#AIRBUDDY 2 REVIEW MANUAL#

This is enough of an expense that I plan to evaluate alternative surface-based diving apparatus before ordering replacement parts. Let me be clear: the total amount of time these components were exposed to salt water was less than one hour.Īs of this writing, in the AirBuddy spare parts shop a replacement battery is US$305 and a replacement compressor is US$170, exclusive of shipping.

Then, a few days later, the compressor ultimately succumbed, and seized. It was the BMS circuit board inside the battery that was dead. The battery cells themselves were a bit rusty at this point, but functional. It would neither charge nor power the unit. In any case, the battery was now completely dead. It was in excellent condition, with nothing to suggest how it might have gotten out of the unit. Support also said that no other customers had experienced the flag coming out unexpectedly while diving. I suspected as much, but I’m still guessing leaving the salt water in there would have been even worse. Support indicated it was a no-no to put freshwater into the air intake port. It was very much appreciated to get straightforward, no-nonsense, knowledgeable answers to my questions. The person who replied was clearly well-versed in the technical details of the unit. I contacted AirBuddy support as soon after this as I was able. For the unit, I added fresh water to the air intake port, in the hope of rinsing out and/or diluting some of the corrosive sea water that had entered. For the battery, I opened it, dried it off, and cleaned what I could with fresh water. In the interest of expediently minimizing damage, I did what I thought would be best. Sea water is highly corrosive to many metals. Upon removing the battery, even more water poured out of the battery itself, streaming out the charging connector port on the side.

I set about to clean and dry the unit, which began with removing the battery. To my surprise, when I put the unit on its side this time, a very significant amount of water poured out. This is because with the battery installed in the unit, it’s quite top heavy, and is prone to tipping over in any swell or other boat motion. Even without the snorkel the air intake port rides several inches above the surface of the water, and there was only a gentle swell present during the dive.īecause I’m on a boat, I’m in the habit of resting the AirBuddy unit on its side when charging the battery. Knowing this, I did not immediately see cause for concern, as there didn’t appear to be much water on the unit.

#AIRBUDDY 2 REVIEW MANUAL#

The AirBuddy manual gives ample clear warning about ensuring that water does not get into the air intake port. However, upon surfacing, I immediately noticed that the flag/snorkel was missing. The main body of the unit has an air intake port, into which fits an item that serves double-duty as a diver-in-the-water flag, and a snorkel which raises the air intake to well above the surface of the water. This included securely and fully inserting the dive flag/snorkel into the unit. On my last dive, I prepared just as any other time. Unfortunately, mine died after about half a dozen dives or so. The AirBuddy was great fun… while it worked.

Airbuddy 2 review