Pony bottle opinons- Air buddy vs. Regulator

[MC]

I currently have a regulator set up for my pony bottles, but wondering if anyone has used the Air buddy systems that are out there?

I may be converting one of my 1st stages that I currenly use for a pony bottle to a full regulator set up for a friend who needs gear, but does not have any money.

anyone use the Air buddy set up?

[awap]

Why bother with an air buddy when you can just breath directly off the valve.

Two bad ideas.:shakehead:

[halocline]

What's an air buddy?

[MC]

[QUOTE=awap;5515616]Why bother with an air buddy when you can just breath directly off the valve.

QUOTE]

How is your's set up? Do you have a second stage directly hooked up to the 1st stage w/o any LP hose? Kind of like the H20dessy AES.

never thought of doing it that way.


My current pony set ups were just extra 1st stages and extra octos that I put together.

[awap]

An Air Buddy has a bite activated valve rather than a demand 2nd stage regulator.

I use a conventional regulator on my pony. I use a Mk2/G500 so the performance is comparable to my primary setup. When you have to go to your bailout gas, that is no time for a difficult to operate, low performance breathing apparatus. Stick with a conventional regulator.

[muddiver]

If the Air Buddy can be snapped into the LP hose for a BC, than it does not provide enough flow to be safe and effective.

I really can't see a diver that is looking for a breath in a panic being able to use one of those. I tried breathing off a penofathometer hose in commercial diving school and that was pretty darn stressful. Stressed divers don't slow down to think about how to exhale and keep water out and then bight this thing to get air.

[parzdiver]

Based on the Air Buddy web page - it seems to have some fuzzy science. I would also rather not have something that "blows the air into your mouth"

Air Buddy (http://www.airbuddy.com/index1.html)

For me, a standard regulator would be the better option. It is proven technology.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I don't see any reason to use something like the air buddy. There are many small and inexpensive 2nds designed for use as safe seconds that work normally, so no reason to screw with something like the air buddy that works differently than everything else.

Personally, I like to keep it simple and just use a plain old 2nd stage, KISS.

[elmer fudd]

I'd be really hesitant to rely on that. Maybe after fooling around with it for a few dives I might change my mind, but just looking at it now, it appears that it would take more effort, (or at least more thinking), to use. In an emergency that's bad. Consider the possibility that both your mask and regulator get knocked off your face. Losing your mask can be very panic inducing. You can't see much at all and the sensation of breathing with water in your nostrils feels a little like drowning. If I'm in that kind of situation, I just want to reach for my octopus, put it in my mouth and breathe. I don't want ANYTHING complicating that.

This is only one possibility. There could be dozens, but in any of them that I can foresee, I want to keep things simple.

Now if I were to get one really cheap, you can bet I'd take it out and play with it for a couple of dives at least, but I'd be hesitant to buy one at full price without at least a few good reviews.

[DevonDiver]

Just looked at the web page.....

I can't believe this crock of sh1t is even being debated... it makes me sick.

Just look at the claims...


It is the smallest, safest and most convenient alternate air source on the market today.Safest. How? What statistics? For what reason??


delivering 20% more air time (http://www.airbuddy.com/contents/en-us/d2.html)on a given supply of air than any other system.It can magically change your SAC rate?? wtf??


If your alternate air source has a diaphragm, you need to replace it now.

What????? Diagram is bad? Why???? ha haha ha


Seriously..... wake up call...... THIS is not an effective emergency breathing device...
http://62.0.5.133/www.airbuddy.com/contents/media/airbuddy%20face9.jpg

[knowone]

I played with the lpi one for a couple of dives and the delivery was comfortably regulated and exhalation manageable. The thing was to remember to loosen your bite before the lungs reach capacity. I should say, a couple of times over a couple of dives.
Then I figured that if your buddy was trapped in another compartment of a wreck you could cold chisel or wrench out a rivet or a bolt and poke the Air Buddy if it were on a hose through. But because I generally don't carry a cold chisel or a wrench or a buddy I put it in one of my compartmentalised cases with a lot of other interesting diving gadgets.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Seriously..... wake up call...... THIS is not an effective emergency breathing device...
http://62.0.5.133/www.airbuddy.com/contents/media/airbuddy%20face9.jpg

It is a novelty, pure and simple. Its only value is it is different.

[elmer fudd]

Then I figured that if your buddy was trapped in another compartment of a wreck you could cold chisel or wrench out a rivet or a bolt and poke the Air Buddy if it were on a hose through..

I was downright dubious about this product until you pointed this out.

I think you might also need some kind of long sharp pokey thing though, so that when you run low on air you can prompt your buddy to release his death grip on your Air Buddy, allowing you to surface.

[knowone]

I was pretending to be nice so didn't mention my fin prints on the wall.
At least I managed to score a 7' hose out of a 5'.

[penitent1]

This system makes sense to me. It is compact, and seems somehow natural and intuitive.

[DevonDiver]

penitent1... I think the Air Buddy system is marketed specifically to attract divers with your level of experience.