Scuba_Steve:
Of course you need to know that you require the donor to be mildly awake and realize the OOA has gone so relatively recently (they've probably been taught the buddy system and OOA signals one would hope).........I have no idea where the concept of just snatching regs out of someones mouth is the preferred protocol, because it isn't. The preferred method is to have the team be on the same page and aware of each other all the time,...the donor knows his buddy is OOG a split second after the stricken diver, and even though a signal is always given, the donor usually catches it at about the same time, donate known working reg, go to back-up.
But see, what YOU said isn't the REAL world of "sport" recreational diving. It's the world according to GUE/DIR.
First off, the average "Joe" or "Jane" diver is just NOT that aware underwater. With good visibility and a 30 to 40 FT bottom, I'd say the average separation distance might be 10 to 15 FT, if not more. Natural obstructions such as coral might also get in the way. Now, in that depth of water if you or I went OOA, We'd probably just do a swimming ascent and be done with it. But is that what the "average diver" would do? More than likely, following their "training," they will go for the buddy. If they approached from behind or the side, the "donor" buddy won't see them.
If they are desperate for air, the OOA diver WILL grab before they ask.
Here's my point: if the OOA diver is trained to "buddy breath" with an octopus, they will look for and grab an octopus. If the octopus is NOT being used by the donor, clearly marked and easily accessible, grabbing it won't compromise the donor. BUT, if the "octopus" is in use by the donor, the person OOA will probably "snatch" it from the donors mouth, because the position of the "back-up" regulator (on the necklace) prevents it from being used for air sharing.
Remember - most agencies train people OOA to go for the octopus. If the donor buddy is only marginally proficient - and God help him or her if they learned this "technique" from ScubaBoard and decided to use it without training or practice - they could very easily be compromised. Again, one problem becomes two.
The truth of it is that of the thousands of recreational divers in the world, only a small percentage dive regularly, let alone in "complex" environments. A good percentage of divers are "vacation" divers that look at diving as something they do occasionally and purely for fun. They DON'T want to have a bunch of equipment, go through long courses and complex drills and then go diving in a fashion that requires good situational awareness, "team" relationships and "on the fly" planning. It's NOT them.
They ONLY want to put on a tank, drop to the 35 FT bottom and look at all the pretty fishes. They don't want to be bothered with all the other stuff. Some of these folks have the "awareness" of a 16 year old talking on a cell phone while driving on the interstate. It's less a function of training and more a function of practice. "Easy" diving also seduces these folks into "laid back" attitudes. This might be OK in 30 FT off Cozumel, but change the environment and it becomes problematic.
So, knowing this, how do shops and agencies "train" these folks initially to minimize their risk? The answer is, keep it SIMPLE. Stick to the basics, emphasize simple procedures and methods,
make it EASY. I don't agree with this for a LOT of diving, but there it is. When the OP in this thread asked his question about long hose mounting and use, the FACT is that the shop (and ultimately the certification agency) wants it done a certain way. They do this because it allows them to develop their "market" by certifying people in a way that gets them done. A new diver might be marginal, but they know the basics. The other choice is NOT to teach that way and that means a market "shift." Unless ALL the shops and agencies change, it WON'T work at the NEW diver level and it WILL drive "longer" and more complex programs out of business.
IMO, what many GUE/DIR people on this board miss is the
economic position of the industry. Although the demand for GUE/DIR is certainly there, it's only a
niche market. I'll say it again,
if GUE/DIR wants to train people "right" using the DIR standard, start teaching NEW diver courses! This way GUE/DIR can dictate the entry level "standards" and if a TRUE market-wide demand exists, other agencies will get the point and begin to move.
BUT, as long as DIR courses only operate outside the NEW diver level, "changing the world" is kind of difficult. When a GUE/DIR shop opens in a NAUI/PADI/SSI market region, teaches NEW diver courses ONLY using DIR standards (including a "proficient to pass" philosophy) and SUCCESSFULLY starts certifying a bunch of new divers in such a market, THEN GUE/DIR will have something.
Until that time, NEW diver standards and the use of octopus hoses are the way they are.