Dissimilar rigs ...

[MXGratefulDiver]

Went diving with a fellow on a rebreather the other night, and it got me thinking about what preparations should we be considering when we dive with someone who's using a different kind of rig than we do? Might be worth a topic to talk about.

- Do you dive with people who wear different equipment than you do?
- What preparations do you make, if any, to accommodate the differences?
- Does it change your pre-dive routine? And if so, how?

By dissimilar rigs, we could be talking about anything from ...

- Inline secondary regulator vs octopus
- Hogarthian setup vs standard recreational
- Doubles vs singles
- Sidemount vs backmount
- Open circuit vs closed circuit

Thoughts?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[FinnMom]

I like doing the pre-dive check together such that you watch your buddy do everything as you do it too. I see how his reg1 works, I see how reg2 works and where it's stowed, I see how his suit inflates, how it deflates and I see how his wing/BCD inflates/deflates. Last of all is wing/BCD oral (manual) inflate; doing that every time keeps us all subconsiously aware that oral inflation is an option.
The "checks together" method also lets you be sure your buddy did his checks; that's better for him & better for you. The suit inflate/deflate will hopefully catch an open zipper too.

If I dive with a REBE guy I ask which bailout tank is the one if I need an alternate air source.

I'd never thought of it before but I should also make sure that REBE guy's bailout doesn't have a reg I find too funky to easiliy use.

 

[nolatom]

I don't tend to get sidemount or doubles buddies, why would they want me and my rented 80?

But I do get Air2, integrated weight belt, bp&wingies buddies. I want them to know what I have, and I know what they have, which reg they want to donate, and how much PSI we're both starting with. Asking and watching also helps me know whether *they* know what they have, and how to use it. Also how do they signal air pressure with hand, what do they carry in their pockets, are you a hand-signal or slate communicator, stuff like that. Plus what we plan to "do" with the dive.

I once buddied with a guy who had a Hogarthian (or was it just weird? i couldn't tell) rig, one regulator, no alternate. So we talked about buddy-breathing.

I tend to show up at dive boats alone, so this mutual orientation with the pickup-buddy is a very good idea. I have learned a lot of good stuff from good buddies, and even from the very few bad buddies--even learning bad stuff is at least useful. If nothing ever goes wrong, you never learn what to do or how you'll react if it does.

Besides, Big Women Really *Are* Fun, jah?

 

[j2s]

Be some interesting "what-if's" when thinking of buddy divers, one using OC and one CCR......Sharing in an emergency......In different length/depth dives.......Then add Trimix to the scenario !!!!!!......

 

[DaleC]

Bob, that describes most of my diving since the start. After a few "situations" I decided that I would pursue a path self reliance instead of buddy dependance. How that translates is that I really don't need anything my buddy has to conduct my dive. So, how one configures one's rig, or the condition that it's in, really doesn't matter to me (in a survival sense).

That doesn't mean I'm not an attentive or dependable buddy though. Everything I have is available to my partner and I am more than willing to demonstrate it's use. I'm also willing to pay as much attention to their rig as they want me to. The difference is that my partners can invest as much or as little attention towards their survival as they want.

Some of my buddies are quite experienced and solo routinely. We are content to be same ocean divers and barely look at each others rigs.
Others like to form strong buddy teams and we do straight forward pre-dive work that includes goal setting, alternate planning and equipment checks.

The only exception to that is with new divers where I will assume a "mentor like" role and insist on doing a fairly thorough pre-dive briefing. I figure they may not have the capacity to make an informed decision regarding the risks they could be incurring and would feel a sense of neglect if harm came to them that way. If they are so arrogant at that stage to resist common sense though, I just wouldn't dive with them.

As to gear, I generally look to see the specific mechanism for ditching weight. I see how their BC is fastened. I see if their octo is trapped or dangling and how difficult it is to deploy. That's it. Everything else is generic enough. In my books, RB pilots had better not be expecting unknown OC divers to understand their rigs, just before a dive. Same with tech divers. That's got to be some sort of "rule" violation.

 

[Bob DBF]

Some of my buddies are quite experienced and solo routinely. We are content to be same ocean divers and barely look at each others rigs.
Others like to form strong buddy teams and we do straight forward pre-dive work that includes goal setting, alternate planning and equipment checks.

You made me chuckle, I have one buddy that fits both bills. Spear fishing it's same ocean buddies, but when we are working one our projects, especially when deep, the pre-dive check and plan is extensive.



Bob
--------------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[Searcaigh]

My local configuration is generally a single tank on the back with a side slung pony and no octopus on my primary first stage. I also dive doubles with a side slung pony usually with EAN50 on some specific dives. The majority of my local dives are usually solo, although I do go through a "dry" buddy check with the boatman or DM/Instructor before leaving the boat.

My usual buddies dive normal rigs and understand my configurations, we have also developed our own system of communicating underwater with unique signs developed over years of diving with each other as well as over a few post dive refreshments

Never dived with anyone using rebreathers although an Austrian ex-colleague and frequent dive buddy does dive CCR but never travels with it and has been trying for years to persuade me to cross over to that dark side. I am sure he just wants to kill me and take all my OC equipment (j/k).

My traveling rig has an octopus and long hose, although I never have had to deploy the long hose in an emergency, when diving with a new buddy I do explain to them the reason for having one.

I believe it is up to the person using non-standard equipment to explain where everything is and how to works to the buddy using a standard
gear set up.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Similar mind set, similar planning, and similar emergency protocols are much more important than exact same equipment, IMHO.

Tobin

 

[chrpai]

I believe it is up to the person using non-standard equipment to explain where everything is and how to works to the buddy using a standard gear set up.

I'd challenge you to define "standard". As a buddy I need to know two things. 1) How you'll help me and 2) How I'll help you. It's both buddies responsibility to ask and answer those questions.

 

[Searcaigh]

I'd challenge you to define "standard". As a buddy I need to know two things. 1) How you'll help me and 2) How I'll help you. It's both buddies responsibility to ask and answer those questions.

Good point chrpai

Well IMO "standard" is a normal rig with two second stages on (30" + 40" hoses), LP inflator connected to a BCD and a set of gauges on an HP line and an 80 cu ft tank.

I would say that in most places I have dived 99% of the divers are using that configuration