Can I dive without an octo?

[wetb4igetinthewater]

[there is an entire diving federation that does not consider it dangerous for ...

Isn't that the same federation that trains to dive to 60 meters on air?

 

[Mike Boswell]

Buy another second, solve the issue now and later.

If I was buddy diving, I wouldn't dive without a second second stage because it is rare that anyone would know how to buddy breathe. If I was solo, no big deal.

Strongly agree. I bought a spare 2nd stage (hose and regulator), I take it on trips, and I've used it several times when I had problems with my main or octo.

 

[formernuke]

they are taught to exhale fully before starting that ascent.

Not true

 

[boulderjohn]

they are taught to exhale fully before starting that ascent.

Not true

Here is an old video from the US Navy teaching the buoyant ascent. Note what it says at about 1:25 of the video: "The prime factor of this technique being the initial expulsion of all air from the lungs followed by exhalation all the way to the surface."

 

[jale]

Here is an old video from the US Navy teaching the buoyant ascent. Note what it says at about 1:25 of the video: "The prime factor of this technique being the initial expulsion of all air from the lungs followed by exhalation all the way to the surface."

really informative.
Thanks

 

[formernuke]

Here is an old video from the US Navy teaching the buoyant ascent. Note what it says at about 1:25 of the video: "The prime factor of this technique being the initial expulsion of all air from the lungs followed by exhalation all the way to the surface."

As someone who went through the ascent training, nope they teach slow exhale just like a CESA

 

[Divrtim]

Of course you can dive without an octo. If you encounter an out of air diver, he/she will rip your primary right out of your mouth and you will get to experience diving without air. It's your call: no octo for them equals no air for you.

 

[formernuke]

Of course you can dive without an octo. If you encounter an out of air diver, he/she will rip your primary right out of your mouth and you will get to experience diving without air. It's your call: no octo for them equals no air for you.

Or stay at 3 feet and stand up

 

[Soloist]

Or stay at 3 feet and stand up

Slowly…while exhaling.

 

[60plus]

And is this something you are recommending from experience? To a new diver? As a reasonable choice after making a poor choice in gear configuration AND no buddy?

I posted what I did because it is probable my experience is different from a proportion of other divers on this forum, it is a case of making people aware of different possibilities. This is the basic scuba section, not the new diver section. It has nothing to do with poor choice of gear configuration. Suppose you are on a dive boat 45 minutes or more from base with 2 dives planned. The chances of someone abandoning the second dive just because a secondary reg has been put out of order on the first is very slim. The will take the chance and dive without an alternate, because there is always cesa or someone who does have an alternate source. In my own club buddy skills are pretty good and getting onto someone's alternate would probably only take a few seconds. On quite a number of holiday dives I do, buddy skills are near non existent with divers scattered all over the place. In OA situation surfacing by cesa of weight drop may well be the preferable option. When sea diving I carry my weights in 3 places that can be dropped independently, this means dropping only a portion of my weight does not result in an uncontrolled ascent.