Air2 or Octo... or Both??

[TSandM]

Do a search (I'm too lazy this morning) in the DIR forum on "necklace" and you'll come up with a great thread with a number of different ways to configure a necklace. They all have in common that the material of the necklace is elastic, and that it will pull away from the regulator under enough tension.

As already said, the clip on the primary is to secure it when it is not being used. It is not clipped off while you are breathing off it, although I can easily breathe off mine with it clipped if need be.

 

[loosebits]

Thanks for all the descriptions...
This makes a lot of sense to me, and maybe after all of my classes (the instructor wants us to have all the same set up) I will try this method. My school is very picky about what we can or cannot have because of their strict saftey conserns. Everything has to be approved. But I guess it works, because there have only been a few "close calls" no deaths yet...

Uh, strict safety concerns?? I can't imagine a strict saftey concern being addressed by an Air2. Is this an LDS that's offering this class? If so it sounds like their only strict safety concern is their financial security. Run and don't look back.

 

[nerobanchee]

Uh, strict safety concerns?? I can't imagine a strict saftey concern being addressed by an Air2. Is this an LDS that's offering this class? If so it sounds like their only strict safety concern is their financial security. Run and don't look back.

No, this is a class offered by my university. I dont think they would approve of Air2, I was just asking to see if it was a better set up. We are trained with an octo, and practice the ooa skill every pool session (once a week about 15 times in the semester). Sorry bout the wording, I can see how one might get confused by what I said. The more I got thinking about the Air2, the more I got to thinking about how it wouldnt be as safe, reliable, or better in the longrun. I also thought more about my class and how the instructor wouldnt approve of the Air2 after all... We have the octo attatched in a different way though, its under our arm and the mouthpiece is bungeed to the BC. If someone needs it, they can just grab it (most likely it will be me, so I make sure it is easily accessable to both me and my buddy). I dont think we could do the bungee necklace, although it seems like a better idea anyways.

My advanced open water (2nd semester of the program) starts in a week, I am so excited! We will be diving Northern Ca, Monteray, and Catalina. Im going to hit the river next week to get warmed up for the big blue.

 

[DivingCRNA]

I will be putting a TUSA IR3 on my Diverite wing this week. Joe at Scubatoys says it should go right on.

Fits like a glove. 15 minute install, and only that long because I took my time and did it real slow. And I forgot the IR3 dust cap the first time and had to redo it all:11doh:

 

[jeckyll]

I was lucky I guess, I had instructors in different gear configurations even at the OW level. Lets face it, once you are out there diving you'll run into different configurations and you'll want to be familiar with them.

My advice (free, so worth every penny) is: Once you are certified and you start diving with folks who may be configured differently than you, spend some time before every dive discussing how and OOA will work, what reg they will donate, how their specific setup works. Being aware all the time that in a real emergency, someone may just grab the reg in _your_ mouth, because they can find that one easily and they know it works.

You may also want to ask during class how your instructors would suggest dealing with real life, in which you may run into different types of gear setup

FWIW, I dive with folks with different setups, sometimes I'll have a buddy in doubles, sometimes singles, some with long hose, some with Air2 (my least favourite). If I haven't done alot of diving with them, I'll first ensure that I watch them as they suit up (you can learn much just by keeping an eye on new buddies as they gather their gear) and then discuss the dive, the plan, how to handle certain situations that may come up etc etc. After you've been diving with someone for a while you'll get more of a sense of how you dive together and the process often gets simplified.

In any case, enjoy your class and your dives

Bjorn

 

[joe rock]

My advanced open water (2nd semester of the program) starts in a week, I am so excited! We will be diving Northern Ca, Monteray, and Catalina. Im going to hit the river next week to get warmed up for the big blue.

If you already are OW certified, sharing air is not a check out skill for AOW so what your back-up 2nd stage is doesn't really matter. I have a Balance BC, it's a relative of the Libra. I have the Air2 and hate it. I'll be switching back to an octo soon. I just don't like the way it breaths. I've never had to use it, only practice, but I don't like it.

Just my 2 psi.

JR

 

[nerobanchee]

Thanks guys!
And now for my new quest, to find a great octo and reg (with a college student's salary). It will be a tough one!!!

 

[divingjd]

Any of the three common gear configurations can work well for open-water recreational diving, if you understand your gear and, more importantly, your buddy understands your gear and how it will be used. Some situations (particularly overhead environments) demand specific gear configurations (long hose and octo on a necklace). But there is some serious misinformation about integrated air sources (AIR2s, SS1s, etc.), so to clear a few things up.

You are not breathing off your power inflator. The alternate air source is integrated into the same housing, but the mechanism is separate.

You do not have to remove the regulator from your mouth to control buoyancy. You can inflate with the reg in your mouth - it's a separate mechanism.

You do not donate the integrated air source - you donate the primary and use the integrated air source yourself. You control your own buoyancy.

My AIR2 doesn't breathe like my S600, but it breathes well enough to make the necessary ascent.

Eliminating the hose isn't really the point, it's elminiating the separate octo, for all the reasons described above.

AIR2s and SS1s are not right for all situations, and they have their advantages and disadvantages (you have to stay very close together while sharing air, which doesn't really bother me), but let's at least talk about the right ones.

 

[Packhorse]

I too use a SS1 and I think its great. I practice using it every few dives and contary to popular opinion you do not have to remove it from your mouth to add or remove air to your BC. Anyone who says you do does not understand its workings.
I find it breaths well. Better than my first set of regs.
I use it on my transpac 2 when diving singles, but ill not use it when doing a tech dive on doubles.
The only downside to it as far as im concerned is when using it it does restrict my head movement some what, but this can be overcome with a longer corrorgated hose.
The fact is if your buddy is OOA or your primary reg is broke the dive is over and you only need to use the SS1/air 2 for a few minutes to get to the surface. Just like the spare tyre is only designed to get you to the nearest garage, not 200kms home at 140kmph.

 

[Wildcard]

Ok, so...
I see the pros and cons for each. I think I will go with the octo + reg though, it just seems more reliable and if I ever want a different bc, I can easily change with that reg set up. I am trying to have the most easily accessible set up to myself and my buddy for any emergency situation. I think the Air2 (or similar inflator set ups) would be good if they were better designed, but since they are still relatively new, I think the parts need some working on.

Thanks everyone for your opinions on this. I wasnt sitting well with the one biased opinion the guy from the sporting goods/LDS place gave me.

They are not real new, been aroud for a while. Far an OOA situation, then get the job done just fine. Id just like to ask how many of the AIR2 bashers have ever dove one? Im guessing near zero. I would suggest trying one before buying or bashing for that matter, if it works for you, great, if not, then not. Good luck.