny increments so as to prevent the yo-yoing often seen with beginning divers. An experienced diver who understands these things can play with such gimmicks as he chooses.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I disagree. A beginning diver needs to understand where the BC's air is located at any body orientation and which dump to use, and how to dump (and add) air in tiny increments so as to prevent the yo-yoing often seen with beginning divers. An experienced diver who understands these things can play with such gimmicks as he chooses.

Weighting also has a lot to do with yo yo’ing.

 

[KenGordon]

You also don't get the quick disconnect tank strap without the i3,

I forgot about that. That metal cam will lose me a finger tip one day.

 

[Coztick]

I forgot about that. That metal cam will lose me a finger tip one day.

Right?!?
Punched a hole in my right ring fingertip.
In my experience, tape it up to keep it clean and do the dive to ease the pain...