Not really
but maybe that’s just me.
Thoughts on breathable inflators?
- Thread starter TooManyHobbies
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but maybe that’s just me.
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Kidding right? That doesn't happen. The octo-inflator is fed from a LP port on your 1st stage .
So, your instructor used an air2 while you used an octopus? Did he train you to primary donate?
Your stuffed long hose option seems like “I have this regulator on a 1m hose which is hard to manage because of the hose, l know, let’s double the length of the hose...”
Personally I really dislike the Air2 and similar. They force divers to primary donate, then they land them with a second rate regulator in an awkward place, even more so if the BCD inflation hose is fashionably short.
The point about doing a rescue (AS ascent) is that you need to have donated a reg so will be breathing the Air2, so it is in your mouth. Now when you need to control your buoyancy the dump on that Air2 is not really available. Maybe you have a shoulder dump on your BCD, maybe you listened to SB’ers and have a wing which rarely has such a dump....
Doing such ascents is already quite difficult. Do you need to make it harder?
And the upside is.... you don’t need to solve the ‘how to store my octopus?’ question
Cressi Octopus Necklace buy and offers on Scubastore
This link will probably expire, it is a silicone octopus necklace. It releases reasonably easily. It is a different thing to a bungee necklace used to keep a short hose backup in place when using a long hose hog looped, that is designed not to give the regulator away.
OP
I was talking about the air you would vent from the deflator. Or does that come out of the reg exhaust? It does, doesn't it?
OP
We got trained on primary donate and secondary donate.
I see what you're saying. Ascents have a lot of variables anyways with changing depth, watching depth, venting air properly, maintaining proper ascent rate, etc. I have no interest in complicating that further, so the integrated is out of my mind as of now.
I have seen the necklace, I think that's what I'll end up doing. My idea of stuffing the long hose comes from the fact that I'm not sure I'm comfortable looping the long hose. I don't really like having things around my neck. Surgical tubing can be easily cut if it gets caught on anything, so no worries there. A reg hose, not so much. I'm willing to be convinced, I'm just not sure that solution is as safe as possible.
Here's a vote for long hose primary, backup on a bungeed necklace, primary donate.
It is very streamlined, the hose around your head isn't a comfort or safety issue at all. It's very easy to just duck your head and hand off the primary if you need to donate gas. I personally like having something on my right hip to loop the hose around to make it really fit clean and streamlined - can light, reel, or even a piece of PVC pipe - but some people just tuck it in the waist webbing (not my preference).
It's really nice to have the extra space to maneuver if you are doing a gas sharing ascent, and I never felt that the long hose was in the way.
Lots of threads on this here. My 2 PSI.
It is very streamlined, the hose around your head isn't a comfort or safety issue at all. It's very easy to just duck your head and hand off the primary if you need to donate gas. I personally like having something on my right hip to loop the hose around to make it really fit clean and streamlined - can light, reel, or even a piece of PVC pipe - but some people just tuck it in the waist webbing (not my preference).
It's really nice to have the extra space to maneuver if you are doing a gas sharing ascent, and I never felt that the long hose was in the way.
Lots of threads on this here. My 2 PSI.
I started diving with a "standard" octopus donate setup. Later, I dove with a long hose/primary donate for a year or two. Now, I use an air2 and primary donate. I vastly prefer the air2 and primary donate over every other method I've used. Using the air2 is easy, and they breathe every bit as good as a high end second stage (in my case, scubapro s600). Sharing air with an air2 really isn't the problem some folks make it out to be.
That said, I happen to have a bc that came with a "pull dump" so that I can just pull on the corrugated hose to dump air instead of having to press the button on my power inflator. If your bc doesn't have a pull dump, and you go with an air2, then I highly recommend that you add a pull dump. You could share air with an air2 without one, but you might have a tad more to do in that case. Specifically, depending on your body position you might have to take the reg out of your mouth occasionally in order to dump air. With the pull dump, there's nothing special required in order to ascend while sharing air.
