The octopus is an intrinsic part of SCUBA, and not the eight-tentacled sort. A SCUBA octopus is a diver’s backup second-stage regulator, or emergency air. Should anything go wrong with the primary second-stage regulator, or a buddy runs out of air, this will be the means through which one or both divers live to dive another day. Because of the extra hoses involved in traditional octopus attachments, a slight amount of drag is created for the diver, which could mean more or less depending on the strength of the current. So manufacturers are now busy producing the inflator octopus, which serves to inflate the BCD as well as provide an emergency air source, putting two functions in one easy to reach place. Check out LeisurePro’s great variety of octopus regulators!
Blue Reef Octo + Inflator with Inflator Hose
This octopus from Blue Reef offers the benefit of simplicity by integrating it into your BCD inflator. By eliminating the hose that would normally go to your octopus, you can decrease your drag in the water and simplify the steps you take if you need emergency air. The Blue Reef Octo will attach to any standard 1″ BCD corrugated hose.
Aquatec Air-3 Inflator
The Aquatec Air-3 Inflator is a lightweight, compact octopus for the features it offers: integration with the BCD inflator for streamlined performance underwater, as well as the Sub-Alert underwater horn. The horn uses just a small amount of air to produce a sound of 110-120 decibels, and can be heard for .5 mile on the surface. Because you must master buoyancy control through the use of your BCD, it makes good sense to keep your emergency signal and air in the same place you’ve been focusing on throughout the dive.
Air Buddy Alternate Air Source
The Air Buddy is probably about as simplistic as you can get for emergency air sources. This tiny attachment mounts on to any standard size quick-connect hose to your BCD, and swivels for easy access for you or a buddy. The air is released by biting down on the mouthpiece, and stops by letting go. Air Buddy has been used widely since 1996 by commercial divers, government agencies, and sport divers.
