can someone explain the octopus to me?

[ibj40]

For her it was a matter of simulacrum. Just because it was incorrect does not mean it should be reported.

I disagree. She is sending divers out with a complete misrepresentation of common nomenclature. These are not students who are prepared to dive in a world primarily populated with others who have been trained properly. Let's not reward mediocrity by ignoring it.

 

[FinnMom]

Welcome to the pond & I hope you enjoy your course & your new hobby. I remember being beside myself with excitement and wondering what my 1st scuba class was going to be like. I was lucky in that I was given a 400+ page book for the course (Sukellus by Vikman, fabulous book, very unfortunate that it's never been translated). Being a bit of a geek, I read most of it: a huge relief for a student desperately wanting more info & something to do for preparation.

Look on the Internet esp. for blogs by persons taking different classes. I found a great, detailed and fun blog once by someone taking the GUI course - don't know what the link was but maybe you will happen onto it as well.
Here's a few items I found for you:

Scuba Diver Open Water Diving Adventure Courses - PADI Scuba Diving Training Organization

The Daily Apple: Apple #469: Your First SCUBA Lesson

What to Expect on Your First Scuba Dive - Learn to Scuba Dive

Look too at the websites for diving magazines. They run "1st scuba class" aticles fairly often and some will be online in full to read for free. For example
How To Scuba Dive | Scuba Diving Training & Certification | Scuba Diving
Training - Divernet

IMHO if you want to prepare, it might be helpful to spend some time snorkeling. We seem to get a lot of adults now that clearly have never worn fins before, some of whom have never had a mask on & their face under water. It's always better to have a student who feels at home in the water and using the basic equipment (basic equipment meaning mask, snorkel & fins).

The one thing I would say is that if you have trouble with some skills as you are training, don't think that means you don't have the right stuff to be a diver. LOTS of people have trouble with various points, that's why we train and take it slow and easy. I've noticed some of the 5+ tech cert instructors on this board commenting how they has trouble with for example, with the mask clearing/no mask drills as a basic open water student. It's a long learning curve, that's part of what is great about scuba - there's always more to learn, more to practise, new skills to try.

Hope you have a great time!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Finn mom gave a lot of good advice. Doing your research ahead of time before signing anything or paying any money is wise. Not all OW classes are the same.
As for your question on the octopus or octo. That term is still used in a number of classes but some of us that teach are moving away from it in favor of just calling it a back up reg. It is a back up to your primary second stage. As such there is a point to be made of having it be of equal quality and performance, if not the exact same reg, as your primary. It would be adjustable so that you could detune it slightly and then open it up as it were when handing it off or using it yourself.
And we don't make it a different color. The color is so that a diver who is out of air can find it and is less likely to mug you for the one you are breathing from. Some even teach the diver to just open up their arms and let the other diver take the reg. While protecting the one they are using. A better system is to have the diver donating hand the working reg to the other diver and use the back up yourself. Hence you want both divers to be on high performance regs in a stressful situation.
On top of that you don't dive with those who tend to run out of gas.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[maniago]

With proper instruction, right? My instructor called the 1st/2nd/alt air source/console setup the octopus because she thought it looked like it. It's so hit and miss with PADI.

Good gravy Charlie Brown. This is an unacceptable mistake for an instructor if she wasn't joking. I mean, would you take instruction from a driving instructor who called the steering wheel the "5th wheel" and meant it?

 

[WB2GLP]

Yes and yes.....to answer your questions.

 

[spectrum]

My instructor called the 1st/2nd/alt air source/console setup the octopus because she thought it looked like it.

That's as valid a statement as any. Originally when the spartan single hose regulators began to sprout ports and hoses for inflaters, alternate second stages and and dry suits the octopus term was coined for the very reason your instructor cited.

Over time the octopus came to be a common term for alternate second stage in the idiom. In many cases it is commercially used in sales and training material making it as valid as anything else.

Today Regulator Set seems to be the most commonly used term for the while ganglia of hoses or octopus.

---------- Post added March 15th, 2014 at 08:39 AM ----------

That's as valid a statement as any. Originally when the spartan single hose regulators began to sprout ports and hoses for inflaters, alternate second stages and and dry suits the octopus term was coined for the very reason your instructor cited.

Over time the octopus came to be a common term for alternate second stage in the idiom. In many cases it is commercially used in sales and training material making it as valid as anything else.

Today Regulator Set seems to be the most commonly used term for the while ganglia of hoses or octopus.

The deprecating attitude of several dive professionals posting above serves to highlight their shallow understanding of the history of the sport.

 

[FinnMom]

Well that's a neat little piece of history! It sounds like a typical example of how terms evolve, esp. in informal speech.

 

[avenger79]

hey guys, thanks for all the responses. yes I do intend to take the class this spring and I realize they will explain everything. I like to have a little info ahead of time though.

my G/F is currently signed up for her intro to scuba class. 3 hr pool session just to see if she likes it at all. she has been snorkeling with me so I think she'll do fine. I grew up near a lake as a kid. love to swim, sail, kayak, and have even tried SUP once.

No intention of buying gear, Other then the mask etc until after certified.

Finn mom -- WOW!! great links thanks. lots of good info

 

[Searcaigh]

Good gravy Charlie Brown. This is an unacceptable mistake for an instructor if she wasn't joking. I mean, would you take instruction from a driving instructor who called the steering wheel the "5th wheel" and meant it?

Surely it's the 6th wheel, the 5th is the spare (assuming there is a spare and not one of these vehicles that no longer has one!)

 

[ibj40]

That's as valid a statement as any. Originally when the spartan single hose regulators began to sprout ports and hoses for inflaters, alternate second stages and and dry suits the octopus term was coined for the very reason your instructor cited.

Over time the octopus came to be a common term for alternate second stage in the idiom. In many cases it is commercially used in sales and training material making it as valid as anything else.

Today Regulator Set seems to be the most commonly used term for the while ganglia of hoses or octopus.

---------- Post added March 15th, 2014 at 08:39 AM ----------



The deprecating attitude of several dive professionals posting above serves to highlight their shallow understanding of the history of the sport.

But be careful when you get to the edge of the ocean, so that you don't fall off the flat side.