Atomic SS1 ( Safe Second Regulator) Product Review

Atomic SS1 secondary air source Freddy gives a No BS review with pros & cons.
00:00 - Intro
01:56 - Cool Factor
02:53 - Features
04:26 - Fit & Function
06:20 - Build Quality
08:00 - Durability
09:16 - Overall Value
10:35 - Summary
12:14 - B.A. Rating
Check out Leviathan Scuba's "Atomic SS1" here (Link)
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[@jaynovorolsky1027]

I think the idea is great. I've only been on 7 dives and have my Open Water Certification and will be going for my Advanced Certification so I can experience Nitrox, be approved to go deeper and dabble in other aspects. As far as emergencies, my first dive ever, in less than 15 minutes, another diver was above me for some reason and their fin kicked my regulator out of my mouth and knocked my mask off at 40 feet. I remained calm and did everything I was taught less than an hour before to exhale, find my reg, take a breath, drop my reg and pull my mask off, get my reg back in my mouth and put my water filled mask back on. Everyone in the group was ahead of me and had no idea I was in trouble. I pulled it together and then had to chase after them all to catch up. That said, I would want my October as good as my main second stage. If my primary fails, my October is my primary. My question is on initial descent, would you use this to deflate your BCD like with a normal inflater hose over your head or use dump valves on your BCD? I agree that I would use it on final ascent or safety stops just to verify it always works properly qand be used to how it feels if I did HAVE to use it someday. I think your buddy would actually feel better using your primary that he knows was just working on you. What about if I use Nitrox and my buddy doesn't or vise versa. Could there be complications switching gases in the middle of a dive?

[@LeviathanScuba]

Such a great full comment. The think I like about it is that you are safe but you lived a great lesson. So many people take diving for granted as if nothing bad could ever happen. If you weren't self sufficient you might not be here now. (Thankfully you are). Um, the answer to your question about descent using it to deflate your bcd is a bit complicated simply because you are a newer diver. You will note in many of my videos I discuss not putting air in your bcd. If you do have air to hold you on the surface then it depends upon the make of your bcd. Why? because some have a cord inside your bcd hose that allows you to simply pull down on your inflator or secondary air source to open the dump valve. Still many require you to raise the inflator over your head to dump. I have the type with the cord inside and always use my dump valve to descend IF I have air in my bcd. What I am diving now has no bladder at all. Nothing to put air in. Can't hold a teaspoon of air. Just filming it to prove a point. Find my video that says you have too much air in your bc. Explains a lot more than I can put in text here. The nitrox is not even a concern. If you are safely diving nitrox then you are at safe depth. Your buddy would only be improved in an emergency situation by breathing nitrox. No complications in your out of air scenario. You would be surfacing and not going deeper so no problem. Thanks for watching, Freddy.

[@sachieto7411]

I just did a dive with a guy who has this infractor and his infractor leaked. He took a infractor hose off to dive. He couldn’t manually ingrate during his dive and needed to dive without BCD constantly swimming to keep up with his weight. That reminded me of how I was diving when I started my diving 1970s. Never buy a new idea until you really understand.

[@LeviathanScuba]

My initial thought was he could have manually inflated. But I get it, I currently am not using a bcd at all in my videos just like old school. You can't believe how many people comment and think I am being dangerous or doing something wrong. I was certified in 1971 and they hadn't even invented the bcd then. We used horse collars that inflated fully with a co2 cartridge in case of emergency only. Thanks for the comments. Freddy

[@williamwells8672]

My dive shop sales them, they recommend them. I have to travel to scuba dive, I live in Kansas. Having less equipment means a lot. They are a better quality than most of the Octos out there.

[@coralkeyscuba]

I love them as you could tell. But some KZbinrs don't. I am filming a video in a couple weeks that will discuss the secondary air source attached to BCD pros & cons. Hopefully will clear up some of the challenges. Thanks for watching. Freddy

[@johnwilliamsscuba6487]

I use a Mares MV for an octo. Its a viable 2nd stage and its a side exhaust the will work equally well right side up or upside down.

