Bungee necklace?

[DutchDown]

Not sure if this is the best forum in which to pose my question, but since I am new 2 scuba, I suppose I'll go ahead and ask. I've read a number of posts which recommend wearing your octopus attached to a bungee necklace. All I can visualize is using a bungee cord...the kind with the metal hooks on each end. I'm pretty sure this can't be what is intended. What is a bungee necklace and how is it fashioned?
Thanks to all who take the time to assist us newbies.

 

[dsgobie]

Surgical tubing... And there are a few ways I've seen to attach it. One it to overlap the end's knot off each side, secure it a bit better with quick ties, and it makes kind of a "loop" so that you could remove it from the regular. I've also saw the two ends included in the quicktie holding the mouthpeice on the reg. And last, add a second quicktie just in front of the mouth peice. Then knot the ends of the tubing, and secure it to the reg with the additional quicktie.

DIR?? Any other ways?

 

[Uncle Pug]

hopefully someone with the links to photos will be along shortly... or at least tomorrow.

Until then... a loop of 1/8" bungee (without hooks ) is secured to the backup second stage by placing the ends under the ziptie that holds the mouthpiece on... or alternately the ends of the bungee are ziptied to the loop a inch or so past each other so that they for a much smaller loop that can be slipped over the mouth piece.

In the first method (I've used both) some folks tie a knot in the ends of the bungee so that it can't slip out from under the ziptie. I have not found this to be necessary myself.

In the second method be sure that the small loop is small enough... it should fit tightly around the base of the mouth piece but if someone were to grab the regulator and pull it forcefully it would pull free from the the necklace without pulling the mouthpiece off.

The loop of the necklace should be just large enough that the second stage hangs under the chin at the base of the neck.

When donning and doffing the necklace it is best not pull on the regulator itself... grasp the bungee with a hand on each side of your head and pull it off. This will prevent pulling the bungee loose from the regulator.

 

[Bob3]

Here's a basic discussion on the topic along with some pics:
http://www.scubadiving.com/talk/read.php?f=1&i=666566&t=666546

 

[Ziggys_Friend]

And here’s “our” version of the process http://www.scubaboard.com/t19036/scfac89967f9ddbaf9766fb575980010b.html

And another pic
http://www.oddessydivecenter.com/halcyon_backup_necklace.jpg

 

[Wendy]

Just thought it should be mentioned, sinc eit was a new diver that asked the question, that when you use the bungee necklace that the reg is considered a backup and not an octo, since you will be donating the reg from your mouth to an out of air (OOA) diver and then you switch to the backup reg on the necklace.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Wendy once bubbled...
that when you use the bungee necklace that the reg is considered a backup and not an octo, since you will be donating the reg from your mouth to an out of air (OOA) diver and then you switch to the backup reg on the necklace.

Your primary in this case should be on a longer hose... 40" is permissible for OW.... 7' prefered for any overhead and a lot of us use the 7' for OW too.

Here is a picture of Shane and my backups.

 

[Dr. Jay]

Uncle Pug, I noticed that you mentioned 1/8" diameter bungee for the backup necklace. I tried using some 1/4" bungee I had laying around and it seemed way too big. Is the 1/8" still sturdy enough to last a while?

I decided to use bungee instead of surgical tubing to avoid the whole cracking thing, but are there any advantages/disadvantages to using either?

 

[Bob3]

1/8" bungee works just fine, if you go with tubing, you can sneak up to a 1/4". The big thing to remember is that if you go the zip tie/mouthpiece route, not to knot the ends or you'll risk stripping the mouthpiece off the reg.
Surgical tubing is easier on the neck if used in warm water.

Surgical tubing holds up for years if kept out of the sun. Latex tubing on the other hand, can degrade in less than a season with a fair amount of sunlight exposure.

The difference between the "octo" and the "backup" is that the backup has its own 1st stage, the octo shares 1st stages with your primary.
In cold water, your 1st stage is normally what pukes, making the use of BOTH seconds a problem.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Dr. Jay once bubbled...
are there any advantages/disadvantages to using either?

You will see in my picture that Shane uses the 1/8" bungee and I use 1/4" surgical tubing... both work fine with the bungee lasting longer than the surgical tubing.

Sugical tubing is marginally cheaper but none of this stuff is going to break the bank.

Bob makes a good point about the knots pulling the mouthpiece off... but then that isn't the end of the world either.

I have had my surgical tubing pull out from under the ziptie... when I flipped my tank off over my head (in water removal) without taking the necklace off first.

octo~backup... semantics... doesn't matter... but usually around here:

If it is not your primary reg and it is on a longer hose to be donated in an OOA it is an octo.

If it is not your primary reg but is bungeed under your chin as a backup for when you donate your primary in an OOA then it is...
a backup.