New divers and buying equipment

[Eric Sedletzky]

Just so we are all on the same page...Bob DBF, to clarify, what I am calling a "safe second" {Atomic Aquatics??} or "Air II" {ScubaPro} is a regulator on the end of the BCD inflate/deflate hose in lieu of just the mouthpiece to manual inflate. This is the one you use and hand over your primary reg to the diver in need. What I am calling an "octo" is a second complete reg usually colored yellow and having a yellow hose clipped in the "triangle" {PADI}.
I am curious to know when these two different devices came into play...I know the "Octo" was used in 1989 for sure because that is the first time I saw one. I don't believe the hose or face plate on the reg was yellow though, I cant remember. It appears that the "safe second" BCD mounted reg is only a few years old...is that correct???
Stuartv, are you using a "safe second" on your bcd or an "octo"????

The air 2 style alternate second stage came in in the early to mid 80’s I think. I was given two sets of early to mid 80’s Scubapro MK5/109’s and both sets had early air 2’s on them. They were square in shape. These sets also came with original first generation bright orange SP stab jackets, so I know this stuff was old.
I have no idea about the training back then, if they accounted for the new style gear or not?

Edit: I just saw Bob’s post about the air 2 coming out in 1979

 

[Scubamat]

I sincerely hope you don't run into a diver that has run out of air, lost his buddy, and in their panic looks for any air, not necessarily a reg in their tunnel vision, and sees yours. It doesn't happen often, and shoving another reg at them

evidence not anecdote and speculation. I've looked and can't find evidence one way or other, however there is a reason bright colours get used for emergency equipment across industries that is because the tool you can see and find in a hurry is the one you will use.

My problem isn't the air2 it is the thought process that seems to go into the buying and selling of the air2. I've never heard of someone getting trained even just basic instruction on using an air 2 in an emergency. Would you recommend a new diver use a long hose primary donate setup without any instructions on how to position the hose around the body correctly (choking or entanglement hazard), yet this is what happens with the air 2.

I'm not saying do don't use an air 2, long hodr or any other configuration you like but to have a reason beyond it if more convenient for me when nothing has gone wrong on the dive.

 

[msinc]

You are wasting your time scubamat....they paid too much for something and although they will not admit it, there is just no advantage to it, something even a "new" diver can easily see.
I am not saying don't use it...you spent the money, yours to justify, so do it....whatever gets you thru the night. I am not saying it wont work and save lives, it certainly can work. I'll take one over no air and go one step more and I think we can all agree, we have a way of making things work when life is at stake...no matter if it is not thought out very well.
What I am saying and I said it in my first post: there is no real advantage to a safe second or Air II over a conventional octo. There are several disadvantages that easily outweigh or trump the reasons offered for using an Air II and if I had to have 2500 dives under my belt to realize this I wouldn't have to worry about any diving accident....I'd already be dead from bumping my head on some door frame!!!!!
About all I can say for Air II type regs is that it is different. Use it, love it, buy two!!! But you will have to go and justify it to someone else or come up with some better info that what I've heard so far. Instead of solid, concrete, sensible reasons to get one {sorry folks, "streamlining" is not one of them!!} all I am getting is, "but your a new diver, you need to just listen {to us}".........yeah, Ok, I've been listening.....for about 5 pages now and I am still not hearing a single viable advantage over an octo.

 

[Marie13]

You forgot to include that you think those of us not diving an Air 2, just a second regular second stage, but no yellow hose, are as guilty by association as the Air 2 people.

You need to go diving and keep your eyes open as to what is around you. But how likely is that?

 

[mcohen1021]

I have a hose wrapped in pink electrical tape.....What does that get me?

Revocation of your man card?

 

[Saniflush]

Revocation of your man card?

I think I should only have my man card revoked if I have the matching bag.

 

[mcohen1021]

I think I should only have my man card revoked if I have the matching bag.

LMAO - I can agree with that... I mean seriously, what would be next? Matching shoes?

 

[scubadada]

Keep in mind that more and more purely recreational divers are using a backplate-and-wing (BP/W) and arranging their hoses so that they donate a longer-hosed primary regulator to an out-of-air diver. Likewise, more and more purely recreational divers are using sidemount. Although these configurations are standards for tech divers and less common among recreational divers, few people refer to it as "tech gear" anymore. Nowadays, on a dive trip in the Caribbean, you would see quite a few divers with BP/Ws and even sidemount.

Interesting post. I have about 375 dives in the last 2 years in SE Florida, Red Sea, Cocos, Roatan, and Cayman Brac. I have yet to see a single diver diving sidemount. Especially in Florida, I frequently see BP&W, some doubles, a few rebreathers, but no sidemount

 

[stuartv]

LMAO - I can agree with that... I mean seriously, what would be next? Matching shoes?

 

[Saniflush]

View attachment 433399

Those are just silly @stuartv . Everyone knows that heels that high would be more of an evening look.