Hpw often do people have to use octo.

[Linthorn]

I actually used mine (myself) right after AOW training. I was practicing upside down hovering and whenever I took a breath I would suck up water. I switched to the octo and had no problems.

My buddy got real concerned though. I don't know diver sign language for "my primary second stage leaks water when I'm upside down so I'm just going to use the backup".

:banana:

 

[montyb]

I check mine on the first dive of the day as I getting my equipment set up. Since I put one one my regs. I have never had to use it. Nor has any of the people I dive with.
montyb

 

[SoCalOffshore]

I check my Air 2 before every dive. I check the purge on it and breathing on it. In all my 12 dives I have never had to use it in an emergency.

 

[jbd]

As one can surmise from this thread the use of the octo in a real situation is really quite rare, but I'll bet that on the few occassions mentioned in just this thread, the people involved were glad the octo worked and that they knew how to use it. This is why Wendy and the others who test their equipment and practice the skill do so.

 

[grazie42]

Once in a while I´ll take my doubles along for a "recreational" dive and then have the rest of the team take turns breathing my longhose while I breath my secondary which both extends bottom time and lets us practise swimming while airsharing.

The only bad thing with that is that at the end of the dive when I´m back on my longhose I constantly freak as I see my buddies swimming to far away from me...It always takes a moment before I go: Duh! (simpson like)...I think its good practise...

 

[ianr33]

It is a very good idea to test your octopus at the start of a dive BELOW THE SURFACE. If the Octo has a fault such as a torn diaphragm it could breathe fine when you are gearing up but give you water on the actual dive

 

[melfox26]

Haven't had to use my octo in a real OOA emergency yet. However, we do practice OOA drills on almost every safety stop. As I will donate my primary (7 ft hose) in an OOA, then switch to my bungeed octo, I really want to make sure the octo is working because it's really for me.
There have been a few times, while leading OW students, they have surfaced on one side of a big kelp bed, not having enough air to swim under it. Rather than surface swim around the kelp, I'll give them my 7ft primary, switch to my octo and swim back in to shore/boat under the water.

Mel

 

[Gary D.]

The first 20+ years we didn't have them or even know what they were, not invented yet.

In the last 20+ years never. Keep an eye on what your doing and you should never need it.

Gary D.

 

[jonnythan]

I had to use mine once. 85', dive 23, AOW instructor's assistant grabbed my reg and I went to my octo for the ascent. It shouldn't have to happen, but it's nice to make sure it's working at the beginning of every dive since your life relies on it too.

 

[Damselfish]

Keep an eye on what your doing and you should never need it.

Gary D.

Keeping an eye on what you are doing does nothing to prevent someone else from needing it.