My Potential Configuration

[OneBrightGator]

JohnVranesevich once bubbled...

1. Suunto Vytec dive computer with wireless air integration
2. Atomic B2 Regulator
3. 2 80cuFt Aluminum Tanks (brushed alum in color)
4. Ocean Master Beta Titanium Package (Dive Knife)
5. Aqua Lung Fusion BC

Here's my take... I can't really agree with anyone but ChrisM and only on the steels.

1. Good to go as long as you recognize the potential failure points, carry extra batts and maybe an SPG.

2. Not a fan of Atomics, I prefer Apeks or ScubaPro, but that's solely my opinion, the Atomics will serve you well.

3. Gotta suggest the LP 80s too, if you can find them at $150 a pop that's a great deal, if not the alum will work fine.

4. Skip the knife, too bulky, go with a Dive Rite z-knife (http://www.diverite.com/products/tools/knives.htm) and/or a pair of shears (not to mention you could buy 4 z-knives for the cost of one OM).

5. Go with a backplate and wings, both Dive Rite and Halcyon have excellent single tank rigs now. The benefits over a traditional BC are too numerous to name.

I dive with an AIR2 also, as long as you know the limitations and are correctly prepared to handle an OOA situation then I see no problem with it.

Ben

 

[ChrisM]

Really, from my limited experience, I know that the Octo, at least in the configs of the gear that I was renting, was SIGNIFICANT task loading in non-emergency diving. It constantly coming un-done required me to constantly re-attach it, which distracted me from my environment, my buddy, and all of the reefs (my whole reason for diving in the first place).

Plus, the hoses seem to be long, with a nice big loop, yet another appendage that I constantly had to be aware of, and worry about getting caught on something (not only a potential safety hazard, but a hazard to the delicate reef environment as well).

Precisely...... Can't tell you how manyh times I've seen divers flying bywith octos dragging along behind them, the loop drive me crazy too.........but there are ways of solving those problems without adding the additional problems that come with the air 2.

So I don't know, I guess I will have to think about this some more now.

Then my job here is done. Seriously, like I said, whether it's the octo, or the BC you're considering, or the knife.... whatever you use underwater, make sure there is a reason why YOU are using them, rather than someone else's reason. And unfortunately, the way some classes and shops are set up (not saying yours is one of them, just a fact of dive industry life), part of the instructor's job is to sell equipment that is in the store (seriously, it's part of the DM and insructor class....)

But keep asking questions.

Chris

 

[Northeastwrecks]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...
It is nice to have a backup dive computer of some sort.

Very popular and relatively inexpensive at $150 to $200 is the UWATEC bottom timer. Wear it next to your dive computer, and you will always see 2 readouts confirming each other. Why be buddy dependent??

An OMS bottom timer is NOT a computer. It measures depth, temp and time; however, it will happily keep on going long after you've gone into deco.

My only other comment is the integrated power inflator/backup reg. I've used them in the past and did not like them. They don't breath as well as a higher performance reg. This is important because this is the reg that you will be breathing in an emergency.

In addition, I found that I had difficulty turning my head to the right due to interference from the hose.

Finally, I didn't like the fact that I needed to become somewhat vertical in the water if I wanted to dump. Alternatively, I needed to remove the reg from my mouth.

Personally, I'm a big fan of matched second stages. At a minimum, use a good second stage that you would be comfortable using as a primary if it came down to it.

 

[dc4bs]

Hi John,

Here's what I do on my rec diving regulator setup.
1 Apecs ATX100 1st stage (yoke)
1 Apecs ATX100 2nd stage (Primary + donor reg)
1 Apecs ATX100 2nd stage (Secondary on bungy around neck)
1 mares analog console (SPG / depth)
1 low pressure inflator whip for BC

I will add/remove my drysuit inflator hose when needed. This usualy stays on my argon bottle regulator though.

The Atomic reg should be fine but consider a high quality, extra 2nd stage as an octo.

I use identical 2nds because I don't want any loss of air delivery capability if I need to donate my primary as this is very likely when I'll need it the most...

Oh, one more point about the integrated BC inflator that I havn't seen anyone else mention. What if your BC has a problem and you need to rent/borrow while it's being serviced? What do you do for an octo then?

With the setup above, I can use it on any standard BC or single tank backplate rig without having to make any sacrifices or changes so I always KNOW where everything is without having to think about it.

I use wrist mounted computers and/or timers without any air integration. Air integration becomes more limited in usefullness when you get to the point that you are switching breathing gasses during the dive. Integrated computers can only monitor 1 gas for now. I'm curious to see when they come up with a multi gas computer with muliple transmitters (1 for each tank... )

While I don't own a vytec personaly, I think the Vytec wristmount with transmitter is better than the hosemount in that you can see the data without having to fumble around for the console but worse in that the transmitter becomes a point of failure. The upside is that it will continue to calculate the dive profile even if the transmitter quits on you. I would have an analog SPG somewhere on my rig as a backup if I did use the transmitter though.

