Air 2 good/bad ???

[klausbh]

How do you feel about Scubapro Air 2 and similar backup-regulator & inflator combinations? I know that some people downright hate them, but I am not sure why. As far as I know, early versions had serious freeflow problems, but more recent generations do not. What do you think?

-Klaus

 

[gfisher4792]

A rehashed subject. 1) If you haven't already, do a search on the board, and I'm sure you'll get a boatload of opinions/threads on the AIR II. 2) I don't like the concept as it positions your inflator/deflator in front of your face (not a deal killer, but bothers me none the less) and it limits how much you can look around, which I imagine as being important in an emergency/OOA situation.

 

[jonnythan]

Scenario:

You're at 90 feet and your buddy goes OOA.


Outcome with Air2:

You hand your buddy your primary regulator, on a hose so short your buddy can't even see your face when breathing from it, and you go to your Air2. Assuming the quick disconnect doesn't come undone when you grab at the thing and bring it to your face, you breathe from it. You start ascending when you realize you have to vent gas from your BC, so you use the pull dump and start yanking on the hose to your only air source. All this while your buddy is basically side to side with you facing *backwards*.



Outcome with long hose and bungied backup:

You hand your primary regulator to your buddy, who can stay comfortably a few feet away. You put your bungied backup in your mouth and breathe a real regulator just like the one you just had, and you start a completely normal ascent procedure. You don't have to worry about yanking on your *only* air source, venting the BC with your breathing gas, wondering if the connector designed to quickly disconnect is going to disconnect, or having your buddy's head banging into yours because it's right next to you.


What advantages does the Air2 really give?

 

[kelpmermaid]

or its Zeagle equivalent, and I never had any problems with it freeflowing or sticking. I liked the idea of being more streamlined. I have gone back to a regular octopus, though, because of an experience I had last year. I was aborting a dive due to a drysuit flood and on the way up the mooring line, I encountered an almost OOA diver - not anyone from our boat, but a complete stranger. Instead of doing the predictable thing (taking my primary,) he took the Air 2. Eventually, we did swap and made our ascent. Prior to that, I had always thought about it in terms of "my buddy" or the others I dive with who know my gear. I never considered what a stranger under pressure (pun intended) might do. I decided then that the air source and the inflator should be separate.

 

[MikeS]

I think they are a bad idea. In an OOA situation, they add task loading to breathing while dumping air during an ascent; do you keep it in your mouth to breath or over your head to dump air?

Before getting one, I suggest that you try the following. Simulate an OOA situation where you must swim 100 feet laterally and then make a controlled ascent with a safety stop, while donating air to your buddy. This is a realistic scenario for boat diving where you want to come back up on the anchor line. In addition, float a surface marker to ascend on while sharing air. Do this with an Air 2, a traditional octopus, and a long hose with a bungeed backup. Compare the difference, and then decide which is right for you.

I’ve practiced all three (in training only). IMO a long hose with a bungeed backup is by far the superior approach. It allows both divers to independently control their buoyancy while sharing air, swimming laterally or ascending. It also gives you enough room to float a surface marker. Second choice would be a standard octopus configuration. I would only dive an Air2 in an emergency.

Mike

 

[kevink]

There is a quicker way to remove one of the hoses from a 4 hose reg - -

Take a large pair of shears and cut off your Octopus line, Be sure to duct tape over the hose end that is left. This method is about equally as safe as carrying an Air2 underwater.

I am a big Scubapro Fan (MK2+/R190 and Mk25/G500 regs) but don't fool yourself into thinking an Air2 is a decent alternative to an octopus. If you exclusively dive in blue water 30' or shallower, go ahead and get an Air2 otherwise heed most of the posts on this board.

 

[double125's]

I prefer the 7 ft hose with a back up on a necklace but that is not practicle for most recreational divers. As far as the air 2 goes I dont like them just because they make a simple task more complex. When you breath the air 2 it makes it difficult to deflate on ascent as well as adding to the confusion. When you cant move freely because that thing has got your head all twisted because the hose is not long enough it will start to induce panic. I think people buy them just to fool themselves into thinking the have a backup not expecting to ever need it in a real world situation.

 

[Walter]

Jon,

I have rescued many OOA victims while using an Air II. The situation you describe is not at all accurate.

When someone is out of air, they will sometimes signal this too you, but often they simply grab your regulator right out of your mouth.

With an Air II, you simply put it in your mouth with your left hand while taking a firm grip on the OOA diver with your right. The quick disconnect is not in danger of disconnecting. After securing your Air II, you then take a firm grip on the OOA diver with your left hand and make eye contact. You dump air as necessary with the pull cord on the right side of the BC. If you don't have a pull cord on the right side, you might reconsider your BC choice.

After the OOA diver has calmed, you exchange OK signals and ascend slowly and calmly. It is important to remain close to the OOA diver, maintain eye contact and keep a firm grip on his BC to help prevent panic and to control his ascent in the event of panic.

With a long hose, you will need to duck your head to get it out of the way as well as pick up your bungied octopus. Other than that, it's a good idea to continue exactly as I described above.

There are exceptions, but most divers are poorly trained and are likely to panic when OOA. I want them close. A long hose in this situation will be in the way. OTOH, if caving, you'd be nuts not to have a long hose.

 

[jonnythan]

Walter once bubbled...
Jon,

I have rescued many OOA victims while using an Air II. The situation you describe is not at all accurate.

When someone is out of air, they will sometimes signal this too you, but often they simply grab your regulator right out of your mouth.

With an Air II, you simply put it in your mouth with your left hand while taking a firm grip on the OOA diver with your right. The quick disconnect is not in danger of disconnecting. After securing your Air II, you then take a firm grip on the OOA diver with your left hand and make eye contact. You dump air as necessary with the pull cord on the right side of the BC. If you don't have a pull cord on the right side, you might reconsider your BC choice.

After the OOA diver has calmed, you exchange OK signals and ascend slowly and calmly. It is important to remain close to the OOA diver, maintain eye contact and keep a firm grip on his BC to help prevent panic and to control his ascent in the event of panic.

With a long hose, you will need to duck your head to get it out of the way as well as pick up your bungied octopus. Other than that, it's a good idea to continue exactly as I described above.

There are exceptions, but most divers are poorly trained and are likely to panic when OOA. I want them close. A long hose in this situation will be in the way. OTOH, if caving, you'd be nuts not to have a long hose.

I haven't done this because I'd never put an Air2 on. I have shared air where the OOA diver had my primary on a normal hose, and I've shared air where the OOA has my primary on a long hose.

There's *no* comparison whatsoever. The long hose is more comfortable and doable than a regular primary.

Being close to the diver does not mean having them off to your side with the regulator pulling to the side out of their mouth. Having a few feet of hose to play with is *great* for comfort and usability. Using a hose way too short and trying to look at the person without the reg pulling away is unneccessarily stressful. This isn't even about a long hose though.

Going for a backup under the chin is *at least* as easy as going for the inflator to put in your mouth. It gets rid of all the complications of an Air2.

Oh.. and what's the point of getting rid of a regulator hose when you have to add an extra pull dump to your BC?

 

[oversea]

I have to agree with Walter, there is no problems wth dumping air from the bc with an air 2. I have the sp classic plus and it has a nice dump cord on the right side. It breathes as good or close to my s600 and there is nothing extra haging on me. I love the thing.