Newbie question on Reg choice and inflator/octo combo

[osb]

I'm so glad I found this site. Just wish I had found it sooner. I'm brand new to diving (one dive) and just purchased my gear... I went with what the dive shop reccomended, but after finding and reading a great deal on this site, I see there are alot more options out there than I knew of. Bright side is I think (hope) the setup I ended up with is pretty good, butI 'd like to get some opinions.

I got the Zeagle Flathead VI, and the Zeagle combination inflator/ octo. What are the pro's and cons of this setup ? havent used it yet so i'm sure i could swap it.

My intentions are purely recreational / vacation diving, with the occasional lake dive locally just to stay diving when travel isnt possible.

(I know this is the regulator area, but the other major components are: Zeagle ranger limited BC & Aeris A300G computer. Love to have feedback on those as well.

due to my size (6'1", 300lbs) the Ranger was the best choice because of the adjustable cumberbum (sp?)


thanks

 

[TexasMike]

We had a pretty good discussion on this topic about 2 months ago.

Click here to read the thread.

BTW, welcome to our little corner of the net. What part of Texas do you hail from?

 

[osb]

Thanks, looks like alot of folks against the combination of inflator and octo, alot of neutral, but no real advantage... I went that route since it eliminated one hose, and the dive shop felt it was just as good, so why not have one less hose. now that i've read the other thread, it seems no one minds having the extra hose.

It was not much more than a standard octo, so i guess i'll keep it, and just get a regular octo down the road if I dont like the combo. This is probably a sily question, but at that point do I switch back to the standard inflator, or do I then have three regs ?


I'm in Austin (round rock actually if you know the area)

 

[Scubaroo]

hey osb,

If you've only done 1 dive, I'm guessing you're still in the process of getting certified? Make sure that when you do your out-of-air drills during certification that you learn how to donate the regulator from your mouth ! Usually open water students are taught to donate their octo, but you can't donate an integrated octo/inflator.

The combined octo/inflator doesn't sound such a bad choice for your intended diving future, and there are a lot of pros for donating from the mouth anyway, such as making sure the recipient gets a WORKING regulator, rather than an octo that might be clogged with sand from a dive 3 months ago if it hasn't been used in all that time!

Personally I have a bungeed octo around the neck, and donate from the mouth as well. Make sure your prospective dive buddies learn during buddy checks as well about your configuration, and that you don't have an octopus for them to grab for in an OOA event, and that you'll be donating from the mouth. Also make sure you learn their configuration to know if you'll be getting their primary reg or the octo from them during an OOA.

Welcome to the sport!

Ben

 

[wheezy]

Inflator Octo's are O.K. no reason to switch... However keep this in mind next time around.

If for whatever reason there were an emergency where you had to share air (where you are sharing your reg)... You must give up your primary and use the octo... and at depth, I like to know that my secondary is good to go no matter what.

Just some more info for ya... Good stuff you got don't sweat it

 

[Lost Yooper]

If you're worried about whether your setup will kill you on the dives you intend to do, don't -- it probably won't. If you're concerned about it being a decent investment, I would say no it's not and to get a regular octo and put it on a necklace.

Good luck.

Mike

 

[Dryglove]

I use a Scubapro Knighthawk with the built in octo inflator labeled as an Air 2.I personally like it.I have used it at 80 ft with no problems breathing off it(just to try it out).It doesnt breathe as easy as my S550.It is one less hose to get in the way or go bad.Just recently i have added a pony bottle to my set up.It is a 13 cu ft tank with a mk16 and R380 set up.My primary set up is a MK20 and S550.I have tried both setups on my tank using buddy breathing.The Mk20 setup was easier to breathe with.So remember that when buying a 1st stage.It does make a difference having two people breathe from the same first stage.I just recently purchased a pony setup.I think the pony set up was a great purchase for me.Its reassuring having an independent set up just in case something does happen.I have it rigged next to my tank and hardly notice it there.

 

[osb]

Thanks for all the information. This forum is great!

OK, so I'm fine sticking with the air2... if I add a conventional Octo later, do I remove the air2, or just have two backups ?

 

[TexasMike]

Removal of the AIR2 when you decide to add a "standard" octo would be your choice. A sort of "6 of one" decision.

But if you do decide to replace the AIR2 with a traditional power inflator, let me encourage you to have your LDS do the swap. I watched them swap mine to a power inflator and while it was a simple thing, there were some details that I would not have known to do.

--TM (Life is a bowl of details -- cherry flavored)

 

[GP]

I've got the Zeagle Octo+ myself on my Ranger. It does fine for me. I'll probably switch it out for an Apeks ATX-40 though eventually.