Why do some people say this?

[SterlingDiver]

Ditto, learn the sport first. The rest will come with experiance.

 

[mfalco]

To the OP: Go get certified to dive. Learn what you can about a lot of different equipment configurations. Don't let Lamont's ideal OW class, or Ryan's biases influence you unduly. You'll make some decisions about gear, and some of them may be perfect for you for the long run, and others may change over time. It's pretty much all good . . . It's all diving. What really counts is that you know the equipment you have, know how to operate it under normal circumstances and under stress, and that your buddies are on the same page with you about it.

I hate agreeing with someone that also mentions DIR in their post, but this is the most logical thing anybody has put in this thread.


I would also recomend talking with your instructor and other people you will be diving with. Your instructor (hopefully) is a very experienced diver, and should know a lot.

 

[HilaryRN71]

Thanks everyone for the info!

hehehe...that's cute. Sweet really. Did he think it would end there? I think the OP is getting a good lesson on the.....ehem....shall we say strong-minded nature of people in this sport??

I read the OP and thought....oh swell.....here we go again. And it didn't disappoint.

 

[HilaryRN71]

Let me take one more poke at this dead horse if I may. Should anything bad happen to me before I go DIR; the anti AIR-2 crowd has permission to have my toomb stone engraved "he was killed by an AIR-2"

That is the funniest thing I've read today!

 

[Meng_Tze]

Man, I'm DIR and proud of it, but I'd never tell somebody that if they use an Air2, they're going to die.

I dive a long hose.................I have also been informed I am going to die. We all are.

Like TSandM says: make decisions, some will be good, some will be not so good in hind sight. It's all part of learning and in an equipment intensive activity, it can be more expensive. But that's okay, you are going to die and can't take anything with you. So live it up.


BTW long hose is not a DIR thing, more a HOG thing.
Comrade Diver

 

[ZzzKing]

Because it is more likely to kill you or your buddy than other alternatives.

Where are the statistics that prove this? I'm sure you have done a lot of in depth research and can back this statement up. Please post your source.

I the mean time, you shouldn't be giving advice on a subject you know nothing about.

 

[Hoyden]

To the OP: Go get certified to dive. Learn what you can about a lot of different equipment configurations. Don't let Lamont's ideal OW class, or Ryan's biases influence you unduly. You'll make some decisions about gear, and some of them may be perfect for you for the long run, and others may change over time. It's pretty much all good . . . It's all diving. What really counts is that you know the equipment you have, know how to operate it under normal circumstances and under stress, and that your buddies are on the same page with you about it.

This is the single best piece of advice that I have seen offered on this board in the last few years. Well said!!!

 

[stepup]

If I were you I would wait and see how I liked diving before I put any money ito gear in the first place.

 

[Coldiver1]

In the 5 years I have used an Air 2, I never had a problem with it and I tried it out on every dive. Yes it does breath a bit harder but it works well. I have "streamlined" and eliminated my Octo. Eight months ago, I bought a Balance BC and now use an "Air Source" secondary because it mates to the Balance.
It also works well. I also have a right shoulder air dump on the Balance BC that I use most of the time, but I can see where someone without a right shoulder dump would have a problem if they had to perform an emergency ascent. In your dive career you will go through several equipment combinations to attain the comfort zone.

 

[friscuba]

A couple of observations...

Overall, I see a lot more air 2s and similar units free flowing on our charters than I see free flowing traditional second stages, yet the traditional setup is far more common than the inflator hose arternates. Makes me wonder.

On recommending one over the other, my only comment is do what you are comfortable with, but before you say you are comfortable with an air 2 style of alternate - get with a buddy, give him your regulator and get on an air 2 style alternate and then do an ascent or try to swim 20 yards pretending you are in an overhead environment and needing to share air. For me, I'll stick with the traditional octo with as long a hose as possible on either/both primary and secondary 2nd stages. I didn't like the air 2, it felt very restrictive in a shared air situation to me. To each his own.