Another air share question

[Bob Vincent]

Loads of different grips possible for an ascent, some are comfortable some aren't. After donating i grip the harness with left and right hand (one on each strap), then i can release with the left to dump my BC and raise left wrist to dump from drysuit with ease without letting go.

My octo also comes from the left not the right so its the correct way up for a receiver without twisting the hose.

Hey Sting the "left handed octo" was first pioneered with a longer than standard hose from 29" inches to 4' ft to 5'ft. I was an Instructor at the Underwater Sports in St Louis MO that pioneered the left handed Octo's. Back in the very early 80's we had Shelpac (Sherwood) in Kansas City, KS. make them for us and for awhile was becoming popular we sold alot of them. When students seen left handed octos on us they bought them. Like when we plugged the C02's on are BC's and everyone copied us, then US divers was one of our suppliers seen what we were doing and brought out C02-less BC. It might have been the JM Cousteau series in the pro-line.

 

[nereas]

Buoyancy control is the secondary concern: your primary concern is that your OOA diver/buddy (possibly distressed/paniced) might bolt to the surface with your octo in his mouth - hold onto his rig, and never let go of it.

Although if the guy is actually OOA then something in the procedures broke down a long time ago during the dive. Were you checking his SPG periodically, as well as your own? Likely not, or else the OOA situation would have been prevented.

MY primary concern (after planning the dive accordingly) is to monitor my own AND my buddy's SPG periodically so that an OOA situation never occurs.

I have noticed buddies with only 700 psi left, when I had still 1500 psi, and at that point we would normally begin our ascent and do our safety stop.

I have also noticed buddies with only 500 psi left, when I had still 1000 psi, and at that point I would donate to them my primary with my right hand, while I take my own secondary and begin to breathe from that. And then we would begin our ascent and do our safety stop. And yes, if someone is breathing from my donated primary, and they are not a technical diver, then I will be holding onto their right shoulder stap with my right hand.

There are lots of things that both buddies can do for each other to avoid an actual OOA situation. Monitoring is the main thing, after good dive planning. Prevention is the primary concern.

 

[daniel f aleman]

I can never understand why divers don't take twice as much gas as might be needed... true OOA situations, especially in deep water, is scary even for the best divers.

 

[nereas]

I can never understand why divers don't take twice as much gas as might be needed... true OOA situations, especially in deep, water is scary even for the best divers.

A good instructor should have taught everyone to monitor their own SPG and the SPG of their buddy, and then OOA would simply never occur. I know, these days, with the super-fast certifications, it is less common.

On the beach or boat, before going in, is a good time to ask your buddy what his SPG pressure is, and then tell him/her yours. I even like to look at their gauge myself, since seeing is believing, and since seeing reinforces memory, my memory.

Half way through the dive is a good time to ask your buddy (make the gauge signal) what his/her SPG pressure is now. It should be similar to yours. If they have less pressure remaining than you, that then tells you that you will need to turn around sooner than you had planned. From that point on, I ask about every few minutes.

Buddy awareness is a skill. For new divers it may be unfamiliar. But for seasoned divers, it is second nature.

 

[nereas]

I can never understand why divers don't take twice as much gas as might be needed... true OOA situations, especially in deep, water is scary even for the best divers.

A good instructor should have taught everyone to monitor their own SPG and the SPG of their buddy, and then OOA would simply never occur. I know, these days, with the super-fast certifications, it is less common.

On the beach or boat, before going in, is a good time to ask your buddy what his SPG pressure is, and then tell him/her yours. I even like to look at their gauge myself, since seeing is believing, and since seeing reinforces memory, my memory.

Half way through the dive is a good time to ask your buddy (make the gauge signal) what his/her SPG pressure is now. It should be similar to yours. If they have less pressure remaining than you, that then tells you that you will need to turn around sooner than you had planned. From that point on, I ask about every few minutes.

Buddy awareness is a skill. For new divers it may be unfamiliar. But for seasoned divers, it is second nature.

 

[nereas]

I can never understand why divers don't take twice as much gas as might be needed... true OOA situations, especially in deep, water is scary even for the best divers.

A good instructor should have taught everyone to monitor their own SPG and the SPG of their buddy, and then OOA would simply never occur. I know, these days, with the super-fast certifications, it is less common.

On the beach or boat, before going in, is a good time to ask your buddy what his SPG pressure is, and then tell him/her yours. I even like to look at their gauge myself, since seeing is believing, and since seeing reinforces memory, my memory.

Half way through the dive is a good time to ask your buddy (make the gauge signal) what his/her SPG pressure is now. It should be similar to yours. If they have less pressure remaining than you, that then tells you that you will need to turn around sooner than you had planned. From that point on, I ask about every few minutes.

Buddy awareness is a skill. For new divers it may be unfamiliar. But for seasoned divers, it is second nature.

 

[nereas]

I can never understand why divers don't take twice as much gas as might be needed... true OOA situations, especially in deep, water is scary even for the best divers.

A good instructor should have taught everyone to monitor their own SPG and the SPG of their buddy, and then OOA would simply never occur. I know, these days, with the super-fast certifications, it is less common.

On the beach or boat, before going in, is a good time to ask your buddy what his SPG pressure is, and then tell him/her yours. I even like to look at their gauge myself, since seeing is believing, and since seeing reinforces memory, my memory.

Half way through the dive is a good time to ask your buddy (make the gauge signal) what his/her SPG pressure is now. It should be similar to yours. If they have less pressure remaining than you, that then tells you that you will need to turn around sooner than you had planned. From that point on, I ask about every few minutes.

Buddy awareness is a skill. For new divers it may be unfamiliar. But for seasoned divers, it is second nature.

 

[nereas]

I can never understand why divers don't take twice as much gas as might be needed... true OOA situations, especially in deep, water is scary even for the best divers.

A good instructor should have taught everyone to monitor their own SPG and the SPG of their buddy, and then OOA would simply never occur. I know, these days, with the super-fast certifications, it is less common.

On the beach or boat, before going in, is a good time to ask your buddy what his SPG pressure is, and then tell him/her yours. I even like to look at their gauge myself, since seeing is believing, and since seeing reinforces memory, my memory.

Half way through the dive is a good time to ask your buddy (make the gauge signal) what his/her SPG pressure is now. It should be similar to yours. If they have less pressure remaining than you, that then tells you that you will need to turn around sooner than you had planned. From that point on, I ask about every few minutes.

Buddy awareness is a skill. For new divers it may be unfamiliar. But for seasoned divers, it is second nature.