Safe Second vs. Octopus???

[RooLuvsToDive]

Okay, I am finally sorta kinda maybe considering buying some gear from a dive shop that has put their rental gear on sale, cheap! They have sets of BC/regulator with power inflator hose/integrated safe second/air gauge/depth gauge/compass/dive bag that are virtually new for $550. My question is, what are the pros and cons of a safe second versus an octopus?? We used the gear with the safe second in my classes, and it seemed very easy and streamlined, but I don't know enough to understand all of the benefits/drawbacks to it.

Any suggestions?? Should I jump on this offer at the dive shop to get my first set of gear???? (I think they offer a one year warranty on the stuff, too, through their shop.)

Thanks!!!

 

[metridium]

"Safe second"? Do you mean an Air2 type reg?

I used to have one of those, but was finally swayed by the logic of donating my primary and going to an alternate reg on a bungee necklace.

One thing about Air2 types to consider: If your primary fails (or you donate it) and you breathe off the Air2, your head movement to the right will be restricted, AND you may experience difficulties as you switch between breathing through the reg and venting your BC with it.

IMHO, that's unnecessary taskloading in an already stressful situation.

 

[RooLuvsToDive]

I don't know what that is you're talking about......all I know is that we had what the instructor/divemaster/NAUI book called a safe second instead of an octopus. It was all attached by a contraption that was attached to the BC. We didn't have an octopus.

Somebody correct me if I'm saying this wrong, but I know that we used safe seconds and not an octopus. (I don't know a lot, but that I AM sure of!)

 

[metridium]

IIRC, my OW instructor back in the day used "safe second" to mean a standard alterate reg as well as the Air2s, which were just making their appearance.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[RooLuvsToDive]

I guess I should clarify what I'm talking about.......the safe seconds that we used were a combination regulator and power-inflator, that fit on the BC's power inflator hose. There wasn't an extra hose for the octopus regulator.

Make sense??? I'm trying, I really am!!!! lol I just need to get in the water soon!!!!!!

 

[Uncle Pug]

RooLuvsToDive once bubbled...
a contraption that was attached to the BC. We didn't have an octopus.

Some folks don't like that contraption and some do. Those who like it can speak for themselves. I don't like it because it unnecessarily complicates controlling the ascent in an out of air emergency.

The device that you donate to your ooa buddy is the regulator in your mouth... you would then go to the contraption to breath yourself. But that is also the contraption you need to hold up and press a button on to inflate or deflate your BC.

Personally I like the idea of donating the regulator you are breathing to an OOA buddy... but I want my backup regulator on a bungee necklace right there under my chin.

 

[metridium]

RooLuvsToDive wrote...
I guess I should clarify what I'm talking about.......the safe seconds that we used were a combination regulator and power-inflator, that fit on the BC's power inflator hose. There wasn't an extra hose for the octopus regulator.

That's what I was referring to as an Air2 type reg.

See the comments I edited into my first post on this thread for my opinion on this type of alternate.

RooLuvsToDive wrote...
Make sense??? I'm trying, I really am!!!! lol I just need to get in the water soon!!!!!!

Yup, and we all do, respectively!

 

[norcaldiver]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...

I don't like it because it unnecessarily complicates controlling the ascent in an out of air emergency.

The device that you donate to your ooa buddy is the regulator in your mouth... you would then go to the contraption to breath yourself. But that is also the contraption you need to hold up and press a button on to inflate or deflate your BC.

Good call. Altho I see integrated octos everyday, I NEVER put 2 and 2 together that way.
So yeah, you are really no better off than if you were to make a buddy breathe assent sharing a single reg which is the next to last option....


Man I love this board.

 

[ages]

Not at all fond of "air source" "air mikes" or whatever folks want to call them. First, have you ever tried using somes primary, and doing a proper ascent....the two of you will be in each others face...not much hose space on a primary. Second, not many people take their BC's in for service....yet most folks will take in their regs for tune-ups. Finally, I agree with Uncle Pug....you will be in a stressful situation, and have to breathe from as well as control your bouyancy (unless you are drysuit diving) with your BC buttons. I think in an emergency situation, you need to minimize that tasks and thinkgs you are not intimately familiar with. How many folks use their air source to breathe from so often, they are completely comfortable with it? Just my $.02!! ages

 

[jonnythan]

ages once bubbled...
First, have you ever tried using somes primary, and doing a proper ascent....the two of you will be in each others face...not much hose space on a primary.

Not if you have 5 or more feet of hose on your primary