Aqualung Octo Help…

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Me too. Except they became required because they were safer than buddy-breathing from a single reg, not because it was fashionable.
Just being facetious -- and since most everyone with whom I dive, these days, either carry ponies; manifolds for full face masks; or are pursuing the all-too fashionable side-mounts (just saw someone, during a clumsy entry, take a compact 80 to the nuts, last week, riding, for a moment, like Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove) -- dedicated octopuses have become, well, quaint and a bit redundant, among my friends and colleagues.

I typically don't even use them, though carry one in a bag should there ever be some dive boat requirement; and in some forty-four years and over thousands of dives, have only put an octopus to its intended use only once; and even then, that out of air diver -- whose bargain-basement Oceanic second stage detached from its hose -- could easily have performed a controlled ascent . . .
 
Again, there is no need to brand-match, other than personal aesthetics. Save money by buying yoru octo used, just be aware it may need adjustment, or even service.

While I agree with you in principle on this, in reality mixing and matching brands can lead to headaches when one takes their gear to be serviced.

OP,
Unless you plan to do service yourself, then make sure that wherever you plan to have your reg set serviced that they will be able to service the octo you intend to buy. Some shops only service the brands they sell. So while one can pick up an inexpensive 2nd that doesn't match the rest of your gear, you may be setting yourself up for unnecessary challenges a couple of years down the road when its time for an overhaul.

-Z
 
When I began first diving, we didn't typically use octopuses; didn't even have one for the first decade or more; but when they became, well . . . fashionable, I really had little choice in terms of a second stage, since I was already diving a regulator, whose intended IP was then 12.5 bar (about 182 psi) -- and could really only be paired with the same model . . .

I don't know if I had mentioned it before, but I picked up an old Cyclon in a pile of gear I bought for other reasons. Anyway, the Posiedon was using a 109 for its alternate 2nd stage, I had to get the Posiedon serviced for a slight free flow, but the 109 was fine when I looked it over and put it back on after service. They play quite well togather.
 
I had to get the Posiedon [Cyklon] serviced for a slight free flow, but the 109 was fine when I looked it over and put it back on after service. They play quite well togather.
Interesting. Tuning a 109 for 160-180 psi intermediate pressure is a testament to that heavy spring. But the seat is a softer duro than the equivalent Cyklon seat, and I would guess is very heavily indented. No reason it wouldn't work, tho the seat wear as a primary at that IP would be rather faster.

I would be disinclined to try the same thing with our commonly-made balanced modification of the 109. I think it's too much stress on the tiny balance chamber orings. And I actually split the shaft of two S-wing poppets in my younger days when "slam opening" an incorrectly adjusted first stage.
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As I said...interesting!
 
I mix and match coz I can, I service my own gear. I'm OCD I like matching second stages. I also like my back up to be of same high performance as my primary given it's likely needed due to some sort of "emergency". I like back ups with adj knobs as I tend to tune my regs on the hot side. YMMV.
 
I'm OCD I like matching second stages. I also like my back up to be of same high performance as my primary given it's likely needed due to some sort of "emergency".

OCD I'd a good thing in a hostile environment, as for backup, I'm more interested in reliability than performance. It's not that I'm against performance, but I learned on "crappy regs" and as long as they provide air...
 
I just picked up a legend on here and had credit at leisure pro so adding the legend 3 octo. Mixed 2nds would drive me crazy, ocd is real.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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