OP
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
I'm listening guys. 
For clarification the GoPro is attached to the mask. Where ever the mask goes, the GoPro goes with it. That's why I came up with the little tether. I don't think this is very unusual. I've read quite a few accounts of lost GoPros and then the follow up thread of securing it. The way I made mine seemed like the simplest and most streamlined way to prevent losing both the camera and mask. In fact, some of the examples I've seen are terrible IMO. One example is where they're tethering it in front of them to a chest D ring which definitely creates an entanglement point.
Is getting your mask knocked off not a realistic problem when hunting larger game? I've seen some videos of AJ's beating the hell out of divers before and accounts of lost masks. What's wrong with a little ounce of prevention? Logic tells me If I'm at 100 ft. on a wreck and I just got bucked by a AJ or Cobia and my mask is knocked off, the ascent would pretty much suck. Conversely if my mask is sitting on my shoulder thanks to a 6" piece of nylon and I can just put the mask back, gain my composure and carry on, that seems like the better alternative. Obviously, just carrying a back up mask would eliminate that, but in an effort to minimize gear, assuming lens and skirt failure is extremely unlikely then wouldn't a small tether be a better option? Also, this little tether would be dictated by the dive and activity. In fact I haven't even used it yet. So to summarize, is a back up mask acceptable, but a little tether is not? If so, why?
As far as the pony goes, what is the risk in the in-line valve? Don't many technical divers use them? Has anyone ever heard a report of them failing? Again, applying logic, there's a few things to consider. Set the octo on my primary aside for a second. I could pressurize the bottle and then turn it off. If needed in an emergency I can **** around trying to open the valve back up. Another option is I could just leave it on, but that creates a huge risk of an unnoticed freeflow which makes the redundant air supply unreliable. And finally I could do as I originally have setup which is as simple as sliding open the in-line valve that is easily accessible right in front of my face attached to the second stage.
Now, there is the option of ditching the octo on my primary tank as you guys suggested and necklace the pony reg. However, I'm not exclusively solo diving and I may just be doing a fun exploratory dive with a buddy. In that case, I may not bring the pony. This now creates the situation where I would be constantly removing and adding the octo. Aside from that nuance, would there not be a greater risk of O ring failure from the constant removal when switching back and forth from buddy and solo diving? Also, my rock bottom calculation on the pony was for me solo. But let's say I'm doing a deep 100 ft. dive with the pony and a buddy. My buddy goes OOA. Now, do I donate my primary and switch to my pony on the necklace? Is my pony going to have enough gas for me with the added task of trying to ascend with a buddy holding on to me? I could then become OOA. That would suck. Or I could donate my pony and who knows what my buddy's rock bottom calculation is and he runs out of air "twice". Both situations could result in us sharing one reg.
Bare with me guys... Do technical divers eliminate their isolation manifold and backup regs because they have other tanks available? Do rebreather divers necklace their bailout bottles? Here's a better question. If I slung the pony, would you guys still recommend necklacing the pony and eliminating the octo on the primary?
I understand if someone is doing exclusive solo diving that there's really no need for the octo. But that wouldn't be my kind of diving. I'm trying to find a somewhat universal core setup that doesn't have to be changed much between buddy and solo diving. In my configuration, I'm also trying to keep my rig the same for muscle memory between buddy and solo diving and treat the pony as a slung pony that is simply carried on my tank rather than my BC while semi solo fishing and slung if deep buddy diving and left on the boat for shallow buddy diving.
As far as someone babysitting my ass, not at all. Hence the pony. But I wouldn't mind a solid buddy or team that watches each other's backs. Similar to your son having your back when your o ring extruded on your pony while spearfishing.
Does this make sense? Where am I wrong?
---------- Post added December 28th, 2015 at 07:37 PM ----------
Ironically I noticed this thread was bumped after my last post.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/solo-divers/502374-octopus-conundrum.html
For clarification the GoPro is attached to the mask. Where ever the mask goes, the GoPro goes with it. That's why I came up with the little tether. I don't think this is very unusual. I've read quite a few accounts of lost GoPros and then the follow up thread of securing it. The way I made mine seemed like the simplest and most streamlined way to prevent losing both the camera and mask. In fact, some of the examples I've seen are terrible IMO. One example is where they're tethering it in front of them to a chest D ring which definitely creates an entanglement point.
Is getting your mask knocked off not a realistic problem when hunting larger game? I've seen some videos of AJ's beating the hell out of divers before and accounts of lost masks. What's wrong with a little ounce of prevention? Logic tells me If I'm at 100 ft. on a wreck and I just got bucked by a AJ or Cobia and my mask is knocked off, the ascent would pretty much suck. Conversely if my mask is sitting on my shoulder thanks to a 6" piece of nylon and I can just put the mask back, gain my composure and carry on, that seems like the better alternative. Obviously, just carrying a back up mask would eliminate that, but in an effort to minimize gear, assuming lens and skirt failure is extremely unlikely then wouldn't a small tether be a better option? Also, this little tether would be dictated by the dive and activity. In fact I haven't even used it yet. So to summarize, is a back up mask acceptable, but a little tether is not? If so, why?
As far as the pony goes, what is the risk in the in-line valve? Don't many technical divers use them? Has anyone ever heard a report of them failing? Again, applying logic, there's a few things to consider. Set the octo on my primary aside for a second. I could pressurize the bottle and then turn it off. If needed in an emergency I can **** around trying to open the valve back up. Another option is I could just leave it on, but that creates a huge risk of an unnoticed freeflow which makes the redundant air supply unreliable. And finally I could do as I originally have setup which is as simple as sliding open the in-line valve that is easily accessible right in front of my face attached to the second stage.
Now, there is the option of ditching the octo on my primary tank as you guys suggested and necklace the pony reg. However, I'm not exclusively solo diving and I may just be doing a fun exploratory dive with a buddy. In that case, I may not bring the pony. This now creates the situation where I would be constantly removing and adding the octo. Aside from that nuance, would there not be a greater risk of O ring failure from the constant removal when switching back and forth from buddy and solo diving? Also, my rock bottom calculation on the pony was for me solo. But let's say I'm doing a deep 100 ft. dive with the pony and a buddy. My buddy goes OOA. Now, do I donate my primary and switch to my pony on the necklace? Is my pony going to have enough gas for me with the added task of trying to ascend with a buddy holding on to me? I could then become OOA. That would suck. Or I could donate my pony and who knows what my buddy's rock bottom calculation is and he runs out of air "twice". Both situations could result in us sharing one reg.
Bare with me guys
... Do technical divers eliminate their isolation manifold and backup regs because they have other tanks available? Do rebreather divers necklace their bailout bottles? Here's a better question. If I slung the pony, would you guys still recommend necklacing the pony and eliminating the octo on the primary?I understand if someone is doing exclusive solo diving that there's really no need for the octo. But that wouldn't be my kind of diving. I'm trying to find a somewhat universal core setup that doesn't have to be changed much between buddy and solo diving. In my configuration, I'm also trying to keep my rig the same for muscle memory between buddy and solo diving and treat the pony as a slung pony that is simply carried on my tank rather than my BC while semi solo fishing and slung if deep buddy diving and left on the boat for shallow buddy diving.
As far as someone babysitting my ass, not at all. Hence the pony. But I wouldn't mind a solid buddy or team that watches each other's backs. Similar to your son having your back when your o ring extruded on your pony while spearfishing.
Does this make sense? Where am I wrong?
---------- Post added December 28th, 2015 at 07:37 PM ----------
Ironically I noticed this thread was bumped after my last post.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/solo-divers/502374-octopus-conundrum.html
