AL Soul i3

I just bought an AL Soul i3. Think I'm going to love it, but was wondering about the e-valves. The one at the shoulder has a dump pull, but the one on the right hip does not. I may be overthinking this but what's the point of having only one redundant e-valve. I tested it on a tank, and the shoulder dump only partially deflates the BC. Hopefully I'll never have anything go wrong with the i3 mechanism, but the point of redundance is for "what if" situations. I called AL and they just told me if the i3 doesn't work to abort the dive (duh!). Not trying to dis AL but they couldn't tell me why they don't put a pull on the bottom e-valve. If there's some rationale, I'm ok with that, but since I actually bought one of these, I think its reasonable to ask what thought went into the design. My BF wants to put a dump pull on the lower e-valve. Can anyone answer this?

Did you test it in the water? Air should rise to the highest point(shoulder,if vertical). If you're really worried about "what if" situations, perhaps you could buy a BC with a more standard inflation system that everyone on the boat knows how to operate.

GillScales:

Did you test it in the water? Air should rise to the highest point(shoulder,if vertical). If you're really worried about "what if" situations, perhaps you could buy a BC with a more standard inflation system that everyone on the boat knows how to operate.

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Geez! Who pee-pee'd in your Cheerios? She asked a reasonable question and thats the best you could come up with?

To answer your question, yes, you should be able to put another string on the lower e-valve in order to use it manually. It should still be releasing air when you use the i3 feature though as it is designed to open both valves at once. I have a Dimension and have been meaning to do the same thing (e-valves set-up the same way). Kind of stupid they don't add the pull since its a mere piece of string but I think they are assuming people are using the i3. The shape of the bladder as well as your orientation in the water are most likely to blame for it only dumping half the air (if you are only using the shoulder dump manually). Of course, you're going to have to find an "Authorized Technician" to add that string for you in order to keep your warranty.

Thanks scubified. You actually gave me some valuable input and while I still don't understand AL's rationale for the design, it seems to typical of every BC I've seen equipped with an i3. But its nice to know an instructor was also wondering about this.

CB5150: Thanks for the support. Some people just like to pee in everyone's cheerios or they aren't happy!

I don't care how many dives someone has, Solo Diver only offered a sarcastic remark about how I should be using a standard inflator "so that everyone on the boat knows how to use it." In what way does that answer my original questions about redundant e-valves? I don't need everyone on the boat to know how to use my BC - I'm the one wearing it, so I'm the one who needs to know how it works. Guess that explains why some people are "solo divers"...

Aqualung's rational is gimmicky in my opinion. They market it as if the I3 mechanism will be enough to dump all your air exclusively at all times. It activates both the butt dump and the shoulder dump. Why they decided to also keep a manual dump should start you on the thought that it is gimmicky (the thought process and marketing; not the system itself).

On their website, their I3 feature page statements goes as follows:

SAFE
The i3 (patent pending) allows you to take control of your diving. Mastering buoyancy control is one of the most difficult skills to learn. The i3 not only makes the skill easier but eliminates potential out-of-control-ascents caused by a diver reaching for the wrong dump valve. The i3 also allows for rapid location and activation of the inflator to establish buoyancy at the surface in case of an emergency.

EASY
The i3 is simple and intuitive. Move the lever up to inflate; down to deflate your jacket.
CONVENIENT
Unlike a traditional inflator at the end of a floppy hose, the i3 never moves. It is stationary at the same location where your left hand normally rests. It is always in the right place at the right time.

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Portions I've highlighted in red aren't completely true. Any normal person should be able to tell if their butt is above their head, so it's not rocket science to know which dump to reach for. Although I will point out the bad habit that some divers have on relying on their inflator hose exclusively. (Let me get back to that point)

If you tap your shoulder and trace down on a traditional inflator, it's just as fast as finding your I3 mechanism. And for the last red highlight, if your BC doesn't fit well, the I3 will shift when your BC shifts.
With a traditional inflator, you can use a loop of bungee to keep it in the same relative location, even on stock BC's. Just thread bungee through the webbing holding down your shoulder D-ring, and tie it into a loop.

And the fact that the I3 will not dump all your air in the horizontal position, meaning you have to use the manual shoulder dump or butt dump, this completely contradicts what AL is implying, that you can rely on the I3 exclusively. You cannot, so isn't doing just that "reaching for the wrong dump"?


So to answer your question, I think it's a poor design to exclude the manual butt dump. You will still be able to dump all the air you need to, but you may have to trim out to an extreme at times to wiggle that last bit out if needed. Keep in mind your BC didn't fully deflate because there was no pressure pushing all the air out.
If you gave your BC a squeeze or dipped it in water, it would fully deflate from the highest dump. The same goes for any BC; ambient air pressure isn't enough to fully deflate a BC.

The I3 in itself isn't a bad system, but the thought process into integrating it into the BC as a whole is a bit lacking.

cb5150:

Geez! Who pee-pee'd in your Cheerios? She asked a reasonable question and thats the best you could come up with?

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Now you've done it!

Next up on the Mod backlog: a separate "Peeing in Cheerios" thread.

---------- Post added April 28th, 2013 at 11:46 AM ----------

My dive buddy has an I3 on a Pearl BC. She occasionally uses the inflator hose to descend but otherwise uses the lever and it works.

She had a learning curve getting her BC air mgmt worked out and early on I stressed a bit about 15 foot stops. However from what I've seen I don't think her learning was different from other BC designs or lots of other divers. She had good stable buoyancy with the I3 on our our last Coz trip for every part of each dive.

FWIW