Safe Second vs. Octopus???

[RooLuvsToDive]

Allrighty.....I'm getting a good picture on this issue now, and I certainly appreciate everyone's input!! From the sounds of things on here (especially the stress on an emergency situation) I'll be getting a regular octopus instead of a safe second!

Thanks again!!!!

 

[dkerr]

If you are happy with all of the other gear you could always sell the Air2 on ebay and buy yourself another second stage for a backup reg. I personally have not used the Air2 type backups, but imo they are not a good idea as others have pointed out.

 

[joens]

When I first started diving I bought one of those for my first rig.
My reasoning was that it mede it a lot more streamlined. It did compared to what I had seen [dangling octos clipped to your waist] But now I use a primary reg on a 7 foot hose .I breathe the long hose and donate it in an emergency.it provides plenty of room to do anything in an emergency.I use a necklaced octo on a 22" hose .
Joens

 

[C_C]

saw a number of folks using the AirII or similar inflator/regs...

The primary reason given by these folks using this setup was that they had one less hose coming off of the first stage...

I have since found that those types of regs are not best suited for my types of diving.

C_C

 

[NITF]

I have been using an AirII type device since shortly after my OW certification and understand some of its shortcomings but prefer it to a necklaced reg or heaven forbid a dangling octopus...

I have a Zeagle Octo+ and while it suffers in performance compared to an AirII (breathes a little wet when you first use it) it has the nice feature of a separate manual inflation/deflation port compared to the mouthpiece of the regulator.

During DM and OWI training I have had to make many shared air ascents using this system and do not find it to be a task loaded operation, I have my hand on my inflator many times during a dive and I can instinctively locate it in an emergency so I like having my air source there as well.

The long primary hose is something I agree with especially as an instructor where your chances of sharing air are a little higher than when rec diving, but the tangible discomfort of the necklace does not out weigh the potential discomfort of using the Octo+ in my case.

I am looking into ways to make the necklace more comfortable for myself and if successful I may update this opinion later...

NITF

 

[ScubaScott]

NITF once bubbled...


The long primary hose is something I agree with especially as an instructor where your chances of sharing air are a little higher than when rec diving, but the tangible discomfort of the necklace does not out weigh the potential discomfort of using the Octo+ in my case.

I am looking into ways to make the necklace more comfortable for myself and if successful I may update this opinion later...

NITF

What kind of discomfort are we talking about here? You don't have the backup on a barbed-wire necklace do you?

SS

 

[tholt576]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...

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.

I've got an air two on my BC. Here's my answer to your concerns.

I figure if I have need of an octo the dive is over, we are going to head to the surface. If we are heading to the surface there is no need to add air to the bc, but even if I did need to do that the power inflate is going to be easy to find, it's in my mouth. If I need to dump air, my bc has two other air dumps. One on the shoulder and one on the bottom. I'd simply use one of those, since they're the ones I use in normal situations anyway. I don't know how often Octo's get used, I've never had to use mine, but for me it's a trade off of not having another hose to get entangled.

JMHO.

 

[NITF]

ScubaScott once bubbled... What kind of discomfort are we talking about here? You don't have the backup on a barbed-wire necklace do you?

Darn, I knew I was doing something wrong

Actually I have a fairly pronounced gag reflex and having the reg press into my throat when looking down or just bumping into it while walking/surface swimming is disconcerting.

I am trying longer non-elasatic cord to place it a little lower on my torso along with rubber tubing to keep it in place but still the flexibility to get it to my mouth. I am also adding some type of breakaway to the necklace as tying something around my neck unnerves me.

NITF