Do I Really Need An Octopus?

[Eric S]

Diving mainly open water non-technical, no deco in a group or semi-soli. Do I really need an octopus?

 

[Eris Lucan7*]

Like a string....and to blow up airbags...


E.L.7*

 

[JBRES1]

Eric,
No you don't need one, but then again you don't need auto , home, life or health insurance.
Your octupus is just like any other form of insurance, you hope to never need it but it sure is nice to have if something goes wrong. Your octupus is also insurance for your buddy.
So the short answer is no you don't need an octupus.
Side note - if you don't have a octupus there are going to be divers that will not want to buddy up with you.
Jim Breslin

 

[mkutyna]

Ask your buddies. They'll be the ones that will probably be doing a solo emergency ascent if they run out of air and you have no octopus.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Would you not want your dive buddy to have one? An octo isnt a technical diving thing, its a safety thing....Deco and all that has nothing to do with an octo....being safe in case of an emergency, due to lack of air or faulty primary, is the reason for an octo.....

Lets hope you never have to tell us about using it, but please buy one and safe diving

 

[texdiveguy]

Diving mainly open water non-technical, no deco in a group or semi-soli. Do I really need an octopus?

Not sure what you mean by semi-soli(solo)?

It is certainly advisable to have an octo....is it the 'law'-no.

Why would you not want to have an octo?

 

[merxlin]

Hmmmmm. Got gills?

(I know, don't feed the troll)

 

[ItsBruce]

I, and many other divers, would not dive with you as a buddy unless you have an octo. I simply do not trust that in the event of an emergency you would buddy-breath with me. Sorry.

Many dive-ops / captains will not let you dive solo.

Therefore, without an octo, you might find yourself alone on the boat during the dive.

 

[PerroneFord]

I, and many other divers, would not dive with you as a buddy unless you have an octo. I simply do not trust that in the event of an emergency you would buddy-breath with me.

Buddy breathe? Buddy takes his reg... buddy is breathing. Donor drowns. What was that story from a year or two ago where the buddy ran out of air, got air from the doner, and donor drown after the buddy tore the hose or something like that?

Someone in desperate need of air, is going to get it. Whether the donor wants them to or not.

But someone questioning whether they need or octo or not is telling the world plain and clear that they don't give a flying flip about their buddy...

 

[spacemanspiff1974]

I took open water back in 1988 from the YMCA. I seem to remember that we all had to learn how to buddy breathe. I'd assume that this is still part of the program. Having an octo is more convenient, but nobody should be diving without knowing this basic skill.