As you've already surmised. One less hose coming from your first stage is AWESOME! If you also switch to a hoseless AI computer, you only have a total of two hoses coming from your first stage. It's such a clean and easy setup - I find it much more enjoyable than diving with an additional LP hose for an octo and an HP hose for a guage/computer.
The only real downsides are cost. Air2's cost money. Computers with hoseless AI cost money. A pull dump costs money (although not much).
That said, I happen to have a bc that came with a "pull dump" so that I can just pull on the corrugated hose to dump air instead of having to press the button on my power inflator. If your bc doesn't have a pull dump, and you go with an air2, then I highly recommend that you add a pull dump. You could share air with an air2 without one, but you might have a tad more to do in that case. Specifically, depending on your body position you might have to take the reg out of your mouth occasionally in order to dump air. With the pull dump, there's nothing special required in order to ascend while sharing air.
As you've already surmised. One less hose coming from your first stage is AWESOME! If you also switch to a hoseless AI computer, you only have a total of two hoses coming from your first stage. It's such a clean and easy setup - I find it much more enjoyable than diving with an additional LP hose for an octo and an HP hose for a guage/computer.
The only real downsides are cost. Air2's cost money. Computers with hoseless AI cost money. A pull dump costs money (although not much).
Go with a short hose on a bungee around your neck, and either a 40" with an elbow/swivel/etc. under your arm, or a long hose. Ditch the inflator idea.
The wrapping around your neck thing is a non-issue. Seriously, it's just not an issue at all. Everyone I know that tries to reinvent that wheel ends up making it worse, because they can't manage their long hose.
So, you've got somewhere between 25 and 49 dives according to your profile (provided it's accurate), you're not smarter than the guys that have 5000+ dives, who have been diving with a long hose for a billion years, in caves, in wrecks, on big boy dives where simple problems aren't just an inconvenience, but can be deadly. Your discomfort is unfounded, so don't discount the practice. There's a reason that so many people dive that configuration, dive it successfully, and dive it without issue.
The wrapping around your neck thing is a non-issue. Seriously, it's just not an issue at all. Everyone I know that tries to reinvent that wheel ends up making it worse, because they can't manage their long hose.
So, you've got somewhere between 25 and 49 dives according to your profile (provided it's accurate), you're not smarter than the guys that have 5000+ dives, who have been diving with a long hose for a billion years, in caves, in wrecks, on big boy dives where simple problems aren't just an inconvenience, but can be deadly. Your discomfort is unfounded, so don't discount the practice. There's a reason that so many people dive that configuration, dive it successfully, and dive it without issue.
Brian G
Contributor
I can think of two problems with an octo/inflator. The first is that if you have the hose long enough to comfortably breathe from, it is long enough to hang down and drag or catch on stuff if you are close to the bottom (you do have to be pretty close). The second is that one failure mode of a BCD is that the inflator has a slight leak and keeps putting air into the BCD. The fix for this is to disconnect the inflator hose and inflate the BCD orally if needed. It's probably not a good idea to do this on an octo/inflator.
I think the issue with it being a bit harder to vent is offset by the idea that the octo is always where you expect it to be and is never forgotten about. Practice is key no matter what, so whatever you get, go over some out-of-air and air-sharing drills until you don't have to think about what is going on. This would be important for any setup.
Regarding the BC exhaust, if I remember correctly, if you depress the deflator and breathe in at the same time, you will get air from the BCD, so you might want to keep it clean.
I think the issue with it being a bit harder to vent is offset by the idea that the octo is always where you expect it to be and is never forgotten about. Practice is key no matter what, so whatever you get, go over some out-of-air and air-sharing drills until you don't have to think about what is going on. This would be important for any setup.
Regarding the BC exhaust, if I remember correctly, if you depress the deflator and breathe in at the same time, you will get air from the BCD, so you might want to keep it clean.
Most people's experience of an air share in during training or practice under controlled conditions. If you have ever experienced an air share in an emergency situation with a panicked diver you will probably appreciate why an octo/inflator is not the best setup.
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