[@coralkeyscuba]

Absolutely good choice. I use an octo when I teach but for my self the SS1 is so convenient. Thanks for watching. More to come soon. Freddy

[@syafiqsaad9157]

What if the inflator button malfunctions for whatever reason and keeps self inflating your bc? Your only option is to ‘unplug’ the hose to the SS1 and terminate the dive. What if instead of terminating the dive, they continue (let’s be real, this does happen. Shouldn’t, but it happens). If that happens when youre using an SS1, youd be without an ‘octopus’/backup reg - what happens then when a buddy is OOA? Just wondering, when youre donating your primary reg, which is on a 71cm(28inch)/75cm(30inch) hose, how close are you to your buddy? Youre already too close on a 90cm(35inch). Cant imagine. I read one comment that says the SS1 sells a lot. Would I be right to presume it sells mostly (if not only) to new/extremely casual divers who think that its cool and are unaware of its shortcomings?

[@coralkeyscuba]

Most of the well seasoned divers including professionals I know use a secondary air source. Either the SS1 or similar. If they ever fail, they are regulated to fail open. It is impossible by design to fail closed. I don't want to minimize your comments but we can "what if" every choice we make in diving. most of the what if's could also be said for a second regulator as well. Giving your primary is actually the safest method for your buddy because you know it works. Every diver that has a scuba license trained to buddy breath, remove and replace your regulator under water and if you have to buddy breathe, your dive is over anyway. Apparently it is not for you and I respect that. No worries, we all have our comfort zone to abide by. I have over 5000 dives and 2000 + are with my SS1. I completely trust it and keep it serviced well. I love the simplicity and the lack of another hose and piece of gear to service and take care of. Atomic makes some of the highest quality gear on the market. The SS1 is no exception. It breathes like a regular regulator and has more engineering and technology in it than most Octopus regulators made. I would suggest at least trying one some time and see how you like it. Thanks for expanding the conversation. Freddy

[@quepaso568398]

My shop uses these on all their rentals and training gear. More than half of them leak. They shrug it off a say it's just a sticky valve. It seams only shops that push the most expensive gear to their students use these in training so they end up having to buy one. From my experience, they often fail so it's a hard pass for me.

[@LeviathanScuba]

I cannot figure out why a dive shop doesn't know what the problem is. First of all it isn't a problem with the SS1. It is the internal pressure of the first stage they are attaching it to. The SS1 is a high end secondary air source. Breathes as easy as most regulators out there. When most Octo's don't . The SS1 is set to a cracking pressure of 130 psi. Very nice and breathes so easy. Most regs are set at 138 psi or higher. So the SS! bubbles. Two things can happen. The internal cracking pressure of the SS1 can be raised to match the first stage or the first stage can be lowered to match the SS1 (my preference). Let your dive shop know this info or have them call us and we can help them figure it out. 303 431-5911. Thanks for watching and more to come soon. Hope this helps. Freddy

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

@@LeviathanScuba What's probably happening is that the AIR2 doesn't get serviced since it's not attached to the first stage. They take the regulator off, service the first stage, the second stage that's attached to it, and the SPG, and then attach it back to the inflator.

[@JB_ZA]

Hi Freddy Could you please make a video on an overview of regulators? They look similar but have a large price range. I don't understand the different features and what makes them suitable for the recreational diver VS a professional. I'd like to know what to look for when buying one. As a recreational diver, I don't like rentals that are very stiff and use a lot of effort to get air from. Would prefer my own but not sure what features really impact the breathability. Thanks for all the great content! LS is my favourite dive channel!

