Should I buy an Air 2

[MechDiver]

DiverBuoy once bubbled...


MechDiver You said
2. You need a long inflator hose on your BC to allow you enough room to bend the reg around to use it.
___________
MechDiver you could not be talking about using it for yourself personally, cause this isn't an issue for the wearer of an Air Source - not that I've ever seen or heard. You must have been using an Air 2 or a poor setup by your LDS? So I inferred the only other possibility: you must have been talking about donating it to the OOA diver

And, as I said in a subsequent post to that one:

"My point on the inflator hose was an Air2 or similiar needs a longer hose than is supplied on...ahh...non-BC type buoyancy things ( I would have said "wings" but someone would have complained)"

Perhaps you need to expand your equipment familiarization base? And, my LDS does not setup my equipment for me.

Another molehill/mountain

MD

 

[metridium]

DiverBuoy wrote...
With the Air Source you can bend your head in any direction, you can still very easily use the pull dump even while breathing of the regulator.

That's assuming you have a pull dump. Not all BCDs do, nor do all divers who do have them leave them intact.

 

[DiverBuoy]

metridium absolutely agreed.

MechDiver "And, my LDS does not setup my equipment for me." - perhaps you should let them <LOL>

 

[MechDiver]

DiverBuoy once bubbled...

MechDiver "And, my LDS does not setup my equipment for me." - perhaps you should let them <LOL>

As I am not a PADI instructor they said I was qualified to do it myself. But thanks for the tip.

MD

 

[pkmaven]

I have been a Naui certified diver for 26 years and have used an octopus for many of those. I am not a newbee scuba diver. There is no question about an octopus, bugeed or otherwise, being an effective source of second air for a buddy with a regulator problem. I would never dive with a regulator that did not work perfectly, and I have never experienced the need of supplying my expensive octopus to my buddy. I no longer use the octopus. I bought a new Tusa BCJ- 4900 Imprex pro with matching Duo Air. I always know where it is and I have no trouble using it at all. It is carefully designed to work properly. The last thing I need is another hose! When I dive I want to be as streamlined as possible, and three hoses are enough. Where I live, the spearfishing and lobstering is excellent (R.I./Ma. ocean coast) and much thought is given to quality of gear and minimum clutter. P.

 

[Boogie711]

The last thing I need is another hose! When I dive I want to be as streamlined as possible, and three hoses are enough.

I see this argument all the time, and I agree.

Which is why I recommend, for you, a hoseless regulator.

 

[Scubakevdm]

I like my Air2, but if one is not comfortable enough with diving to operate it competently, I agree that they should stick with something easier to manage like an Octopus. Go with watever you're comfortable with.

 

[archman]

I still have yet to encounter a diver with a necklace octopus. In fact I'd never heard of DIR either until I joined this board. Maybe it's more of a coldwater thing. I am thinking of getting a long hose for my primary though... sounds neat.
Anyways AIR 2's and the various knockoffs of them are quite popular in Texas and in the Keys. Scubapro argues in its literature that the reg is at least as good as most other primaries, and certainly better than the cheap and/or compact "dedicated" octo's most people dive with. And since they're way up on your BC strap, they don't drag in the dirt.

I'd argue that unless you're going DIR-style, a rig using an alternate inflator reg is better than the "standard" rig with your octo clipped to the bottom of your BC, if it's secured at all. That's how at least 90% of divers are currently set up. The "one less hose" mantra is very popular with me, especially since both my second stages are scubapro made.

 

[cyklon_300]

I still have yet to encounter a diver with a necklace octopus...

You need to get out more...there's scads of us wearing necklaced backup regs. And it has nada to do with water temps..it's a 'functionality' issue.

You certainly won't drag the backup in the dirt if it's around your neck. I've got 5 hoses on my single tank reg and they are all very well behaved....maybe you need to discipline yours.