Inflator style Alt Air...do you love yours?

[Peter Guy]

I use an Airsource (Seaquest version of Air2) on my pool rig which means I dive it fairly often -- and I use it because I'm teaching. It IS a bit kludgy but it works and as long as you are familiar with it, it works just fine.

I use the bungeed backup system for all my open water diving.

The key is to make sure you really understand how to use it. I also have some doubts as to whether you should use it when you have a snorkel -- especially if your snorkel is NOT a simple J.

As someone else mentioned, they grabbed the snorkel instead of the inflator when trying to use it.

Real story -- I was helping out with a Rescue class and the instructor asked me to make sure I did an OOA with the student who had an Air2 which was new to him. We had gone over his donation procedure several times before the dive and although he didn't know there would be an airshare, he thought it was a possibility.

So, while he is looking at something, I come up to him with no reg in my mouth and madly signalling I'm out of air -- and then I grab his reg out of his mouth! (Afterall, that is the reg he was going to donate so why not just take it?) He grabbed his "Air2" or so he thought and got his snorkel instead -- then again he did it -- and then again. By this time he is starting to panic and grabs his reg back from me -- and I am the one who is out of air! He has also gotten me into a "PADI death grip" which means my primary is hanging down and he won't let me get to it! So I'm "out of air" -- he has his reg in his mouth and won't donate -- his alternate is hanging by his side -- my reg is trapped by him -- Thank Goodness I had a bungeed backup I could easily slip into my mouth!

Would I use an Air2/Airsource over a bungeed backup? No. Would I use it over a "traditional" octo? You bet for at least I will ALWAYS know where it is. (And, btw, I won't use a snorkel unless I'm snorkeling!)

 

[Peter Guy]

I think everybody has some good points here, now that I'm instructing I need to have what my students have which if a standard alternative air source....

I have actually taken the opposite position. My LDS owner tells me he sells about 50% of his rigs with the Air2/Airsource system but all the shop rigs use "traditional" octos. I deliberately use my Airsource with the OW students so they get to see/use the alternative setup in addition to the "standard" one they use.

YMMV

 

[soccerguy83]

I am currently diving a Zeagle Octo+ and went through a refresher course which was my g'f OW course. The instructor made some very valid points about my set up, and got me thinking about it. I am getting ready to change mine out to an octopus this week actually because for me the risks out weigh the benefits. What are some thoughts to leaving it on and adding an octopus? I'm not leaning that way but the question was asked of me by a non diver.

 

[keesmon]

Would any of you guys mind sharing a picture of what the bungeed octo setup looks like please?

 

[Divedoggie]

The dive center where I teach has Atomic SS1 octo/inflators standard on all the rental equipment. So, when I teach I add an SS1 to my BCD. The minute class is over, I take it off.

Here are the problems that I have with it:

*It's large, heavy, and the inflator hose is too long.
*When sharing air, the hose is too short and stiff, making head position awkward.
*It must be removed from mouth to dump air from BC during ascent, increasing risk of diver holding breath and causing injury.
*Donor and receiver must literally have their chests pressed together to breathe comfortably while sharing air. This makes it difficult to signal, check gauges, shoot an smb, use a compass or a light, etc...
*The large button used for oral inflation is difficult for many people to press in far enough to effectively orally inflate the BC. This is overcome by using two hands to press the button in, if both hands are available.
*Every octo/inflator in the store's rental fleet, at some point in time, has started freeflowing in a minor but highly irritating way.
*It's complicated and slow when donating air. With an octo, if someone, needs air quickly, the alternate air 2nd stage is instantly available.
*I refuse to swap spit with anyone but my wife. I watch the students exchanging regs during OOA drills and it kinda grosses me out.

Well, I guess I'll stop short of telling you how I really feel.

 

[D_B]

Would any of you guys mind sharing a picture of what the bungeed octo setup looks like please?

someone will post a pic shortly

It's where your secondary ("octo") is on a short hose and is attached to a necklace around your neck (often bungee corded) and is situated in a way that you can get it into your mouth without even using your hands .. your primary is the one you donate to the other person and is usually on quite a long hose to make that possible in the widest number of conditions


Edit: you can dump air from your BC with an AirII without removing it from your mouth

 

[bkotheimer]

Divedoggie, you're not attempting to donate the SS1, are you?

