When to replace old gear?

[Edward3c]

@ScubaGui, there are a few things from what you’ve posted:

1. Your dive shop had not been servicing your kit properly. If they had the recall should have been actioned.
2. Without a dedicated octopus reg, an OOG diver would have your buoyancy controls.
3. Your integrated unit was most likely attached to a LOW pressure hose - which will drain you tank in minutes. I don’t know of any BC/Wing inflator that uses HP - which can take half an hour to drain a tank.

I initially had an integrated 2nd stage (AIR2). I was diving with an insta-buddy with a similar setup when my contents gauge came off near the end of a dive. As they didn’t react to my situation I took their AIR2; I realised I now had the buoyancy controls for both of us.

 

[lexvil]

Octo inflators are fine but they can fail, every piece of gear can fail, maintenance and inspection can mitigate the failure rate to some extent but nothing can eliminate it completely, best hope is the failure occurs before the dive.

The thing with an octo inflator is it’s harder to use and if you have a primary issue early in the dive or have to hand off your primary it will get you to the surface so long as you practice with it you’ll be fine.

On the other hand a more conventional regulator on a long hose is much more pleasant to use, if needed.

I would be remiss in SB protocol if I didn’t suggest this being a good time to switch to a backplate and wing

Just ditch that broken gear, buy a good second stage and longer hose, you can add a standard inflator to the b/c, I think.

 

[johndiver999]

@ScubaGui, there are a few things from what you’ve posted:

1. Your dive shop had not been servicing your kit properly. If they had the recall should have been actioned.
2. Without a dedicated octopus reg, an OOG diver would have your buoyancy controls.
3. Your integrated unit was most likely attached to a LOW pressure hose - which will drain you tank in minutes. I don’t know of any BC/Wing inflator that uses HP - which can take half an hour to drain a tank.

I initially had an integrated 2nd stage (AIR2). I was diving with an insta-buddy with a similar setup when my contents gauge came off near the end of a dive. As they didn’t react to my situation I took their AIR2; I realised I now had the buoyancy controls for both of us.

Can you explain item number 2 a little more? I'm not sure I understand what you mean about another diver having control?

 

[JackD342]

@ScubaGui, there are a few things from what you’ve posted:

1. Your dive shop had not been servicing your kit properly. If they had the recall should have been actioned.
2. Without a dedicated octopus reg, an OOG diver would have your buoyancy controls.
3. Your integrated unit was most likely attached to a LOW pressure hose - which will drain you tank in minutes. I don’t know of any BC/Wing inflator that uses HP - which can take half an hour to drain a tank.

I initially had an integrated 2nd stage (AIR2). I was diving with an insta-buddy with a similar setup when my contents gauge came off near the end of a dive. As they didn’t react to my situation I took their AIR2; I realised I now had the buoyancy controls for both of us.

@Edward3c When using a new inflator/octo combo, the donor passes the primary to the buddy and switches to that combo unit. My number one annoyance with those items is all of the divers using them that have never learned or even thought through how to manage both gas and buoyancy in an actual emergency, much explained it to their buddy.

 

[JackD342]

what is the maintenance history for the safe second? was the revision B qd fitting upgrade performed previously?

the older fitting could be overtightened easier, which weakened the socket

There’s is no way to tell from that photo whether or not the revision was done. And with either version, the QD nipple still threads into the plastic body and not metal threads.
@ScubaGui take a close look at the opening where the fitting came loose. Almost certainly the plastic threads have been stripped. (I absolutely HATE working on those, for that reason.). If so, the item is trashed and only useful for a few hard to find parts. The only other possibility is if the QD fitting came unscrewed, which is highly unlikely, and I would hope you would first notice that threads were showing.

You need to inform the shop that last serviced it, as I really think they either should have recognized the threads were no longer viable, or perhaps they even stripped them when reassembling. At minimum, someone there needs to learn from this, but you might get some $$ back from the inadequate service, and/or a deal on replacement.

 

[rhwestfall]

It is interesting to also consider that "over servicing" might have caused this. The repeated (unnecessary) disassembly of components is also not a good thing, causing wear and stressing components. You service things when they need it.

I do agree with Jack in the post above that someone might have stripped it.....

FWIW - I dive gear that is older than me (I'm 53 in a few days)

YMMV

 

[JackD342]

It is interesting to also consider that "over servicing" might have caused this. The repeated (unnecessary) disassembly of components is also not a good thing, causing wear and stressing components. You service things when they need it.

I do agree with Jack in the post above that someone might have stripped it.....

FWIW - I dive gear that is older than me (I'm 53 in a few days)

YMMV

That item in particular can suffer from repeat assembling of that one threaded part. The special inline adjusting tool is no longer available for techs to purchase, and without it proper adjustment requires “trial and error” through repeated removal of that fitting. Did I mention I hate working on that version?

 

[Edward3c]

Can you explain item number 2 a little more? I'm not sure I understand what you mean about another diver having control?

If you’ve given, or your buddy takes, the combined inflator/reg you no longer have control of your buoyancy device. As I did when my contents gauge came off.

 

[Edward3c]

@Edward3c When using a new inflator/octo combo, the donor passes the primary to the buddy and switches to that combo unit. My number one annoyance with those items is all of the divers using them that have never learned or even thought through how to manage both gas and buoyancy in an actual emergency, much explained it to their buddy.

Great in theory, but if your buddy has been taught to ‘take’ your secondary (as BSAC do) then the first you will know about it is when their using it.

 

[rhwestfall]

If you’ve given, or your buddy takes, the combined inflator/reg you no longer have control of your buoyancy device. As I did when my contents gauge came off.

Which is not how you do this, nor has it ever been the idea since the inception of the Air2 by ScubaPro decades ago....