Alternate reg from the left or the right?

[Web Monkey]

The whole concept of "running out of air" infuriates me.

It sounds exactly like when a teenager "accidentally gets pregnant". It's not like there's any mystery how it happened. What ever happend to personal responsibility? ("I probably need to breathe down here, so maybe I'll watch my own air")

Terry

Hey Skippy...before you go judging people try adding 10,000 or so dives to your profile. Fred R. is THE REAL DEAL. I have done MANY, MANY dives with him. He does not let people run out of air. A CERTIFIED diver is responsible for his/her air consumption, not the DM or Boat Captain.

 

[Nomad]

"I probably need to breathe down here, so maybe I'll watch my own air"

Sounds like some kind of a Diver's mantra

 

[String]

The whole concept of "running out of air" infuriates me.

It sounds exactly like when a teenager "accidentally gets pregnant". It's not like there's any mystery how it happened. What ever happend to personal responsibility? ("I probably need to breathe down here, so maybe I'll watch my own air")

Terry

Theory is great. Reality differs. Even people monitoring their air can run out due to technical failiures such as freeflows etc.

Relying on a buddy is useful for that reason alone. Better yet, carry your own redundancy.

 

[bperrybap]

Bill...go back and read the posts.

"Now, before I get flamed by everyone and start an argument, bear in mind that I have taken somewhere around 100,000 people diving, and have had to share my air a couple of hundred times in real situations, not the made up, I imagine, sort of thing that most divers, and training organizations discuss."

That was posted by Fred R. The other sentence was posted by skippy77

Mike Rushton

Exactly. I did read the posts. All of them.
Skippy was the one I was referencing about "done better".
I included the first quote for reference only to skippy.
Sorry for the confusion.
And I am still in awe of Fred's experience and his good record, NOT skippy.


--- bill

 

[ScubaMike14]

Bill:

Sorry if I took the defensive. Fred is a very good friend of mine and I felt the need to step in. (Although he is very capable of defending himself, be it with fists, feet or a machete)

If you ever get the opportunity to go to the Bahamas, check out Grand Bahama Scuba on Grand Bahama Island / Freeport-Lucaya. Only 60 miles by boat or air from Miami or Fort Lauderdale.

Not only will you have some great diving, but you will also see what Fred is all about.

Oh yeah....he won't let you "run out" of air!

Mike Rushton

 

[Robert Phillips]

Theory is great. Reality differs. Even people monitoring their air can run out due to technical failiures[sic] such as freeflows etc.

Relying on a buddy is useful for that reason alone. Better yet, carry your own redundancy.

There is a big difference between running out of air and losing your air supply.
Web Monkey was referring to the former, not the latter. Although both are real emergencies, running out of air is avoidable.

 

[String]

Depends how you word it.
Uncontrolled freeflow means you'll "run out of air" rather rapidly. Both own stupidity and technical fault out of airs require the same remedy - a redundant air supply and/or buddy with air to give so the whole topic of this (which side octopus) is fairly relevent.

I do however agree that running out of air WITHOUT technical problems is inexcusable.

 

[Phil TK]

I do however agree that running out of air WITHOUT technical problems is inexcusable.

Except if you're me.
When I'm videoing an OW class and am well ahead of the group I have to get a shot of them ascending towards the side of the boat, this sometimes means I have to hang around at 5 metres for some time if they are late. A few times, I've sucked my main tank dry and filmed from the hangtank, I either surface with the hangtank (between my legs) or the DMT gives me an octo.
This year I'll be carrying a spare air for this circumstance not least because old hangtank regs have foul tasting mouthpieces.
Phil TK

 

[skippy77]

hey look i did not mean to offend and if i have i am very sorry but over here in europe were i was taught we were always told to check the air of even qualified divers as some do forget so if i have offended any 1 i would like to apologise to them (i am very very very very SORRY)

 

[Jose Nestor Cardoso]

It seems that it is standard practice to route both 2nd stage regs from the (recreational) divers right side.
My question is why does the alternate reg (occy) need to also come from this side?

I find that if it is routed from the left side, when donate it to your out of air buddy it actually faces the buddy the right way up and with no kink in the hose.

Place the alternate air source from the right and you find that a buddy not paying attention will place the reg in thier mouth upside down.

Anyone know which guide lines set this standard?

I’ve been using octopus on my left side for over 30 years. It’s just thinking out of your box to find out it makes so much sense.