I use a bungeed octo rather than an octo-inflator, but I don't think they're such a horrible idea. I do think anyone using one should also use a longer hose on their primary as some posters here have recommended. In fact, there's no reason not to move on up to a full 5-foot hose. The long hose doesn't preclude an octo-inflator. In fact, I would think they would complement each other well.

Regarding the length of the inflator hose, perhaps an open-sided hose clip would be a safe way to secure the hose to your shoulder strap while swimming?? You could push the low pressure hose into the clip when not in use and release it with a quick tug for venting or breathing from it.

 

[Downing]

I use an SS1 and am reasonably happy with it. For the most part, I'm a warm water wussie recreational diver, so the inflator/octo combo fits my lifestyle. Easy to pack, easy to deal with.

Probably not as effective as a standard octo in an emergency, but I'm willing to risk it.

As others have noted, it's big and clunky compared to a standard inflator, so I'm not sure there's much if any "streamlining" benefit. And while it's a good breather, I find it somewhat awkward to use.

Sometimes I think about switching back to a regular octo setup, but I'd have to buy a new octo and at this point there are other things I'd rather spend my money on. I'd want a titanium octo with a MyFlex hose to match with the rest of my setup so it would be an expensive switch.

 

[Divedoggie]

Divedoggie, you're not attempting to donate the SS1, are you?

I use a bungeed octo rather than an octo-inflator, but I don't think they're such a horrible idea. I do think anyone using one should also use a longer hose on their primary as some posters here have recommended. In fact, there's no reason not to move on up to a full 5-foot hose. The long hose doesn't preclude an octo-inflator. In fact, I would think they would complement each other well.

Regarding the length of the inflator hose, perhaps an open-sided hose clip would be a safe way to secure the hose to your shoulder strap while swimming?? You could push the low pressure hose into the clip when not in use and release it with a quick tug for venting or breathing from it.

No, not attempting to donate SS1. I have had students accidently attempt to do the drill that way, and somehow quite ugily, succeed... until I corrected the situation.

D_B Yes, Dumping air is possible with the SS1 in one's mouth, if the diver is in a verticle position with the left shoulder raised.(depends on the BCD) Or one could use the pull dump on the inflator hose, or one of the OP valves. (Depending on BCD)
It requires familiarity with gear, training and practice. New students would do better to work on buoyancy, finning, air management, and dive planning if they want to add important skills to the basic agency requirements.

Another scenario where the oct/inflator is poor: True story.
A buddy team begins a night dive against a current, reach a certain point and turn the dive. They are using the current to get back to the boat and one diver finds that his spg needle was stuck at 1750lbs, when in fact he was ooa. By the time the ooa diver secures his buddy's primary and the donor is breathing off his octo inflator, they realize that they have been swept past the mooring line and are 40 yards out to one side. The current has picked up and they begin to kick hard at a 45 degree angle, back toward the mooring line but they keep bumping legs, knocking fins, and get pulled apart. They regain a grip on each other's BCDs, but have lost all hope of making it to the mooring line. They safely surface, but are now adrift in a strong current and high seas.
They were found an hour later about a mile from where the boat was moored.

 

[BDSC]

Another scenario where the oct/inflator is poor: True story.

A buddy team begins a night dive against a current, reach a certain point and turn the dive. They are using the current to get back to the boat and one diver finds that his spg needle was stuck at 1750lbs, when in fact he was ooa. By the time the ooa diver secures his buddy's primary and the donor is breathing off his octo inflator, they realize that they have been swept past the mooring line and are 40 yards out to one side. The current has picked up and they begin to kick hard at a 45 degree angle, back toward the mooring line but they keep bumping legs, knocking fins, and get pulled apart. They regain a grip on each other's BCDs, but have lost all hope of making it to the mooring line. They safely surface, but are now adrift in a strong current and high seas.
They were found an hour later about a mile from where the boat was moored.

So what in the world does an oct/inflator have to do with the above story?

If the guy who donated his primary to the guy OOA had a more traditional octo instead of the combo, how does that change the story? The spg needle still gets stuck. They still get swept past the mooring line because it takes no more time for the guy to grab his combo and donate his primary vs grabbing a more traditional octo and donating his primary. You say they bump into each other swimming back but how does that change? The guy with air donates his primary either way. Are you saying if the guy with air had the tradional octo he would have donated that instead instead of his primary and it would change the swimming dynamics for both of them?