Rsinsger, funny you should suggest a different BCD with RSD. I just spent the day looking at other travel models since I can still return the Aeris EX Lite's. Got my eye on a couple Cressi Air Travels that weigh exactly the same and pack down for travel. They have 3 dumps, one of each shoulder and one lower right. The one thing I liked about the EX Lites, over the Cressi and other "soft back" models, is the EX's rigid back plate which makes it a little easier to handle for tank installation, etc. Could be a non-issue though. The right shoulder dump sort of out weighs those kinds of concerns.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean when you say
"need the extra maintenance attention over a downstream valve octo" ? Why more maintenance then a standard Octopus?
I've got 4 months before returning to the Philippines, so I've got some time to think this through. Found out the EX Lites are always on sale at $174 so I can even go back to them if I choose.
Money is a concern as I stretch the buck to outfit both of us. It's much easier to find used Air2's than most of the others. Aeris and Oceanic BCD's use non-standard size hoses, so I must find an Air2 (or other) that has the corrugated hose and dump all included as a complete unit that will thread onto my BCD. Maybe Cressi's hose is of the standard variety and will connect up to the Air2 or other model with no problems. I have been told that the Air2 is considered one of the best of the bunch for reliability and performance.
... The advantage of the separate Octo are many with virtually no cons other than a separate hose and finding a secure and familiar place to attach it so it's there when you need it. These problems are quite easy to overcome.
Lol! Well, you've certainly raised quite a few competing issues here.
Cost, check. Rigid vs. soft back...well, for travel BCD's, some compromises might be in order. Hose diameter restrictions for the EX Lite...yes, that's going to limit your choices of integrated octos. That may be the biggest factor in your eventual selection if you want to stay with the EX Lite.
But if you want to stay with an integrated octo, don't worry about the reliability factor IF you regularly maintain your gear. The mainstream integrated seconds are solid, if somewhat stiff, emergency second stages (tho the Aqualung balanced integrated octo is a smooth beauty).
Right Shoulder Dump? If you're a photog, then until you go to a backplate and wings for horizontal stability, you need as many trim dumps as possible to get you situated exactly as you want. For positioning and trim the RSD helps (though frankly it's the lower dump I'm using more when I'm slightly head-down and needing a bigger adjust). Breath control during photog is the deal more than using a dump valve.
Now emergencies? You're on your octo and your wife is on your primary and you're ascending and needing to dump. This is the ONE time that a right shoulder dump might be of significance. Low on the likelihood scale, but high on the priority scale at that moment. An Aqualung is very smooth and has a hose long enough to both breathe from and pull to dump. But I don't know if it fits on the EX Lite. Sorry! Maintenance of an Aqualung integrated octo if you don't want an extra second stage is NOT a deciding factor. Why not?
Now, for your question:
extra maintenance attention over a downstream valve octo.
The last Aqualung integrated balanced second that I serviced came from a liveaboard luxury boat. The BCD had been put away wet, and the crust of salt crystals and corrosion inside the regs was unbelieveable. The cracking effort was high, and on taking it apart, we quickly saw why: the poppet on the balanced second stage had to travel back and forth into a balance chamber which was crusted with salt from not having been soaked and allowed to dry (liveaboard=maybe not a lot of extra fresh water to soak regulators). The reason I mentioned that it was a luxury boat was because it wasn't a scuba liveaboard. Scuba was a part-time deal, and the equipment showed the lack of care.
A downstream valve is simple: orifice meets seat, and at the cost of a slightly higher cracking effort, it doesn't take much to open it. Salt or sand in the reg? Bang it against your knee and purge it and keep on diving. Sand or salt crystals inside a balanced second poppet assembly? Rare, yes, but if the pieces no longer move smoothly, you need to open it up.
That's what I meant about extra maintenance attention. It's a "better" design for ease of breathing. It works great! But if you neglect it, there are more places for it to go bad. That's why so many octos are simple downstream valves. But heck! If you're not a liveaboard throwing wet saltwater soaked regs in a locker somewhere until the next dive a week later, you'll be fine. Soak your gear in fresh water afterward and let it dry. End of problem.
As for your ultimate decision? I'd get the best emergency gear you and your newbie wife need (and it needn't be expensive). To me, that just means an octo that's separate (and any turreted first stage can help you route your hoses in a satisfactory and adjustable fashion). But that's why Aqualung designed their balanced second stage integrated octo: to be as smooth a breather as a primary reg. But it ain't cheap. Yes, AIR2 can be serviced in lots of places. But a standard (reliable, inexpensive) downstream extra second stage on a hose can be serviced in a lot more places and with lower cost. Once you accept that extra little piece of gear alongside your cameras, you can choose a BCD or backplate with a right shoulder dump and not worry about mating your integrated octo to a special size hose. Take whatever inflator comes with it and sell the AIR2 for $100 on EBay.
