Resort's " New Normal " Rule - No AIR 2 or diving your long hose

[Celt]

Perhaps YOU are trained to buddy breath, but if your buddy does not have the same capabilities, I see a problem.
Of course, if you and your buddy dive by yourself, not relying on an organisation which can be held responsible for your safety, then you can do all you want. But when you use the services of an organisation, you must comply with their safety rules.

These covid 19 rules concerning the transmission of a virus underwater are red tape and box ticking and have nothing to do with diver welfare or safety, I will continue to dive as I feel appropriate and hug my grandchildren.

 

[Gareth J]

I learned to buddy breath so never used an octopus reg. If some pen pusher thinks I’m going to change the way I dive because of a minute possibility of transmitting covid 19 underwater then there crazy.

So did I back in the 80's.

I've made numerous buddy breathing ascents from 20m. On my Nitrox course my buddy and I where buddy breathing on our 6m stop for practice (and to save some gas for my buddy with his smaller cylinder), whilst we waited for the rest of the class to sort themselves out.
I would not like to rely on buddy breathing in a real emergency, even with a practiced buddy I regularly dived with, it is very stressful and high task loading. Even during practice and exercise it was notorious for going wrong.

I carry a AAS for my buddy. I expect my buddy to have the same consideration for my safety as i have for his/hers.
This is even though I would normally dive either a twinset, or a CCR, which means i always have a redundant air source.

You are perfectly at liberty to dive without an AAS, just not with me.

I used to dive with a guy who only dived in wetsuits with an ABLJ, despite suggestions he should swap to a drysuit and BCD, not sensible in December in the UK, but his prerogative. I don't have an issue with how people dive, or what equipment they use, or how it is configured. As long as it doesn't put me at risk and they are considerate to the environment, start smashing the coral or the wrecks then I will have something to say about it.

 

[KenGordon]

Nobody will be testing how easy it is to transmit disease via a primary donate reg, but given how stubborn the slimy stuff can be when cleaning regulators, counter lungs, DSVs and breathing hoses I can well imagine it to be possible. Clearly it is worse than for a secondary regulator checked for a couple of breaths before/at the start of the dive.

However, it is still two failures. An OOA and an infectious diver.

Training is the real issue, dry demos especially.

I think the dive op is being reasonable. Obviously I am biased as I think an AIR2 is not an acceptable AS, but the part about long hoses is just a recommendation. A lot of fuss about nothing of impact.

 

[Celt]

So did I back in the 80's.

I've made numerous buddy breathing ascents from 20m. On my Nitrox course my buddy and I where buddy breathing on our 6m stop for practice (and to save some gas for my buddy with his smaller cylinder), whilst we waited for the rest of the class to sort themselves out.
I would not like to rely on buddy breathing in a real emergency, even with a practiced buddy I regularly dived with, it is very stressful and high task loading. Even during practice and exercise it was notorious for going wrong.

I carry a AAS for my buddy. I expect my buddy to have the same consideration for my safety as i have for his/hers.
This is even though I would normally dive either a twinset, or a CCR, which means i always have a redundant air source.

You are perfectly at liberty to dive without an AAS, just not with me.

I used to dive with a guy who only dived in wetsuits with an ABLJ, despite suggestions he should swap to a drysuit and BCD, not sensible in December in the UK, but his prerogative. I don't have an issue with how people dive, or what equipment they use, or how it is configured. As long as it doesn't put me at risk and they are considerate to the environment, start smashing the coral or the wrecks then I will have something to say about it.

Did I ask to dive with you or ask you to dive with me ? I don’t care how you dive. I’m well capable of buddy breathing and so are the people I dive with.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Did I ask to dive with you or ask you to dive with me ? I don’t care how you dive. I’m well capable of buddy breathing and so are the people I dive with.

Still, if a couple of you vintage buddy breathers come spending holidays in the resort where I am responsible of scuba operations, you will be given the choice to use an alternative shareable air source, or not to dive.
My diving center (or my boat), my rules.
At the time it was common to have customers coming to Maldives with just one reg. We did give them the second reg for free. If they refused to use it, thet were not allowed to dive.
Same for the BCD, the deco buoy and the SPG.
On some challenging dives cameras were forbidden.

 

[Celt]

Still, if a couple of you vintage buddy breathers come spending holidays in the resort where I am responsible of scuba operations, you will be given the choice to use an alternative shareable air source, or not to dive.
My diving center (or my boat), my rules.
At the time it was common to have customers coming to Maldives with just one reg. We did give them the second reg for free. If they refused to use it, thet were not allowed to dive.
Same for the BCD, the deco buoy and the SPG.
On some challenging dives cameras were forbidden.

That’s your business, how I dive is my business. If I think I can’t reach the surface for any reason be it time or depth I use a bailout.

 

[tursiops]

So if we are already diving with one 40 inch hose routed under our arms, should we just add a second? Then it doesn’t matter which reg they take, both are equivalent?

Sure, you can give them either reg, so long as neither has ever been in your mouth. It has nothing to do with hose length.

 

[Snoweman]

I looked on Leisure Pro for an octo (in case I get the chance to go to Bonaire or Curacao). I think about a third of their octos were inflator hose combos.

 

[uncfnp]

I apologize if I missed it but has anyone else found a similar new rule at any other dive op/resort?

 

[tursiops]

I looked on Leisure Pro for an octo (in case I get the chance to go to Bonaire or Curacao). I think about a third of their octos were inflator hose combos.

This seemed surprising, so I actually counted. 59 normal octos, 9 inflator/octo combos. But your point is well-taken. They are not unusual.