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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | HOW WE TESTED THEM | | | | | | H20DYSSEY Inflator Plus FEATURES: The Inflator Plus looks like a carbon copy of the Rite Source, and the two units share identical features. It comes with the lowest suggested retail price ($127) of the units tested, and for $19 more you get a complete 19-inch hose assembly with rapid exhaust valve, which is the version we tested. The Inflator Plus carries a two-year warranty and is compatible with nitrox mixes up to 40 percent. PERFORMANCE: The Inflator Plus received Very Good ratings across the board in the ergonomic tests. The small, round inflate button and large, rectangular deflate button were easy to operate, and test divers liked the standard-size mouthpiece with longer tabs. The long corrugated hose is worth the extra money and "offers more range of movement." On the ANSTI machine, the Rite Source earned Very Good scores at a moderately aggressive breathing rate at both 132 feet and 165 feet. BOTTOM LINE: You can find better alternate inflator regs, but you won't find one with a lower price. PRICE: $127; $148 with hose assembly. | | | | | | | | | | We invited all major manufacturers to submit their inflator regs for this review. After making sure all of the units were working properly, we headed to Panama City, Fla., and Dive Lab, an independent testing facility. We put the units on an ANSTI breathing boat simulator to measure their breathing resistance, or work of breathing (WOB). Each reg was subjected to a moderately high breathing rate (37.5 RMV) at depths of 132 feet and 165 feet. Then we cranked up the breathing rate to an extreme level (62.5 RMV), in order to see how much reserve capacity the regs had. To ensure an even playing field, all the inflator regs were tested on the same first stage with an intermediate pressure of 138 psi. And to make it challenging, we used a supply pressure between 725 and 760 psi. (For complete results, see the ANSTI breathing simulator chart on p. 90.) With the simulator results in hand, it was time to get real-world feedback from recreational divers in what we call our ergonomic tests. We assembled a team of eight volunteer divers and spent three days diving off Catalina Island, Calif., aboard the Island Time dive boat. During their dives, testers rated the performance of each inflator regulator in four categories: ease of breathing, dryness, ease of clearing and how well the inflator control functions worked. Using underwater slates and pre-printed score cards, each diver rated each inflator reg using a 1 to 5 scale (5=Excel-lent, 4=Very Good, 3= Good, 2=Fair, 1 = Poor) and gave us written comments on how these inflator regs performed in the water. (For complete results, see the ergonomic performance chart on p. 90) As an added measure, we then polled the test divers with one final question, "Which one would you buy?" The inflator reg that received the most votes was awarded our Testers' Choice honor. Here are the reviews, presented in alphabetical order. | | | | | | ATOMIC AQUATICS SS1 Stainless FEATURES: The SS1 is designed to replace your octopus, but its breathing performance may just put your primary second-stage regulator to shame. It's compact, light and built to last with 316 stainless-steel components housed in a fiberglass-reinforced nylon body. It features Atomic's Seat Saving Orifice, which helps maintain peak performance over time just like the company's primary regulators. It also has large, easy-to-use control buttons and a soft, oval purge cover that rests flat on your BC strap. The SS1 comes with an innovative adapter system that enables you to remove it easily from your BC's corrugated hose for cleaning and storage with your primary regulator. It carries a limited lifetime warranty and is nitrox-ready for mixes up to 50 percent oxygen. PERFORMANCE: "I almost forgot I wasn't using my primary" is how one test diver summarized the SSI's performance during our in-water testing. It was the only reg to earn any Excellent ratings from test divers—once for ease of breathing and again for user controls. "The buttons are easy to use even when it's in your mouth," commented one test diver. On the breathing simulator, the SS1 put up work of breathing numbers worthy of a primary regulator, earning Excellent ratings in three of the tests, and a Very Good in the most extreme breathing category—67.5 RMV at 165 feet. BOTTOM LINE: The SS1 is the top-of-the-line octo-inflator and our 2007 Testers' Choice. It's also the most expensive unit in this review, but worth every penny if you want the ultimate in performance. PRICE: $249 for the stainless-steel version (model tested); $370 for the titanium version. | | | | | | SCUBAPRO AIR 2 | | | | | | | | | | FEATURES: Scubapro is the company that started it all, releasing the very first alternate inflator reg—the AIR—in 1979. The company has continued to refine its concept into what is now called the AIR 2. One of the most compact ergonomic designs of this test group, it's built from rugged fiberglass-reinforced nylon. The buttons are economically correct and well positioned, making the unit easy to use. It also uses a fixed VIVA flow vane, pre-tuned in the ideal position to prevent surface free flows. The AIR 2 will fit any one-inch corrugated hose, and it comes from the factory nitrox-capable for mixes up to 40 percent oxygen. PERFORMANCE: The AIR 2 received Very Good scores from test divers for ease of breathing, dryness, clearing and control functions. Test divers said that as a regulator it "performed great in all positions," and as an inflator "it has it all—good button position, and it's easy to operate with gloves." The purge cover end is large and responsive when clearing. On the ANSTI breathing machine tests, it delivered Excellent performance when tested at the moderately aggressive breathing rate at both 132 feet and 165 feet. BOTTOM LINE: The AIR 2 has come a long way since the original and is still one of the most popular choices on the market. PRICE: $215. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | tion. A standard-size mouthpiece with long bite tabs for better grip is a nice touch, but an even better one is the complete hose assembly including a 16-inch length of corrugated hose and a rapid exhaust valve. It's also compatible with nitrox mixes up to 40 percent. PERFORMANCE: Test divers rated the Rite Source Very Good in all four ergonomic categories. "It breathed smooth and dry in most positions," noted one diver, while another wrote, | | "the buttons were easy to recognize by feel." On the ANSTI machine, the Rite Source scored Very Good at a moderately aggressive breathing rate both at 132 feet and 165 feet. BOTTOM LINE: The Rite Source performed well in recreational circumstances. A real plus: The hose assembly is included as part of the deal. PRICE: $199 (includes hose assembly). | | | | | | DIVE RITE Rite Source FEATURES: The Rite Source is a newcomer to the octo-inflator market. It's a low-profile, compact unit with a soft purge cover that's large and easy to find. The controls are well defined with the large, rectangular button for deflation and a small, round button for infla- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | AUGUST 2007 SCUBADIVING.C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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