The Air Buddy

[Couv]

OK, I'm guilty of being a poor communicator. I threw those questions out tongue-in-cheek with no fancy emoticon to indicate as much. But, use a bit of divergent thinking here. A standard low pressure inflator hose may not be suitable for an alternate air source just as it would not be suitable for an octopus. However, the Air Buddy has a 9/16-18 UNF fitting just like 99% of all second stages, so it's not the device itself that is limited. The way it's connected it to a first stage is the limiting factor. Re the comment/question about using it when air sharing-shouldn't the method a diver and his buddy choose to share air and control buoyancy be ironed out in advance regardless of the setup?

The OP asked for opinions from people who have ACTUALLY USED IT. If I'm not mistaken, Nemrod is the only one here who has used one. I know and have dived with Nemrod, a damn fine diver whose opinion I trust. He happens to like his Air Buddy enough to order another.

I too am looking forward to the Ozzydamo's update.

 

[ams511]

A quick disconnect without a valve seems like a really bad idea.

I am just relaying what I read, it appears that the device may have its own valve where it connects to the BC. Maybe Nemrod can elaborate.

---------- Post added April 28th, 2014 at 04:20 PM ----------

The OP asked for opinions from people who have ACTUALLY USED IT. If I'm not mistaken, Nemrod is the only one here who has used one.

There has been a few others in some of the threads. But in true Scubaboard fashion, there are only a few posts about the device in the thread and many having a disagreement about an unrelated issue.

 

[Brandon]

Have you actually used the air buddy?

Seems to me like you, Brandon and giffenk are just trolling, pity, because it makes it harder for serious people to find the information they seek.

You're probably a better clown, then you're a DM!

I haven't used the Air Buddy and consider it a toy or novelty, a lot like the "My Buddy" doll. The thought of a catchy jingle to match the old commercials from the 80s cracks me up every single time. For the types of diving I do, I have always been of the opinion that one should have two equally high performing regulators- if we're sharing gas, I may as well be comfortable doing it. I also don't care for inflator mounted backup regulators because you can't use them comfortably with a short inflator hose and I want to be able to add/vent gas from my inflator hose if I feel like it. Your diving may be totally different and this will work for you. For me, its a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

BTW, trolling would be pointing out your incorrect use of "then" and the oddly placed comma. Eg, if you meant to insult me, THEN you would say, "You are probably a better clown THAN a DM". As it stands, I only posted a silly picture. Lighten up!

-B

 

[ozzydamo]

I haven't used the Air Buddy
-B

I can almost understand why you posted, its attention seeking behaviour- you live in such an inhospitable place- I hope the money is extraordinarily good.

Now, please excuse me I have a life in a nice place to live, where the water temp is 25*c( 77f) going into winter.

Here watch this its my dive boat getting reviewed were I live- Tournament Bluewater 2000 Fishing & Family Boat Reviewed By Mark Berg - YouTube

yes I need to lighten up- life is so frikken hard

 

[flots am]

When someone has to share air, I want a real regulator and so do they. If they only wanted a garage-blower, they would be diving with one already.

The Air Buddy sounds like one of those redneck "Hey Watch This!" moments, like the 20' snorkel.

I'm guessing that I've spent ~$25K on SCUBA over the last 15 years or so. I'm sure not going to be sucking on a garage blower during an emergency and won't be donating one to an OOA diver either.

 

[redacted]

I can almost understand why you posted, its attention seeking behaviour- you live in such an inhospitable place- I hope the money is extraordinarily good.

Now, please excuse me I have a life in a nice place to live, where the water temp is 25*c( 77f) going into winter.

Here watch this its my dive boat getting reviewed were I live- Tournament Bluewater 2000 Fishing & Family Boat Reviewed By Mark Berg - YouTube

yes I need to lighten up- life is so frikken hard

I think I could adapt: https://www.google.com/search?q=ala...UI4aH8AGH-IHIBQ&ved=0CEQQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=667

 

[ams511]

I haven't used the Air Buddy and consider it a toy or novelty, a lot like the "My Buddy" doll. The thought of a catchy jingle to match the old commercials from the 80s cracks me up every single time. For the types of diving I do, I have always been of the opinion that one should have two equally high performing regulators- if we're sharing gas, I may as well be comfortable doing it. I also don't care for inflator mounted backup regulators because you can't use them comfortably with a short inflator hose and I want to be able to add/vent gas from my inflator hose if I feel like it. Your diving may be totally different and this will work for you. For me, its a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

BTW, trolling would be pointing out your incorrect use of "then" and the oddly placed comma. Eg, if you meant to insult me, THEN you would say, "You are probably a better clown THAN a DM". As it stands, I only posted a silly picture. Lighten up!

-B

How does posting a doll further the discussion?

---------- Post added April 30th, 2014 at 06:39 AM ----------

I think I could adapt: https://www.google.com/search?q=ala...UI4aH8AGH-IHIBQ&ved=0CEQQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=667

I think that sea lion would freak me out.

 

[doctormike]

The OP asked for opinions from people who have ACTUALLY USED IT. If I'm not mistaken, Nemrod is the only one here who has used one. I know and have dived with Nemrod, a damn fine diver whose opinion I trust. He happens to like his Air Buddy enough to order another.

Well, while it's true that we try to avoid topic drift to some degree, I don't think that it's reasonable to expect that the OP gets to control who posts according to his or her preconceived rules. I mean, this type of discussion goes along with posting in a public forum. I suppose if the OP was dead set against hearing input from anyone who hadn't used the Air Buddy, they could have just posted "Please PM me if you have ever used an Air Buddy" and left it at that.

But to decide ahead of time that no one who hasn't used one would have any useful insight into potential problems with the device seems foolish to me. This board has a lot of very experienced divers who are willing to give their time and knowledge for free. That's a valuable resource.

My opinion is the same as for the Air 2. In an emergency, expect EVERYONE'S training to go out the window. We are all far more used to breathing from a normal second stage than from anything else. IMHO, the best thing to have in an emergency is a second stage. That way, no matter who ends up with which air source, they are breathing from something familiar. No matter how much you practice with your Air Buddy or Air 2, it will never be as familiar as a regular old regulator, especially if your plan of donating the primary and switching to the backup doesn't work out the way you expected.

 

[kelemvor]

I'm confused about all the posts saying the LPI hose isn't sufficient. Like others I don't have an air buddy. I do have an Scubapro Air2 on an LPI hose. I've tested it at 110'. Worked fine at depth, no problem at all. Why would air buddy be any different in that regard?

As for how you dump air from a bcd while ascending with such a configuration, I use a wing that has a pull dump.

 

[redacted]

I'm confused about all the posts saying the LPI hose isn't sufficient. Like others I don't have an air buddy. I do have an Scubapro Air2 on an LPI hose. I've tested it at 110'. Worked fine at depth, no problem at all. Why would air buddy be any different in that regard?

As for how you dump air from a bcd while ascending with such a configuration, I use a wing that has a pull dump.

Your Air2 hose (and others for octo/inflators) has a different connection than the standard LPI inflator. The std LPI inflator has a schradder valve that restricts air flow and may not provide enough flow for comfortable breathing, especially in a tense situation. Octo/inflator connectors provide for a greater air flow that will support comfortable breathing.