Standard octo vs. Atomic SS1 tradoffs

[JustinW]

Sounds like a good reason to ditch the snorkel... not the air II.

I prefer the Atomic over the Scubapro/Tusa model (same unit with different colored buttons), and in an emergency, I'd rather have an AirII. It is almost instinct to give away your primary reg if someone comes up to you out of air... and if you don't, they'll probably grab it anyway. Then finding an inflator octo is vastly easier than finding a standard octo. You know right where it is, you touch an inflator many more time during a dive than you do an octo.

I actually dive with both... it's the redundancy department of redundancy.... but if you told me I could only have one... Personally, I'd take an octo inflator attached to my bc. But that is not to say that people who prefer a standard octo are wrong... just what I like.

Couldn't agree more. I've heard of couples using their own gear going for refreshers that practice the OOA drills using the octo, and that one or more diver couldn't find their octo when they needed it, and this was in a planned exercise. They easily found their inflator though, as they use it dozens of times per dive. Most likely when you purchase an AIR2 type setup, you will save money too. Saving money, having a more streamlined setup, knowing I can find my alternate quickly in an emergency are all positives for the Air2.

Of course I'm not bashing the octo, its a great setup, IMHO, the AIR2 has the advantage.

 

[Coloradoscuba]

To start with you always donate your primary reg and us the ss1/air2/octo+ yourself. I found that I always know where my inflator hose is, and when breathing on the SS1 I just keep my hand on the front of the set up, from here I can inflate and dump. I think it is a great set up to have and would recomend it to any rec diver.
As far as this snorkel business, I got rid of it my first OW dive and have not regreated it yet. I have had to come up for some swims back to the boat and just kicked over to my back no porblem and I never liked the extra stuff in my face.
hope this was helpful...
Jeff

 

[BigWhiteSquare]

...In a perfect world a set up with a SS1 and an air integrated wrist computer would be great only 2 hoses!

I do it all the time, and rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.

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[ZzzKing]

Recently added an SS1 to my setup. I tooled around the reef for 20-30 minutes to get used to it. It supplied ample air and I never had trouble controlling bouyancy while using it. I have my primary on a 5' hose for donation purposes.

I have yet to rescue or deal with an OOA situation, however. Next time I go out, I plan on practicing with my buddy.

 

[tangfish]

The Atomic SS1 is great, as long as you have the right power inflator hose setup. Zeagle is the best one to use, and SeaQuest is probably the worst out of the box, for mating with an Atomic SS1 combination power inflator/octo. I've also heard that AquaLung is about to release an aftermarket hose for retrofitting to a SeaQuest or other BCD.

 

[BigWhiteSquare]

The Atomic SS1 is great, as long as you have the right power inflator hose setup.

Are you talking about the corrugated hose?

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[tangfish]

Are you talking about the corrugated hose?

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Yep, I sure am!

You can see a photo of what I'm talking about here.

 

[SStrecker]

I use an Atomic SS1 attached to a Zeagle Brigade BC and it is a great combination. I highly recommend it. Keep in mind the obvious considerations, regarding traveling with your regulator [the BDC really needs go with it] and using it during an emergency shared ascent [emptying the BC, while breathing through the SS1 requires more care].

 

[tangfish]

Basically, for everyday diving the SS1 (or whatever make) is terrific, if you are doing any penetration of wrecks or overhead environment dives (cavern/cave, etc.) then I'd opt for a traditional octo with a longer hose. I have both and use my SS1 most of the time. I wrote a review of the Atomic Aquatics SS1 a while back, in case you're interested.

I'm shopping for my first set of personal gear and wanted to get opionions on going with a standard otco backup regulator or getting one of the new 2nds that are integrated into the BCD dump like the Atomic SS1 or the Scuba Pro Air 2. Are there any drawbacks of the integrated 2nd? Which setup is safer? Is there a favorite model amoung the integrated reg/BCD types.

 

[nyprrthd]

I have the SS1 on my Dive Rite TransPac BCD. You can breath from the SS1, and hit the inflator button if your BC needs air, without taking it out of your mouth. I use the shoulder dump, and/or the bottom dump to remove air.

The controls on the SS1 are very easy to use, and I love the placement and size of the buttons. The streamlined profile helps to eliminate bulk. If I ever start doing penetration dives (cave or wreck), I will consider adding a traditional octo; but for now I feel that the SS1 works fine. My wife (who has been my buddy on all dives so far) and I have drilled with the SS1's so there are no surprises if we ever actually need to use the darned things.

That's just my opinion, and I could be wrong...................