Alternate reg from the left or the right?

[Jose Nestor Cardoso]

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.

It looks like you had your classes with an instructor that understand what he does. I just don’t understand why you loose your regulator so often.

 

[Scott G. Bonser]

I'm rather surprised that none of the instructors on this board have answered the question yet. It's surprisingly simple, actually.

First off, it's a "standard" that (as you may have noticed) is not followed by all. However, the rationale behind putting both second stages on the right side is that, in the event that (for any reason) you find yourself without a regulator in your mouth you reach to your right side and grab a hose. No matter which hose you grab ... either primary or octopus ... it will have an air source attached to it.

Seconds are precious when you're not breathing, and those extra seconds that you save by not having to think about which side to reach for, or which hose to grab, can be the difference between "oops" and all-out panic.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Now that IS a timely discussion. I remembered an OOA I had in ‘79. The setup that I was using was one provided by the State for both volunteer divers and project archaeologists. A Conshelf regulator on a steel 72 mounted on a backpack. On a working dive my partner was up current. ‘J’ valve was the safety device of the day. Mine got flipped on a survey stake on the wreck site I didn’t see or notice. SURPRISE !!! Thought that I could flip my ‘J’ valve but no such luck. It was already flipped. 220+/- feet up current to my buddy, but a 45’ controlled ascent was the better alternative…. No other divers in the water at that time. Later I decided to go for training to be a DM, got a safe second with longer hose and yellow markings. I also had a gauge and power inflator. The AOW training that started me was that the OOA diver confronted partner or other diver with ‘cross-throat’ OOA signal. Diver w/air initiated a ‘buddy breathe’ with their own regulator keeping control of OOA in case of panic. When things were OK. The diver with air would breathe off of octo until the OOA recipient was ‘stable’ enough to safely exchange regulators then ascend safely to the surface hopefully close to or at the exit location…. How curteous… sorry, when you are assisting instructors or even on a normal dive the OOA usually ‘goes for’ the brightly colored octo. And your demeanor changes into ‘rescue’ mode. I even had a student grab my mask and tear it off of my face as my demeanor switched from a relaxing ‘tour’ I was conducting of Ginnie Springs to reacting to what I thought was a panicked student diver….more to the story…Make your setup as if you were expecting a ‘worst case scenario’… check your partners gear and its location and have them do the same for your gear before going overboard on your dive. That is why I prefer my own gear to rental gear. I know where everything is and practice with it that way…

 

[jborg]

Now that IS a timely discussion.

Or maybe it was, 18 years ago.

 

[Scott G. Bonser]

Or maybe it was, 18 years ago.

Yes, true… still it is good to set up the best way for your diving needs and be prepared..

 

[derrickroger]

I'll apologize for the tone in advance....

In an OOA emergency a paniced diver is likely going to grab the reg from your mouth, not search for an octopus

Oh, please! In a real out of air emergency, the panicked diver will go for what he can get. A brightly colored alternate air source on a slightly longer hose is clearly visible and attractive to a diver needing air. If the Alternate has the hose attachement on the opposite side, it makes sharing easier, and it makes controlling the ascent MUCH easier. It also allows the team to head for the ascent point, since the sharing diver has a straight hose and the two can comfortably swim side by side.

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.

To answer the original question, at least one agency, NASDS, taught primary on right, Octo on left. I know several left handers that still use this. It has the advantage of giving the recipient a smooth single curved hose, instead of a double curve, which puts the team too close together and pulls on the mouthpiece adding to the general anxiety.

If anyone wants my opinion, the best rig for OPEN water diving, and I am not talking to the cave/tech crowd, the best rig for a dive leader is;
primary on right
Alternate air source on right, with the alternate having a left hand hose attachment, and a 40" yellow hose. The alternate should be clipped in a visible, easily accessable spot.

Sherwood used to make a left hand alternate, they now will only make them as special order in quantity. Aqualung's Calypso can be reversed, very simply, by any tech.

In a real OOA situation, the panicked diver is most likely to refuse all help and try to get to the surface, fast.

Fred i agree a new, inexperienced diver, "out of air" 1st reflex is, bolt to the surface and probably holding his breath all the way up. We have to teach him "new skills" teach him/her they cannot "bolt" but safer come to me, come to the reg i told you to come to. It dosn't matter if its on the LHS or the RHS
the first dive should have a "safety drill" a dive about sharing regs about supporting each other in an emergency - im out of air, he's out of air - get this down so its a "piece of cake" scuze the pun, so that its second nature, do not advance from this point unless its second nature, yes use long hoses makes the safety drill easier, yes use a reg with a LHD entry so that the hose is not kinked ......

I have never had an OOA diver try to pull my primary out of my mouth. Of the ones that did not take my Alternate, I have had them punch me in the eye, claw up my body stripping me of mask and mouthpiece, push me away, and several made it halfway to the surface without any mouthpiece in while I held on and tried to give them air. Yes, all that and more. And no, I have never let an out of air situation turn into an accident, or even a reason to miss the next dive. It is a learning experience for both people.

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

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Fred i agree a new, inexperienced diver, "out of air" 1st reflex is, bolt to the surface and probably holding his breath all the way up. We have to teach him "new skills" teach him/her they cannot "bolt" but safer come to me, come to the reg i told you to come to. It dosn't matter if its on the LHS or the RHS
the first dive should have a "safety drill" a dive about sharing regs about supporting each other in an emergency - im out of air, he's out of air - get this down so its a "piece of cake" scuze the pun, so that its second nature, do not advance from this point unless its second nature, yes use long hoses makes the safety drill easier, yes use a reg with a LHD entry so that the hose is not kinked ......

Are you aware that Fred has not been here since 2019?
This is a zombie thread. You guys need to start looking at dates and click on the persons name too, that will tell you the last time they’ve been seen.

 

[34109411]

c

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 you 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?

cause on the left you have already the inflation hose