bc inflator/octo?? Scubapro air 2???

[bperrybap]

As I said a little earlier in response to another poster, the regulator and power inflator are in the same housing, but function separately. You can inflate the BC and deflate the BC while you are breathing off the AIR2. When you are breathing off your primary and using the AIR2 strictly as a power inflator and dump air from the BC, it exhausts through the mouthpiece. But there is also an exhaust valve on the opposite side of the housing from the control buttons. While breathing from the AIR2, you can vent the BC by pushing the manual control button (the big rectangular one) halfway down and the air vents through the exhaust. As an alternative, use the right should dump valve.
alternative.

Well, I can't speak for the AIR2 but having used an ATOMIC SS1,
(and I am pretty sure the AIR2 is the same)
I can say that the functions are not totally seperate.
The key is what you stated above:
"pushing the vent button half way down".
If you don't do this and accidentally push it ALL the way down
you can be hit with high pressure air from the
BCs bladder trying to vent the BC into your mouth/lungs.

In a panic, near panic, or simply a high stress situation with rapid
rising because bouyancy is not under control during the intial air
sharing, it is easy to accidentally push the vent button too hard
which connects the mouth piece to the BC bladder.
If the BC is very full, it could force air with too much pressure
into your mouth and possibly lungs. OR you might be able to
take a breath (which pulled air from the BC and not your air tank)
but be unable to exhale as your lungs will be
unable to overpower the pressure in the BC bladder.
If the BC is not very full you potentially will breath air from
the bladder instead of fresh air from the 2nd stage regulator
or put more air back into the BC making the situation worse.

All this from simply pressing the vent button too hard while
trying to vent while breathing.

Not all octo inflators combine the regulator with manual inflation,
which is what creates the potential issue.

The Zeagle octo+ has fully indpendent functions as the
venting is never routed to the regulator mouthpiece as it
has a sperate opening for manual inflation.
Octo+ units like the Shadow+, sickekick, etc, while
not as integrated, don't have this issue either since it is a
fully independent regulator and your normal inflator is preserved.

It all depends on how you use it and ensuring you
don't do the wrong thing.
With training and practice, all can be mastered.

--- bill

 

[scubafool]

If you are diving overhead environments or engaged in other forms of technical diving, an AIR2 is not an appropriate equipment choice.

Why not?

PM me if you want.

 

[mikerault]

On my old Calypso the inflator has a completely seperate regulator attached to it that you breath through and use the normal controls to fill or empty the BC. All the above sounds overly complex and dangerous to me...

Mike

 

[divingjd]

Why not?

PM me if you want.

I had always understood that cave divers and other technical divers preferred other configurations, such as the long-hose setups and an octo on a necklace. I don't do this kind of stuff myself. Interestingly, I saw a new publication at the dive shop today with an article about Hal Watts, one of the founding members of the National Association for Cave Diving, and he was wearing an AIR2, along with a Scuba Pro S600 primary, and what appeared to be a G 250 octo, so apparently it is not strictly verboten in the cave diving community. Of course, this is different than my setup, an S 600 primary on a standard (short) hose and the AIR2.

I guess you learn something new and interesting every day.

 

[grazie42]

There is no scuba police.
There are good solutions and bad ones, you get to decide which is which...

 

[Meng_Tze]

... so apparently it is not strictly verboten in the cave diving community. ...

I guess you learn something new and interesting every day.

This is a far stretch conclusion..... He may be sponsored by some manufacturer, have non-cave config for non cave dives. Just because someone was founding member of something... I dont know the reason for wearing that config, I just dont see the connection between a founding member wearing a non-advised config and a change in guidelines

 

[divingjd]

I'm not taking the bait. Just get a sense of humor and lighten up a little, OK? I didn't say a thing about a change in guidelines or say that this was an approved cave config, or anything else like that. I just said I saw something interesting and made a comment about that in a very conversational manner. I don't know what the context for the picture was either. I just found it interesting. If you'll pay a little closer attention to the thread, you will see that the original point I was making was that, as I understood it, cavers and other tech divers would not use an AIR2.

 

[Scuba St3ve]

hey take a look at the RiteSource Integrated inflator/regulator. Had it put on my BP/W and it looks and works great,very streamlined
http://www.diverite.com/products/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=RG2200

 

[Meng_Tze]

I'm not taking the bait. Just get a sense of humor and lighten up a little, OK? I didn't say a thing about a change in guidelines or say that this was an approved cave config, or anything else like that. I just said I saw something interesting and made a comment about that in a very conversational manner. I don't know what the context for the picture was either. I just found it interesting. If you'll pay a little closer attention to the thread, you will see that the original point I was making was that, as I understood it, cavers and other tech divers would not use an AIR2.

:shakehead