With practice and as your skills improve, you should generaly know roughly how much gas you have in your tank throughout your dive. Yes, early on you will probably look at your guage very often just to doublecheck... I know I did that a lot early on.

As you dive more, you will find that you look at the guage to confirm what you already know rather to find out "unknown" information. At that point, if the guage reads much lower than expected, it's a sign that you may have a problem and you need to find out what it is or call the dive if you and/or your budy can't figure out what's up quickly and safely.

Hmmm... I'll stop here before I get totaly off track with this post.

 

[OneBrightGator]

dc4bs once bubbled...
I use wrist mounted computers and/or timers without any air integration. Air integration becomes more limited in usefullness when you get to the point that you are switching breathing gasses during the dive. Integrated computers can only monitor 1 gas for now. I'm curious to see when they come up with a multi gas computer with muliple transmitters (1 for each tank... )

Oceanic had one at DEMA that will do 3 different mixes and 3 different transmitters, all about the size of a wristwatch.

Ben

 

[dc4bs]

It was only a matter of time...

Hey, Uncle Pug, ya out there? Just how fast would an item like that rot my brain?

 

[Scubaroo]

OneBrightGator once bubbled...


Oceanic had one at DEMA that will do 3 different mixes and 3 different transmitters, all about the size of a wristwatch.

Ben

That's got to be dangerous. Someone's bound to end up monitoring their deco bottle contents instead of backgas and go OOA. Strokes happen.

AI for backgas with backup SPG is fine, but AI on your slung tanks? Does it measure your argon contents as well?

 

[blackice]

ChrisM once bubbled...

As for number two, you are correct, the way octos are traditionally atached is ****. I even considered an Air 2 when I first bought for this reason. The octo was always coming out of the holder, or forming a big loop, just getting in the way. Until I figured out an alternate and better way for me, which was to bungee the backup., I'm not here to sell you on that configuration, just letting you know the direction I took. And think about the performance characteristics between a true octo and an integrated octo. It solves a non-existent problem.

this is what I did as well, realised there was a better way to do it and changed. Not everyone like this but a high level of safety is important to me and this sort back up and long hose IS (for me) the best solution.

But each to their own.

 

[blackice]

Scubaroo once bubbled...
That's got to be dangerous. Someone's bound to end up monitoring their deco bottle contents instead of backgas and go OOA. Strokes happen.

AI for backgas with backup SPG is fine, but AI on your slung tanks? Does it measure your argon contents as well?

Don't give them too many ideas .. they start designing AI for the pee valve !!

 

[paulwlee]

Welcome to the sport!
I have the Atomic B1 regulator and the Vytec. I am extremely happy with them both, and am sure you will be, too.

I have a couple things to add in general and some specific comments regarding the Air2.

I second the opinion that steel tanks will be better. They will take a little more care, but will make your overall load lighter due to less weight requirement.
If you go with the Pressed Steel E7 80, you will be 10lbs lighter than with an AL80 with the same amount of gas. (Although you need a higher pressure fill, I think most stores have that now.) With a E7 100, you will be 5lbs lighter, but with 20cf more gas.

And I would recommend having a backup pressure gauge on a shorter hose than normal and clipping it to a D-ring on the lower left side of your BC. You will not notice it at all after setting up your gear, but it will enable you to continue diving if for whatever reason your transmission link stops working.

Now about that Air2..

JohnVranesevich once bubbled...
Really, from my limited experience, I know that the Octo, at least in the configs of the gear that I was renting, was SIGNIFICANT task loading in non-emergency diving. It constantly coming un-done required me to constantly re-attach it, which distracted me from my environment, my buddy, and all of the reefs (my whole reason for diving in the first place).

This is because you were using a poorly designed octo holder. I never had my octo accidentally released in about 250 dives in various environments.
(But I stopped using this anyway. Read below for more info.)

Plus, the hoses seem to be long, with a nice big loop, yet another appendage that I constantly had to be aware of, and worry about getting caught on something (not only a potential safety hazard, but a hazard to the delicate reef environment as well).

If you go with an Air2, your primary hose will have to be equally long. Otherwise, air share situations will be very uncomfortable. This means that even if you use an Air2, this loop will still be there, only you will be breathing off of it.
So, either way you don't get to eliminate the loop you dislike.
One way to get rid of this loop is to dive with a longer(5ft) hose and route it across your chest and back around the neck. It takes a little getting used to, but it completely eliminates this loop and works extremely well when sharing air.

As for the Air2, some people love it, some people hate it. I personally don't care for it because it makes the inflator too bulky and forces me to change my air-dumping method while sharing air.
You might also try a regular second stage hanging from your neck by a bungee loop, and on a shorter hose than normal. I changed over to this configuration along with the 5ft hose recently and really like it.