Should I get a Second stage alt or air2

[flots am]

There have been quite a few folks in this thread on both sides of the fence. Are any of them wrong? NOPE!!!

I'm on both sides of the fence at the same time.

On "me" dives, I dive with an actual alternate second stage that's every bit as good as my primary.

In class I teach with the Air-2, just because the compromises work out better for divers that will probably (hopefully) never have to share air again.

If you're going to keep your skills sharp, a real, alternate second stage is miles ahead of an Air-2, however if you're just going to ignore it, an Air-2 is much easier to find and much more certain to be functional in an emergency, even if it's not fun to breathe from.

flots.

 

[LowDrag]

I'm on both sides of the fence at the same time.

On "me" dives, I dive with an actual alternate second stage that's every bit as good as my primary.

In class I teach with the Air-2, just because the compromises work out better for divers that will probably (hopefully) never have to share air again.

If you're going to keep your skills sharp, a real, alternate second stage is miles ahead of an Air-2, however if you're just going to ignore it, an Air-2 is much easier to find and much more certain to be functional in an emergency, even if it's not fun to breathe from.

flots.

I hope you have good padding...

 

[Frosty]

Advantages of the Air2 configuration: You get rid of a hose, and you are using a primary donate system, which I believe to be a better system than donating your octo. If you donate the primary, you know the reg is working, and you don't have to fumble around to find it. You also won't have an octo reg come loose and drag behind you.

Disadvantages: Proprietary hose (can't use a rental regulator on an Air2 BC). Short corrugated hose may not be comfortable to breathe from while conducting an air-sharing ascent. Primary reg on short hose makes for a VERY uncomfortable air-sharing configuration. Buoyancy control may be complicated by having to use the device from which you are breathing to control your depth.

Advantages to the 2 reg system: If one second stage malfunctions, you can replace it easily. BC does not require proprietary hose. Hose lengths can easily be adjusted to either the standard primary/octo system, or primary donate/bungie backup.

Disadvantage: You have two regulator hoses.

because most of my diving is done a fair distance from home and is off a boat my primary setup is the factory Aeris "air2"
I like it and find it easy to dive with. i also like one less part to go wrong.
But i still have a 'dollar each way"
So I carry in my dive bag the origonal inflator hose and octo reg setup. when diving with newly minted OW divers I can and have just tossed the octo back on.

 

[bergersau]

Whichever way you go - think it through fully in conjunction with the rest of your setup. Always consider how any one piece of gear can affect you ability to effectively use other parts of your rig.

For example an 'Air2' style backup reg would be foolish for me as my backplate & wing has only two ways to dump air.
One is the L/H butt dump, the other is the button in the low pressure inflator. I have no shoulder dumps. Breathing from the LPI hose and with a diver on a 30-40" could make it tricky for me to dump air whilst sharing and monitoring depth on my wrist mounted computer.

I use the 7 foot primary and necklaced backup because I was became so frustrated with a rented standard BCD with the 'octo' on a keeper in the 'triangle' when I did my IANTD Deep Air and Nitrox course eleven years ago.
All the students including myself were having difficulty in stowing octo regs after air share drills, the pockets on the BCD's were hopeless for storing spools and smb's and then I watched the instructor effortlessly deploy his long hose and switch to his necklaced backup and then re-stow in moments. Air sharing swims, maintaining assigned depth and without mask were awful on a standard length octo. Much more comfortable when done with the longer hose.

That's when I had a chat to the instructor regarding his gear configuration and guess which direction my subsequent gear purchases took...

 

[drbill]

I used to have both because I like the button placement on the Air-2. Now I just have the Air-2 to reduce danglies. However, I often dive with a pony since I'm a solo diver so I have complete redundancy.

 

[LowDrag]

because most of my diving is done a fair distance from home and is off a boat my primary setup is the factory Aeris "air2"
I like it and find it easy to dive with. i also like one less part to go wrong.
But i still have a 'dollar each way"
So I carry in my dive bag the origonal inflator hose and octo reg setup. when diving with newly minted OW divers I can and have just tossed the octo back on.

I am curious about this statement. Is this a typo? If not, not having an octo and using an Air2 does not give you one less part to go wrong. An Air2 is still a regulator and can fail.

What does a "dollar each way" mean? That is a new one on me. Just curious not trying to be a wiseguy...

 

[Frosty]

I am curious about this statement. Is this a typo? If not, not having an octo and using an Air2 does not give you one less part to go wrong. An Air2 is still a regulator and can fail.

What does a "dollar each way" mean? That is a new one on me. Just curious not trying to be a wiseguy...

Dollar each way is a betting/ Horse racing? term down here. What it means is Im not betting all my "money" on the "air2" setup.
One less thing to go wrong.-one less hose,swivel,regulator to worry about. -just less stuff to fail hang down etc.
hey end of the day I like just having 3 hoses and in fact next gear upgrade is to go to a wireless computer so only 2 hoses.

 

[LowDrag]

Dollar each way is a betting/ Horse racing? term down here. What it means is Im not betting all my "money" on the "air2" setup.
One less thing to go wrong.-one less hose,swivel,regulator to worry about. -just less stuff to fail hang down etc.
hey end of the day I like just having 3 hoses and in fact next gear upgrade is to go to a wireless computer so only 2 hoses.

I gotcha, I have a buddy who lives in Brisbane but that isn't a term he has thrown at me yet... You should try diving over here. Primary second stage, octo, SPG, power inflator, dry suit inflator. Cutting down on hoses is near impossible...LOL!!!

G'Day Mate!!!

 

[Frosty]

I gotcha, I have a buddy who lives in Brisbane but that isn't a term he has thrown at me yet... You should try diving over here. Primary second stage, octo, SPG, power inflator, dry suit inflator. Cutting down on hoses is near impossible...LOL!!!

G'Day Mate!!!

mate mate mate--if i was diving over there i'd be in my shorts n tee shirt they breed us kiwi's so tough.

 

[LowDrag]

mate mate mate--if i was diving over there i'd be in my shorts n tee shirt they breed us kiwi's so tough.

Uh huh!!! We'll see when you come over...