Sas
Contributor
I've done just over 200 dives and have had two buddies go OOA. Neither panicked and things went smoothly, especially the second time when I had a longer hose (5') as it just made things easier to manouver. I have heard of about half a dozen other instances locally in the year and a bit I've been diving of people going OOA and even more instances where people have gone LOA (mostly heard about this in diving classes OR something like a freeflow) and needed to share air. I haven't heard of anyone coming out of it worse for wear yet, so I think it is quite rare for serious incidents resulting from OOA.
In regards to the hose length, I prefer bungeed backup and long hose with donating primary in OOA myself for the following reasons:
-you know you are handing over a working reg. Whilst I test my backup you never know if it could break and if it is broken I am better dealing with this given I was not previously OOA
-can swim side by side and easy to manouver with longer hose when someone is OOA (in OW, in overhead where it might be single file 7' is better)
-bungeed back up is very easy for me to locate for myself and the primary reg is very easy for my buddy to locate if needed
-more streamlined - there is not a big loop out to the side like there is with a standard setup
-I can more easily share air with a buddy who might have a mismatched air consumption rate to extend both our dives (a situation far more likely to arise than an OOA)
I am not convinced that an OOA diver will go for the reg in the mouth. However, if they do, then a long hose is better for this and if they do not, either a long hose or a standard setup is fine so I would prefer to cover both situations.
Anyway, my 2c.
In regards to the hose length, I prefer bungeed backup and long hose with donating primary in OOA myself for the following reasons:
-you know you are handing over a working reg. Whilst I test my backup you never know if it could break and if it is broken I am better dealing with this given I was not previously OOA
-can swim side by side and easy to manouver with longer hose when someone is OOA (in OW, in overhead where it might be single file 7' is better)
-bungeed back up is very easy for me to locate for myself and the primary reg is very easy for my buddy to locate if needed
-more streamlined - there is not a big loop out to the side like there is with a standard setup
-I can more easily share air with a buddy who might have a mismatched air consumption rate to extend both our dives (a situation far more likely to arise than an OOA)
I am not convinced that an OOA diver will go for the reg in the mouth. However, if they do, then a long hose is better for this and if they do not, either a long hose or a standard setup is fine so I would prefer to cover both situations.
Anyway, my 2c.