Carrying Three Regulators

[Twiddles]

If you use an alternate air source such as a pony bottle (with its own regulator and spg), should you still have an alternate regulator on your main tank? I have been carrying three and frankly the jumble is annoying.

I have never had issue telling the regulators apart (pony from main). My pony reg is identical to my main (Titan). The alternate is bright yellow and the flat regulator type. I have used it but I certainly wouldn't use it for anything other than UP.

I was taught with the alternate so its never even crossed my mind till now that it may not be needed/useful for anything anyway.

PS.

By the way!! Hello everyone, I hope you have all been having fun. My wife and I have been having a blast. Never diving enough to satisfy, only diving enough to dream of the next time.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

It depends.

Even with a pony the octo is a means for both divers to access the contents of the primary tank. In some cases that is preferable to having one diver on the pony, especially if it is a small pony.

Also, if you sling the pony it is nice to still have an alternate as you may hand the poy off to another diver.

The other side of the argument is that it is three second stages and more clutter.

 

[atedeschi]

it does not depend, lose the octo. you only need 2 second stages, just make sure your pony bottle is a decent size, 19cu ft.

 

[Gilldiver]

Back in the day that means 1970s and 80s using 3 regs was standard for most wreck divers. We had either 2 independent tanks set in doubles bands or using a 2 post manifold. Then a pony was strapped on to them. What you seem to be doing results in the same clutter around your neck. This photo should show you what I mean (you can also see what a Jersy Reel is and how we carried it):

This resulted in having 3 2nd stages around your neck and we had a number of deaths due to divers jumping in on the pony, getting to the bottom and running out. At 200 feet on air, your ability to handel things was limited at times.

One way we learned to managed it was to use 3 different designed 2nd stages. It was common to use a Poseidon Jetstream (showerhead) and a Poseidon Cyclon (Hockey Puck) on the main tanks and a US Divers Conshelf on the pony. That way you knew from feel what take you were on.

Today, there is no reason to use this configuration, learn to sling the pony from your BC. The pony reg is strapped to the tank out of your way, it can be handed off easily, and in rough water handed up to the boat to make it easier to get back on when the boat is rolling and bucking.

 

[Dtaine]

I think the most important thing is that whether or not you ditch the octo on your main tank you still leave yourself with a configuration that you and your buddy are comfortable with in an emergency situation.

Personally I'm slinging a 40 cubic foot tank on my recreational dives. My main tank still has both second stages and my octo's out of the way on a bungee around my neck.

The most important thing about it though is that 1) my buddy's understand the setup and are comfortable air-sharing and 2) proper gas management is done on every dive.

So no matter what setup you have get comfortable with it, know how to comfortably share air in an emergency, and make sure you're planning your dives such that you and your buddy both would have enough gas getting to the surface should that emergency arise.

If you posted a picture of your current setup then I could give you some more exact suggestions as to how to get rid of the "jumble".

 

[atedeschi]

there is no reason to carry 3, its makes failure points such as, entanglement, freeflow, and the most important thing is if you are out of air, your buddy is probably out or close so sharing air off the octo is pointless. you are also in the real world of diving now, you may lose a buddy and then you are **** out of luck, so carry a pony bottle. i use one for any dive over 60' & personally i think the training agenices should push it.

 

[Dtaine]

there is no reason to carry 3, its makes failure points such as, entanglement, freeflow, and the most important thing is if you are out of air, your buddy is probably out or close so sharing air off the octo is pointless. you are also in the real world of diving now, you may lose a buddy and then you are **** out of luck, so carry a pony bottle. i use one for any dive over 60' & personally i think the training agenices should push it.

I disagree with this, and here's why.

Regarding entanglement; with properly routed hoses the chance of entanglement is significantly reduced.

With well-maintained regulators freeflows should rarely happen. Also, if one occurs that's sufficient enough to be of concern it's probably a problem with your first stage, not one of the seconds, and it won't matter whether you've got one or two second stages attached to that first stage.

And regarding the OOA scenario, this simply shouldn't happen. You should always plan on having a sufficient minimum gas reserve such that both you and your buddy can reach the surface. Even in the real world, being "**** out of luck" happens because of avoidable mistakes more than anything else.

 

[atedeschi]

having 3 2nd stages is not as streamlined as two, no matter how you run the hoses. it is not needed, its overkill for nothing. you can plan all you want **** happens and if you run out of air or have a failure and your buddy is not their then what? you can have the best buddy awareness and still lose your buddy. i have been on dives where my buddy is 5 ft from me look down at a lobster, look up and guess what not there. well he was there couldn't see him because a scalop dredge went by the wreck and silted everything out. you should be selfsuffiecent, and with just and octo you are not.

in term of planning, are you doing disimilair tank calculations, sac rates for buddy etc. probably not.

 

[Dtaine]

having 3 2nd stages is not as streamlined as two, no matter how you run the hoses. it is not needed, its overkill for nothing.

If allowing both you and your buddy to access your backgas is "nothing" to you then we simply have a disagreement in air-sharing protocols.

you can plan all you want **** happens and if you run out of air or have a failure and your buddy is not their then what?

Okay, so we're talking about two divers with single tanks, and the diver in question is carrying a pony tank. Please tell me, what unavoidable scenario leads to that diver running OOA?

you can have the best buddy awareness and still lose your buddy. i have been on dives where my buddy is 5 ft from me look down at a lobster, look up and guess what not there. well he was there couldn't see him because a scalop dredge went by the wreck and silted everything out. you should be selfsuffiecent, and with just and octo you are not.

I agree with self-sufficiency, but I also think having access to the backgas is important for both divers on the buddy team.

in term of planning, are you doing disimilair tank calculations, sac rates for buddy etc. probably not.

On recreational dives all that's needed is a minimum gas reserve and a set turn pressure for both divers. Calculating that is child's play.

 

[atedeschi]

no you do not need both divers having access to BG on a single tank dive. This is why they are carrying a pony bottle (min 19cu ft). If you are carrying a pony bottle there should be no way to run out of air. i think i hit all your topics.