Scubapro Air2

[Pearldiver07]

So, has anyone noticed a distinct division into two separate camps on this issue?

Let's face it rickdds, weigh in the points above in favor of, and against, and get what you consider to be the best compromise. Yes, either way you're giving up something.

I dive a full hog rig normally, as I like the set up and the safety aspects when diving in the cold murky lakes of Texas, but take an ultralight travel BCD (back inflate), Air2, computer w/ xmtr and full foot fins on trips to the bright, clear, warm waters of a vacation. It packs incredibly small, and weighs next to nothing.

I know not everyone can have the luxury of two totally separate kits, but it is a perfect example of weighing in the pros and cons of each piece of gear for each situation. Think about what kind of diving you're REALLY expecting to be doing, and buy accordingly.

Our opinions are our own, and we all have them. But now that you've gotten them.

Time to make a decision and get in the water! Emphasis on "in the water."

Hope that this helps.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I am much like PearlDiver07 - I dive a mostly DIR BP/wing with doubles but for lightweight tropical diving I have an Air 2 and a long hose primary.

The hose routing is super clean with an Air 2 where adding one more hose for an octo would mean having to rotate the single first stage 90 degrees which results in hoses sprouting out the sides instead of running straight down.

So...I am middle of the road in that I think the Air 2 may have applications where it can be and is the optimum choice, but for the most part, unless you have a reason, a traditional octo may be a better choice.

 

[Hoosier]

Mine is almost same with DA except SP MK25..........

I am lazy so that I set up one set only for a single.....

 

[Splitlip]

If you have a backup to replace it with, not such a concern, but how many people have an extra in their save a dive kit?

I do! And had to use it a couple weeks ago. With my SS1 actually. I am carrying an extra LP hose, corrugated hose, conventional inflator and conventional octo.

I put my SS1 on my wing and configured my gear like my 16 year olds. That is what she is using and we practice with it.

While less than ideal, I prefer the octo inflator for her over a conventional octo. Personally, I prefer the necklaced secondary. My kid is a new diver and not willing to go there yet. So it is the SS1.
Which is not all that bad where we dive. Clear open water, no over heads. And a large percentage of the divers are configured like wise. One of the ops we use is also the one that certified her. All the DM's use Air II's as does one of her best friends.

 

[rickdds]

Thanks everyone for your replies, especially Pearl and DA. I've never been involved in a real-life OOA situation but I always figured that if it happened I expect my primary to get grabbed (if i didn't see them coming and didn't have time to pass the primary/octo) and we could switch up once the OOA diver is calm.

Pearl/DA I don't understand all of your technical lingo so if you drop in on this thread again please explain to me what "full hog rig" and "DIR/BP with doubles" means.

I do agree with getting a longer hose and will do that soon. I guess as far as choosing between octo/air2 it's a trial and error thing... I can't imagine they'd let me try it out first. Guess I stumbled upon a hot hot hot topic here on SB! I'll default to the 190 octo if i'm not sure which is probably what i'll end up with. I'm a 2x/year recreational diver typically Caribbean so it's not like I'm in "dangerous waters". But i'll tell you what I'm getting a hankerin for some more adventurous diving, maybe a trip to Cocos or doing some spearfishing off the rigs, something to get the blood flow pumping a little more...

 

[Jrock1062]

OK I have a question if in practice most times you will give up your primary in ooa situation why is that not taught ? Everything you explained makes sense how come its not taught that way and thank you for the information i had never looked at it that way

 

[gclaudiu]

My reason for not using the air II is simple I do not want to take my S600 out of my mouth and give it to a inst buddy who's rent -a -gear took a crap, I would much rather give him my octo. I prefer to keep my reg in my mouth at all times and if I need to help a buddy seems to me it would be easier not removing my air source.In the case of cave diving hose length may be an issue with the air II

Imagine your OOA buddy is panicked, come to you and start signal he is OOA, need your secondary, wait for you to confirm, then he will get the octopus and resume breathing... Sounds good but the question is: does it happen in real life? I bet he will just grab the one in your mouth without signaling or anything.

