Alternate reg from the left or the right?

[jvevea]

Interesting question. I was certified through a shop that routes the alternate from the left side, and never had a clue that this was not standard until I started diving (in Hawaii and with a club from 70 miles north of me) with people from other situations. I can unerstand the argument that if I've lost my reg, having two hoses available on the right side increases my chances of getting air quickly. However, I prefer the octo-on-left setup because when I do lose my primary (which, for some reason, seems to happen to me at least once on every dive), I can do the sweep and get the hose that I know will present the mouthpiece right-side-up.

Bottom line: If I were out of air, I would look for a visible reg in the chin-and-ribs triangle, and I wouldn't give a *** which side the hose came from as long as it had air.

 

[Nemrod]

I have a Voit first stage that has opposing LP ports which puts the alternate on the left side. I used to dive it that way. I eventually shifted to the "air supply goes right" way of thinking and then adopted the longer hose under my arm and clipped to my harness near the middle of my chest. Now, I use a 40 inch hose with quality swivel under my arm for my primary and the alternate on a standard hose or slightly longer than standard hose bungeed at my neck passing over my shoulder. I now donate the primary on the longer 40 inch hose and with the high quality swivel the regulator can easily be spun for the OOA diver. If I am diving double hose and want an alternate it again is a 40 inch hose under my arm with swivel on second stage but now bungee it at my neck. I have my wife's jacket BC ( I dive a BP/W) and regulator configured similar but her alternate on the longer hose clips to her BC strap and she breaths the short hose over her shoulder. N

 

[skippy77]

i have found that some ooa dont even bother with an air source they shoot straight for the surface(i have both regs on the right saves them getting tangled up with my gauges i also carry a pony bottle as standard (not evey 1s choice i no )just in case an ooa grabs my main supply and i do not have enough time to get to my octupus as the ooa will be moving around like mad i can go to me pony

 

[espenskogen]

As far as the standards from the certifying agencies are concerned, the octopus should be carried in the triangle between your neck and the bottom of your ribcage - So left, right, bungee around the neck - They're all acceptable.

As long as you don't strap it to your leg, you should be alright..

E

 

[terrasmak]

Even for rec diving , bungy the backup on a short hose. If you do that both of you regs will be easy to find at any given time. This setup would actually be similer to using an Air2 , you give up your primary , but your alt is in an easily accesable location at all times.
Oh ya boyancy control is easier when sharing too

 

[whatdecostop?]

In my diving experience I've been around (diving in the vicinity of and NOT as a leader but a "social" diver)had numerous OOA situations occur BUT ONLY experienced two OOA situations as an Instructor Candidate......and both were in Monterrey at the Breakwater and get this they were not even mine or my IT's divers!!!!!! On all occasions NOT ONE of the divers went for an alternate air source, all went one way.....UP! Now, I'll not comment what the flippin heck their Ins./DM's were doing, to let them get to an OOA situation, but the mind boggles!!

I personally believe that like everything in diving, experience and a comfort level with a certain skill, has a lot to do with how you would handle an OOA situation. I'm not saying that an "experienced" diver would handle an OOA situation better than a "newbie" BUT I believe a non-complacent experienced diver (to answer the original question) would know what equipment is connected where to his buddy, whether it was left or right and have a better chance of rectfying the OOA situation satisfactorily i.e. a save ascent.
But hey, PANIC is a funny thing that can take just seconds to take grip on even the most experienced.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

However, I prefer the octo-on-left setup because when I do lose my primary (which, for some reason, seems to happen to me at least once on every dive), I can do the sweep and get the hose that I know will present the mouthpiece right-side-up.

Just a couple points of clarification ...

... It's not an upside-down mouthpiece you're worried about, it's an upside down exhaust port. The exhaust port on a second stage works by allowing air to escape through a little diaphragm that acts as a one-way valve. When the exhaust port is higher than the mouthpiece, water can seep into the valve, causing you to breathe wet when you inhale. Some regulators are worse than others at this ... and it's not a big deal if you're expecting it. But in an OOA situation, it increases the chances of panic ... and panic can turn a small problem into a big problem in a hurry.

... When doing a sweep to recover a regulator (using the standard configuration of both being mounted on your right side), either one will present the exhaust port to you in the correct orientation. It's when you reverse the regulator to give it to an OOA diver that you stand the chance of presenting it with the exhaust port up, because you have to reverse the orientation of the mouthpiece/exhaust port relative to the hose position.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Vayu]

I was taught like most divers to sweep for the reg if it is lost. I think a better method is to secure your air by using your backup regulator and then worry about finding it.

-V

 

[Jason B]

I have taken somewhere around 100,000 people diving, and have had to share my air a couple of hundred times in real situations,

Fred R.
Profile Info
Instructor Trainer, currently SDI/TDI #864
Dive Shop Owner-Grand Bahama Scuba
12,984 logged dives

That speaks volumes...

 

[matt_unique]

I have never experienced an OOA diver but I'm told from the most senior divers that in a real life out of air situation your buddy is going for the reg in your mouth. The rationalization makes sense as well - if you're breathing you will have the sense to hand your reg to your buddy then find your backup.

The Octo is for you so place it where you can get to it easily. I prefer the bungee necklace. The placement does not get any more convenient than that.

--Matt