Buddy jackets are incredibly tough, reliable, and they have a very good customer service going - to the point that you can even buy spare parts for the autoair DV.
However, I'm not a big fan of the autoair, or the emergency cylinder:
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The quality and ruggedness is second to none. The only downside is that they're never going to be stylish or minimalistic.
I sold my Buddy Commando only to replace it with a Buddy tekwing. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone...
The autoair is a backup DV, so CAN replace the octopus, most people have it as well as an octopus tho - it's entirely up to you. I prefer the AP200 myself..