Randy43068
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crazy regulator question
- Thread starter H2O Gal
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Randy43068
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sorry Jeff, but that's got to be the most dumb ass-ed configuration I've heard of.
H2O Gal,
I understand your problem. I have a much higher breathing rate than my wife. We have different tank sizes that helps compensate for the different SAC level. When we go places we can't take our tanks (flying to destinations) we have somewhat of the same problem except I can usually last the dive time the operator has set forth for the dive.
Aside from the longer hose, cardio workouts will aid in reducing your SAC rate. Not only will the help with diving but they will help your overall health too. I'm by no means "top fit" but I do exercise regularly which has helped get my SAC rate closer to my wife's.
I understand your problem. I have a much higher breathing rate than my wife. We have different tank sizes that helps compensate for the different SAC level. When we go places we can't take our tanks (flying to destinations) we have somewhat of the same problem except I can usually last the dive time the operator has set forth for the dive.
Aside from the longer hose, cardio workouts will aid in reducing your SAC rate. Not only will the help with diving but they will help your overall health too. I'm by no means "top fit" but I do exercise regularly which has helped get my SAC rate closer to my wife's.
A dive operator I use in Cozumel has all of its DMs in long hoses, although they do it differently from most by having it on the alternate instead of the primary. When leading a group, when the first diver reaches a certain point in air pressure, that diver shares the DMs air using the long hose. When a second diver reaches that point, they start the ascent.
With a 7 foot hose, the sharing is pretty comfortable.
If you go this route, you will have to decide which is the best way to do it.
Having it on the alternate means figuring a way to store the hose while diving but still have it easy to deploy. If you figure that out, it is otherwise the same as usual.
If you decide to go the normal route of putting the long hose on the primary (which I recommend), you will then need to change the way you do your alternate. This means putting a bungee cord around the mouthpiece and putting it around your neck like a necklace. When you donate the primary, you just lift the alternate into your mouth. You route the 7 foot primary house under your arm, across your chest, and around your neck, tucking the excess length into your belt or some similar part of your BCD. (I assume you are not using a backplate and wing.) When you donate, you move your hand in a circular motion that unwinds the hose from around your neck. It goes really fast. You should practice this a number of times to get it right.
My guess is that if you do this for a while, you will prefer the setup to your normal one anyway.
With a 7 foot hose, the sharing is pretty comfortable.
If you go this route, you will have to decide which is the best way to do it.
Having it on the alternate means figuring a way to store the hose while diving but still have it easy to deploy. If you figure that out, it is otherwise the same as usual.
If you decide to go the normal route of putting the long hose on the primary (which I recommend), you will then need to change the way you do your alternate. This means putting a bungee cord around the mouthpiece and putting it around your neck like a necklace. When you donate the primary, you just lift the alternate into your mouth. You route the 7 foot primary house under your arm, across your chest, and around your neck, tucking the excess length into your belt or some similar part of your BCD. (I assume you are not using a backplate and wing.) When you donate, you move your hand in a circular motion that unwinds the hose from around your neck. It goes really fast. You should practice this a number of times to get it right.
My guess is that if you do this for a while, you will prefer the setup to your normal one anyway.
Scott L
Contributor
The immediate remedy is either renting larger cylinders at a dive shop somewhere in between your home and the dock or select a charter operation with a wider selection....
scubafanatic
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...absolutely true ! The vast majority of resorts/liveaboards will be using AL80/63's....if you are lucky, a small % will have a few tanks "one size larger" .....for example AL 80 vs LP 95...or..... AL 80 vs AL 100 ....or AL 80 vs HP 100.
Hubby either needs to maybe consider 'slinging' an AL 80 along with his backgas AL 80. (that's gonna be way easier than trying to round up/build 'doubles').
...if you just want to 'improve' the air-share procedure, I'd suggest you opt for one of those 'omni-directional' octos...octos that don't have an upside-down or right-side up......Oceanic Omega (discontinued recently but still show up on E-Bay)...or the Poseidon regs (I prefer the Jetstream....Poseidon also has the Xtream...and Cyklon)....on all my regs I use the Apex Egress octo (flat little disk shaped octo) that works in any 'direction'.
...using something like the Apex Egress, on a 4 ft hose, has worked really well for me...it's small/compact, and has good performance...and since it can be flipped over, I find that a 4 ft. hose is sufficient...so I don't have to go the full 'tech mode 7' hose and have to deal with the big long snake shaped hose that happens when one uses a conventional 2nd-stage as an octo, since you have to have the hose rather long to keep the conventional 'octo' right-side-up.
To OP - A low cost / simple solution would be to just get an elbow type swivel for the octopus second similar to the ones on these pages:
Adapters and Special Fittings - Dive Gear Express
or Zeagle Swivel Elbow reviews and discounts, Zeagle
A longer hose would make things easier.
As mentioned above - Apeks makes second stages that can easily be set up for either right or left hose entry with no extra parts, and many side exhaust regs such as poseidon makes can be used upside down.
One thing to consider is that if you share air you should make sure that if either your or your buddies scuba fails (free flow - run out of air etc) you have enough air for both divers to ascend safely on the remaining scuba unit. A larger cylinder or doubles may be a better idea rather than sharing air. For travelling, independent doubles is a good option that I have used a lot with standard rental 80s for deep / deco diving, but may also be useful for your application. Some people also use these cylinders as stage bottles for extra gas.
Cheers
Adapters and Special Fittings - Dive Gear Express
or Zeagle Swivel Elbow reviews and discounts, Zeagle
A longer hose would make things easier.
As mentioned above - Apeks makes second stages that can easily be set up for either right or left hose entry with no extra parts, and many side exhaust regs such as poseidon makes can be used upside down.
One thing to consider is that if you share air you should make sure that if either your or your buddies scuba fails (free flow - run out of air etc) you have enough air for both divers to ascend safely on the remaining scuba unit. A larger cylinder or doubles may be a better idea rather than sharing air. For travelling, independent doubles is a good option that I have used a lot with standard rental 80s for deep / deco diving, but may also be useful for your application. Some people also use these cylinders as stage bottles for extra gas.
Cheers
fnfalman
Contributor
5ft or 7ft Long hose is the easiest configuration.
Or you can mount the octo on the left side so that when you deploy the octo, you grab it with your left hand and give it to the hubby. That way he can swim along your left side without any kink to the hose. This is the easiest configuration to achieve, especially if you're using rental regulators. The LDS probably not too keen on mounting long hose on their regs, but switching the octo from right to left can be done in half a minute.
If you bring your own regs for travel then it doesn't matter, set it up with the long hose and call it a day.
Or you can mount the octo on the left side so that when you deploy the octo, you grab it with your left hand and give it to the hubby. That way he can swim along your left side without any kink to the hose. This is the easiest configuration to achieve, especially if you're using rental regulators. The LDS probably not too keen on mounting long hose on their regs, but switching the octo from right to left can be done in half a minute.
If you bring your own regs for travel then it doesn't matter, set it up with the long hose and call it a day.
Scott L
Contributor
I am sure there are exceptions but a bit of shoe leather or in these days, a few mouse clicks will solve most all problems....
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