[@mrmeme177]

I am thinking of getting this but have a couple questions. 1. Does it hamper your ability to move your head while using it? 2. Do you need to remove it from your mouth to inflate or deflate the BCD? 3. Do you need to have a longer hose on your primary? (Thinking of a situation where I am deploying a DSMB while sharing air so close to my buddy)

[@LeviathanScuba]

Does not hamper moving your head. Might depend on if you customized your bcd with a shorter dump hose. Considering you are only going to use it in an emergency situation unless testing it, you will have no problem with it in your mouth. I use mine sometimes just to keep familiar with all of the use. You do not need to remove it from your mouth to inflate. Deflating might be tricky but you can pull down, opening the dump valve without removing it from your mouth. Again, if your bcd is equipped with a pull dump on your inflator hose. Most do. You do not need a longer hose on your primary. Remember, if you are giving it to a buddy in trouble, you are going to surface immediately. As all agencies train in a buddy breathing scenario, you or the buddy will hold onto each other for surfacing. I recommend practicing for your benefit giving you full confidence that it is a safe and easy process. Thanks for watching. More to come soon. Freddy

[@mrmeme177]

@@LeviathanScuba thanks for taking time to reply.

[@jjnxyz4368]

These are fine for rec, but how many tour divers and tech divers use them? Im all for lightening the amount of pipes dangling off me but id rather not have my buddy within 6 inches of me if his air fails and he is panicking... Not claiming they don't work but the benefits don't outweigh the cost. Also it isn't the same price because your bc came with an inflator anyway and this is like $100 more expensive than a regular octo safety... A safer and better option would be to buy a decent air integrated dive computer and ditch the pressure gauge... Probably cost only a little more and you'll get a better experience with a decent computer that can calculate your air accuracy and auto add stops if needed.

[@LeviathanScuba]

I believe the benefits do outweigh the cost. We humans love our convenience. Your buddy would be the length of your primary hose, usually 30 inches. And I have to add that unless practicing, how often does the emergency situation arise where you need to buddy breathe? rarely. Definitely not the same price as an inflator. Correct they do cost more. I never mentioned they were the same price but the price to service them is included in most shops basic service fee. No extra for a secondary air source verses a standard Octo. And I heartily agree to move to air integrated computer and ditch the gauge. Thank you for watching. More to come soon. Freddy

[@waheebrasool8141]

Can you please gave me the website

[@coralkeyscuba]

For some reason it is hard to get to right now but www.LeviathanScuba.com Easy to access through the link on the videos. Thanks for watching. Freddy

[@jonnieinbangkok]

Who the fcuk cares if it breathes like a primary regulator...as you said, it's only going to be used in a buddy sharing air situation that will only last a few minutes while an accent is made, which most people never even do once in their diving career. In addition, if you're going to donate your primary if you use this thing, you're going to have to put it on a long hose!

[@LeviathanScuba]

Jonnie, what about a secondary air source is bad about breathing like a primary? If you used a secondary would you want it to breath nice or pay your money and have it breath like crap. Buddy breathing training since the beginning of scuba classes have trained people to breath from a regular octo or even a primary. You trained that way so I am sure with your experience in an emergency you could breath from a regular size hose. I appreciate you commenting and keeping it all real but the last 3 posts from you have been very negative. We want to make it real for sure. We do it to help people and not sure how negative comments help. Disagree with us, nooo problem. Just our experience and opinion but we are divers like you and we are on the same side.

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

Yeah, who needs life saving equipment that functions in an emergency. It's not like the air demand is higher in a life or death situation.

[@dtt3426]

i have to totally disagree with this product. your octo isn't meant for you it's for me. you would have to tell your buddy about your setup. yellow octos are a safety standard. in an emergency you shouldn't have to think. hopefully someone other than your buddy doesn't have to use it. you may not be able to communicate or hand your primary. replace safety because of looks, cool and cost more? i agree with the dangling issue why dms don't tell people to use a simple clip for there octo across there body, if only to save the reef and entanglement issues.