Anyway, on toppic: I had used the AIR2 (well, DiveRite version) and after more than 20 dives I switched back to octopus. Longer hose, different size for connector, almost impossible to vent your BC/Wing if you use it as primary, etc just few of the things that make me feel not confortable...

Well, is working, you can use it and is up to you how mch you want to compromise between safety and number of hoses you'll have attached to your 1st stage... Overall: lots of ppl used them, lots of other ppl hate them... Guess last ones are much more then the first ones. Your choice

 

[snowmaker]

I have one and the only problem I ever had was just after it was serviced. Someone didn't know what they where doing. Anyway they work very well. They are not for every type of diving. But for most people diving within rec. limits they are great.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Pearl/DA I don't understand all of your technical lingo so if you drop in on this thread again please explain to me what "full hog rig" and "DIR/BP with doubles" means.

A "hog" rig is short for Hogarthian, which got it's name as William Main's middle name was "Hogarth" and he was the guiy who more or less developed the philosphy.

It is in short a minimalist approach dedicated to taking along only what is needed for the dive on the basis that if it is not needed on the dive it is a liability. It is also dedicated to carrying what ever is needed in as streamlined a manner as possible. A key part of this approach is the long hose, carried around the diver's chest and neck with the idea that the diver will donate the primary. Other early long hose users tended to breathe the bungee necklaced reg and keep the long hose bungeed to the tank, donating it when needed. Hog configuration eliminated the needless bungee on the tank and streamlined the long hose more by keeping it wrapped around the diver.

The basic configuration uses a backplate (steel or aluminum based on weight requirements) and a 1 piece nylon harness. The harness has D-rings on each shoulder as well as one on the left hip and a cannister light is carried on the right hip. Backup lights if needed are normally carried along the shoulder straps clipped to the D-ring with the head secured under a piece of inner tube to the strap. The D-rings are also used to carry stage and deco bottles with the top of the cylinder clipped to the shoulder D-ring and the bottom of the cylinder clipped to the waist D-ring.

This link will give you a pretty good idea of what is involved.

Hog rig

The philosphy was develop for North Florida cave diving and the Woodville Karst Plain Project divers are a group that are pretty strict Hog divers. DIR (Doing It Right) is a outgrowth of the same philospohy and is really just an extension of the philosophy, although a few DIR divers may from time to time claim that DIR invented the whole idea, in particular the long hose primary and bungeed backup. Saying it ain't so is a good way to start an argument.

The major difference in my opinion is more or less cultural in that Hog divers tend to be more likely to innovate, experiment and evolve the configuration more over time and with an emphasis on adapting the configuration to the optimum for the specific environment, while DIR politics and dogma tends to make it more about standardization of the configuration with the result that many DIR divers are less willing to stray from the pack. The idea, as expressed to me by some DIR buddies is that there is great perceived value in having one configuration for everything - but then again I have had some of those buddies modify that belief after some experience in the real world with a not so optimum configuration, so opinions vary.

In both the Hog and DIR cases, the issue is that the configurations were birthed in the cave environment and when you start adding lift bags, SMB's, Jersey reels, a right hip D-ring for right side stage or deco bottles and other items that may be optimum for a particular environment (for example, developing a very streamlined configuration using an Air 2 for tropical recreational diving, or adding a Jersey reel for mid or north atlantic coast wreck diving, where drifting off the wreck could end very badly for you and adding a right side D-ring to reflect a need to keep your stage and deco bottles on you through the entire dive and improve your balance in the water) you run the risk of encountering a diver with a more authoritarian mindset telling you how wrong you are. That is usually a case of a diver more or less knowing the rules but not really understanding the underlying principles of either philosophy - another great way to start arguments.