Streamlining my equipment

[Shugrnutz]

With an AirII, are you not able to breathe and inflate at the same time? What about deflating and breathing at the same time? Never used one, but the concept seems interesting, so I would like to know more about it..

 

[scubafanatic]

You'd be surprised how much simple things like using stainless-steel bolt snaps to clip off 'danglies', and paying close attention to hose routing (and exact length of your assorted hoses) can really clean things up.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

The idea of what you should do in an air share between GUE and the normal rec diver is pretty huge. When I had an Air2 and a primary my concept in an air share was to grab their BC strap and start up. Swimming anywhere else with the OOA diver was not at all part of the plan. With a long hose you have a lot more options since you can actually swim and you practice things like swimming doing an air share and guiding the OOA diver.

I posted this video several times before, when I filmed it, I had no idea how many times people would seemingly try to contradict what the video shows.

Swimming with an Air 2 and sharing a primary is not a big deal.

[video=youtube_share;vDrF1AOnabc]http://youtu.be/vDrF1AOnabc[/video]

 

[Dirty-Dog]

With an AirII, are you not able to breathe and inflate at the same time? What about deflating and breathing at the same time? Never used one, but the concept seems interesting, so I would like to know more about it..

Yes, you can. I used an AirII and Sue still does. No difficulty at all controlling buoyancy while breathing. You do have to practice, but that's true regardless of the gear choice.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

That is when it interferes with head movement, like descending head-first or reaching into a lobster hole and looking up. There is always a compromise and point of reference. My reference point is no BC, Octo, SPG, or computer so the good parts of that "sets my standard" for streamlining. I would like it more if I could get down to the freediver level.

Hey Chris, I don't know if you've ever been on a boat like the Peace when lobster season opens and the minimalist lunatics head out in droves. I'm sure you must know those guys or have run into them at some point (or are one yourself being you lived in SD).
When I used to get on the boats with the Sea Divers (Phil knows them all) those guys are nuts, and damn good at minimalist free scuba as I call it. Shel, one of the best bugmen I've ever seen routinely dives with a configuration so stripped down I didn't think anybody could dive that way when I first saw him. All he had was a wetsuit with a giant steel tank, plastic pack, no BC, one single second stage, and an SPG. There are a number of guys and gals that dive that way, and they go deep too! Another Chris I know dove the oil rigs with nothing but a backpack and those things bottom out in hundreds of feet.
The whole scene is almost a peripheral or parallel universe to this conventional scuba world that's considered standard now.

Here's a link for anybody who's interested in what these loony's do when bug season opens.
Gallery of California Backpack Divers : 1999-2001

Shel (AKA - doctor death)
http://diver.net/backpack_divers/IMAGE037.jpg

 

[Akimbo]

I posted this video several times before, when I filmed it, I had no idea how many times people would seemingly try to contradict what the video shows…

Yeah, a lot of people really get wound up on this subject. An OOA diver will suck gas out of a leaking QD on a BC if that what it takes. It doesn’t matter what color, length, or how it is secured as long as gas bubbles out of the end.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Yeah, a lot of people really get wound up on this subject. An OOA diver will suck gas out of a leaking QD on a BC if that what it takes. It doesn’t matter what color, length, or how it is secured as long as gas bubbles out of the end.

Who was it that first said "I'd suck a fart out of a donkeys ass if that's what it took to get to the surface?"

 

[halocline]

I don't like the octo-inflators, I think they create more problems than they solve. They certainly don't add any convenience while diving. I would suggest using a 22-24" hose for the alternate 2nd stage on a bungie necklace, it really works great. For the primary 2nd I like a 5ft hose routed across the chest, over the left shoulder and around behind the head. You can't get a more comfortable or streamlined regulator routing. Get rid of the console, go for a SPG on a 24" hose clipped to your left hip, use a wrist computer.

You mentioned "going DIR". While you don't need the full technical set up, you should understand that some technical diving ideas are a huge improvement over the PADI configuration. It's worth checking out, especially the Hogarthian ideas about dive gear.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Good grief I am not sure we are all talking the same language! Streamlining in SB/teck terms has a meaning that even some advanced divers argue about. I read the post to mean:

We are fairly new divers who just bought our gear. How do I keep all our stuff from hanging about like Medusa's hair!

not an invitation to "sell" them on the other gear, training systems etc. Please correct me if I am wrong Russoft

First IMHO you just need to dive it and play with some of the suggestions. If your wife likes the AI console she should dive with it. I have tried a wrist mount and it wasn't right for me for quite a few reasons that don't matter here. Your wife likes the AI console so that is what she should keep. I have always bought a cage and clipped the cage off to my shoulder D-ring with a retractable clip. My newest AI counsel doesn't have a cage but it does have a slot I can loop a piece of cord to so I can hook it the same way. Good idea to check the hose isn't too long. I am not a fan of SPG except as a backup for recreational divers for a number of reasons I won't go in to here.

My Occy is bungied around my neck. I have a home made necklace (bungie) and a store bought one. One is as good as the other in my opinion. I can reach down and put my mouth on the mouthpiece without using my hands. I have a swivel and 44" hose on the Occy. I use an occy that can be tuned or detuned with the nob attached. In fact it is identical to my primary except colour of faceplate. I figure if I am dealing with an OOA situation the diver will want to have a reg that breathes light. I will want a reg that breaths comfortably for me as well. The occy hose feeds under my arm. I always point out this feature to my buddies. Only three times has the Occy purge button get depressed to create bubbles. Every time I was trying to reach my camera far under a ledge to get a pic of something unco-operative.

I am not an instructor, wreck,teck or cave diver.

I am and only strive to be competent Recreational diver :blinking:. My best advice is to dive the gear you have enough to determine if you really need to make any changes. that way you will be able to make choices that are suitable for you when the time comes. That will help ensure you not waste a lot of money building a collection of gear that doesn't work for you.

Hope this helps.

---------- Post added September 8th, 2015 at 01:51 PM ----------

There are heaps of thread on AIRII's lets not turn this one into a new one unless that is a direction the OP chooses it could turn into a hijack IMHO This seems to be the most recent one http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bu...ntegrated-octo-inflaters.html?highlight=AirII

 

[andyw70]

But if your BCD has a buckle over the cummerbund the way most do, you can tuck your console or SPG in there over the cummerbund before you clip the buckle. No problem looking down at the gauges and they won't be dragging. Forget about retractors and other gizmos that tend to fail.

This works for me