[@coralkeyscuba]

I get it. On paper it really doesn't seem as if it might be the best idea. However in practice, we have to remember a few things. 1. ALL divers learn to buddy breathe in their course or don't pass. 2. I, everybody should be a pro active dive buddy. Meaning I brief all my buddies on the equipment I have. How to act in an emergency. 3. As a mature diver I am comfortable removing my regulator from my mouth. Every diver again learned this in basic training. 4. You as my dive buddy should also be pro-active if you don't understand a piece of my equipment then ask. I should first but if I don't then ask. As a good dive buddy I also keep track of my buddy. I know when they are getting low on air. All too often divers are too far away for safety. We have become a bit lethargic in our safety practices because we each have 2 regulators. Consider modern training also Highlights the practice of giving your buddy your primary, no matter what kind you use. You go to your octo after having done that. One more thing to ponder. This isn't really a proper answer but the statistics of divers running out of air at depth and actually needing a backup from another diver are extremely low. I do understand that one time that it might happen is very important to pay attention. Again if the safety procedures are addressed then it shouldn't be a problem. I am maybe too comfortable in the water, (a fault perhaps) but I would dive naked if I could. Meaning I want as little on me as possible. So, not for looks or being cool. Note: If I am with a new diver I carry a real octo with a 7' hose and a swivel so it could be used no matter which side they are on. I will be shooting a video in a couple weeks highlighting the Pros & Cons of secondary air source backups. Thanks Duane for watching. Not many care as you do. Freddy

[@dtt3426]

@@coralkeyscuba thanks freddy its nice to see you're open to different opinions i have a question. if i dive nitrox. am i diving more conservative if i leave my computer on air rather than switching to nitrox ie 32%. that way i'm enjoying the breathing advantage of nitrox but don't want the risk of diving deeper longer

[@coralkeyscuba]

@@dtt3426 The opposite really. Set your computer for the nearest to the gas you are diving. Example, you order 32% but they actually give you 31.5% It is conservative to leave it at the 32% because your depth limit will be a bit less technically than if you set it to 31.5%. So leaving your computer on air (21%) will not calculate your depth limit properly. You will have less nitrogen when you dive nitrox but it is no longer the nitrogen that is your enemy. It is oxygen at depth. Air is not a risk to go 120 ft. But the safe limit for 32% is 110. 36% is 98 ft. Your computer would not warn you of this if it was in air mode. Hope that helps Duane. Thanks for watching. I am filming a pretty detailed video on Nitrox this week that might also shed some light. Take care. Freddy

[@dtt3426]

@@coralkeyscuba in the dive travel video you just did the guy said in the favorites quiz he kept his computer on air when he dives nitrox?

[@LeviathanScuba]

@@dtt3426 And I shared the same information with Richard as I have with you. He was mistaken as many are. The Nitrox video actually uses the real dive computer numbers to prove the point. Thanks Duane.

[@jonnieinbangkok]

Very dangerous product (not Atomics specific but all "air 2" products). Just look up on YT what real dive professionals have to say about them; and technical divers, who do the most demanding and dangerous dives wouldn't be caught dead using one of these contraptions!

[@LeviathanScuba]

I completely wholeheartedly disagree. I am surrounded by dive professionals that love them. I know many true bad ass explorers, photographers, leaders in the dive world that love them. My guess is that you have not used one yet. Many of the videos I have seen on KZbin that don't like using them are embarrassing the antics and reasons why they don't like the. Example, they say it is dangerous for you to take your reg out of your mouth to give it to a buddy out of air. Hmmm, I seem to recall that every single diver certified with every single agency had to learn to remove their regulator and replace it. Think if you needed air from me. You would be at the max stress level. The best I can do for you is give the only regulator that I am 100% positive that is working, the one in my mouth. Might not be for you but to say they are dangerous is not true. I have used every version since they were invented, and I will never go back. I am a dive professional, and I would recommend this product to every single recreational diver out there. Technical diving has different needs so no, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for them. But because it is absent in their professional gear doesn't mean they believe them to be dangerous. It means that it doesn't meet their need for the type of diving they are doing. I respect opinion but be careful branding something dangerous if you are not that familiar with them. Sorry to disagree but I have to be honest here. That is what I am known for. Thanks for watching. Freddy