Bought new balanced second stage - old second stage to back-up?

[Hoomi]

As the subject line states, I bought a new balanced second stage to replace my old Brut. The Brut still works fine, but I wanted to go with a reg that was a bit more even across the depth range. I've thought about moving my old Brut to the back-up position, but wondered if there was some rule, written or unwritten, that the back-up needs to have some high-visibility yellow trim.

Am I better off leaving the old Sherwood back-up, with its faded yellow purge-valve button, or is it fine to switch over to the Brut?

 

[scubafanatic]

Let me check the rule book......

 

[tursiops]

As the subject line states, I bought a new balanced second stage to replace my old Brut. The Brut still works fine, but I wanted to go with a reg that was a bit more even across the depth range. I've thought about moving my old Brut to the back-up position, but wondered if there was some rule, written or unwritten, that the back-up needs to have some high-visibility yellow trim.

Am I better off leaving the old Sherwood back-up, with its faded yellow purge-valve button, or is it fine to switch over to the Brut?

Some people will just look for yellow....but a yellow hose or a yellow face plate is fine. Just talk to your buddy before the dive.
Others, the smart ones, will talk with you (if they are your buddy) before a dive and you can discuss the color of your alternate and where it is located.
And some divers offer the reg in their mouth and THEY grab their alternate, which may be on a necklace close to their mouth. in this case, you DEFINITELY want to talk to your buddy before the dive.
What is the message? Talk to your buddy before the dive....this is much more important than the color of something.

 

[Oldbear]

Remember OW class, it is customary to have your alternate air supply (octo) in the "golden triangle" below the chin and extending down both sides to your hips. Like Tursiops said your first step is a good Predive safety check to discuss each other's dive gear configurations.

A yellow alternate air supply makes it easy to identify in the water, but is not a required color. Your very best bet is to take the pro active approach and monitor your air supply often and if needed your dive buddy's too.

 

[Hoomi]

My Dive Buddy is, most often, my wife, and we both have octo holders that keep the back-up secured on the front of the right shoulder. Not only do we like this for keeping it where we can find it quickly, it also keeps it from dragging along any part of the undersea environment. It bugs me a bit when I see divers (or videos of divers) swimming along with their back-up regs and/or SPGs dangling along unrestrained. It's not that difficult to keep them close to the body and away from the coral. (Yeah, yeah, preachin' to the choir here, I'm sure)

Having found that I most often go through air faster than my wife, I've developed the habit of keeping a close eye on my air supply. In over 9 years of diving, I haven't needed to share air yet, and hope to keep it that way.

We also have that silly habit of checking to make sure things are working right before the dive, like taking a breath off both the primary and back-up second stages, before we descend.

 

[Bob DBF]

I've never had a yellow backup second stage, if that helps.


Bob

 

[Couv]

Your new second stage is of more concern. For optimal performance, it "may" have to be adjusted to the intermediate pressure of your first stage.

Still waiting on my friend @scubafanatic to check his rule book, but mine has no objections to your plan.