all octos should side exhaust

[SteveFass]

This idea was planted in my head by Larry at Scuba Toys and I can't see the flaw in the argument, so I ask you - why don't all octos exhaust to the side so it can go in your buddy's mouth upside down?

When you're handing off your octo in a real (and real tense) out of air situation it seems it would be a big plus to not have to worry about it being upside down or not. I know most octos do work upside down, but there's downgrade in performance so you want to hand it off correctly.

Second question - is this one of the arguments used by DIR for handing off the one in your mouth?

By the way, I remember a story in the "scary stories" section of ScubaBoard where during a training class an octo was handed off upside down, the OOA diver had trouble breathing and tried to take the octo out, but the student thought the OOA diver was play acting and fought to keep the octo in the OOA diver's mouth.

 

[Vie]

Second question - is this one of the arguments used by DIR for handing off the one in your mouth?

The logic behind “handing off the one in your mouth” is to make sure that a WORKING second stage delivering the RIGHT GAS is passed to the out-of-air diver.

 

[lamont]

Second question - is this one of the arguments used by DIR for handing off the one in your mouth?

the training in how to handle an OOA with the long hose does take this into account. when you hand of the reg, you reach up with your right hand and grab the hose leading into the reg with your palm facing you. then you extend your hand and twist with either the palm facing down to prevent a free-flow or with a flip a the end to present a working, correctly oriented, regulator to the OOA victim. since there's no fiddling around trying to find your octo, you present it in the same orientation every single time.

 

[SteveFass]

So from a DIR point of view, is there anything that is "the next best thing" to a long hose? An Air2 style devise is out because of the integration with the power inflator, and an octo is out because you're not handing off something that you know works and it takes more effort to find.

Which brings me back to the idea of an octo with a side exhaust. Theoretically wouldn't that be the next best thing?

 

[MikeFerrara]

My backup regs are the same "high" quality or reg as my primary. If there's a side exhaust reg you like...fine...but knowing how to donate or recieve in an air sharing situation is all that's needed to avoid the problem of an upside down reg.

Besides, if you do get a reg in your mouth upside down...who cares? Flip it around. It's not much of a problem is it? The real problem is divers who are so uncomfortable in the first place that they'll suck on a reg upside down in the first place and panic over the resulting sip of water instead of fixing it in the second place.

By the way...if it does happen to you and you're getting water and want a breath before flipping the reg around, just press the purge, take a breath and then turn the reg around. Nothing to it.

 

[rab]

Well, both my second stages are side exhaust. And as far as I can tell, the Poseidon Xstream Dive and Octo are the same except for the color of the exhaust cover.

-Rob

 

[lamont]

an octo is out because you're not handing off something that you know works and it takes more effort to find.

An octo is also out because it could get hooked on a rock or coral and pulled out of its quick release, and then wind up behind you, free-flowing -- or just dragging in the sand. The long hose config is good because it keeps the reg you donate on the best quick-release in the world -- your mouth -- where you can always find it, and if you lose it, you'll know. It also keeps your backup fixed in one position where it isn't going to go wandering off, and if it free flows you'll notice the bubbles around your neck and head.

Its also a really good config for stress-free regulator recovery. If the long hose gets kicked out of your mouth you can just stick your backup reg in and then go fishing for the long hose...

The DIR answer to all these problems really is just the long hose, there isn't any second choice.

 

[Rick Inman]

My Atomic M1 breaths just fine upside down (did some head-stand breathing just this week), so it isn't about side exhaust or not, it's about the OOA diver getting a good breath of air from the reg. Which is why handing off you perfectly working primary in the right manner is the key. If the guy is in a panic and just rips the reg from your mouth you've got other fish to fry. Controlling the hand-off is (IMHO) more important then whether it's side or bottom exhaust.

 

[derwoodwithasherwood]

I personally have a left-hand octo -- the hose tends to orient it in the correct direction for someone facing me.

However, as Mike pointed out, who cares? Don't they teach how to breath from an upside down reg any more? I thought that was one of the more basic skills.

 

[Moogyboy]

I will say this: it seems that several octos 1) don't have exhaust tees, and/or 2) are designed to exhaust right out front, over the front of your mask. That cute little Sherwood octo (the Minimus?) comes to mind. A nervous diver-in-trouble probably doesn't need a face full of bubbles. My inexpert opinion is that a side-exhaust would be preferable in that respect, unless they come up with a better exhaust solution.

cheers

Billy S.