Air Buddy Bottle
The Ultimate Alternate
This is the newest in personal safety equipment
The ultimate alternate air source that overcomes the drawbacks of all the other systems.
The Air Buddy Bottle is the ultimate in convenience and safety. The 6 cu.ft. tank is 11 inches long and 3.2 inches in diameter. That's about the size of the water bottle you clip onto a bicycle or that a jogger would carry. It weighs 4 pounds ready to go. In the water, it is a negative 1.5 lbs full and 1 lb empty.
If you like, you may select to have a 13 cu.ft. tank instead. It is 13 inches long and 4.375 inches in diameter. It will give you more than twice as much air.
It weighs 8 pounds ready to go. In the water, it is a negative 1.6 lbs full and .7 lb empty.
If you would like to have the 13 cu.ft. tank instead of the 6 cu. ft. tank you can make that selection when you place your order below.
The Air Buddy will actually increase the breathing time on your pony bottle by as much as 20%.
That may be very important in an out of air situation.
This system eliminates the problems that are part of using a normal regulator second stage for an alternate air source, either as an octopus or built into the power inflator of a BCD. A regulator 2nd stage, including all of the ones currently built into the power inflators of BCDs have a diaphragm to operate the air valve in the low pressure hose. That works good for a primary breathing source but is not really good for your alternate air source.
Just squeeze the mouthpiece with your lips to get air. When you stop squeezing the air stops. You have no mouthpiece to clear. Its the easiest to use.
If you squeeze it gently you can sip air slowly.
If you squeeze it more forcefully, you can breathe as heavily as you need to when under physical stress. You adjust the amount of air by how hard you bite on the mouthpiece.
It can be carried in hundreds of different carrying cases made for small water bottles available in sports, bike and running shops all over. It's small enough to hang from a D ring or stick it in the pocket of your BCD.