Necklace and donating concerns

[jepuskar]

I have a couple questions/concerns about using a 5' primary with a bungeed necklace as a backup (recreational diving only) I have done about 60 dives with this setup and lately I don't feel very comfortable with it.

I have not had any formal training on the proper OOA procedures using this setup and that is probably where my concerns come into play.

When an OOA diver grabs my primary out of my mouth, all I need to do is duck my head which allows the hose to come up over my neck thus giving them the slack they need. At this point, my mouth should be right by my backup, which I obviously use. Once this is done I can assist them with removing the rest of the slack.

Does this sound right?

Some problems I have had when doing OOA drills is that the primary gets hung up on the backup when donating....has anyone else had this problem?

Please share any hints/tips about this topic.

Thanks,

Jason

 

[pdoege]

Is the hose getting tangled in the necklace?

I've tangled them by donning the necklace after the long hose.

Anyway, the thing to do is after you don your gear, and before you enter the water, practice donating and deploying the long hose. Any tangling will be apparent and you just fix it and hop in.

If your buddy knows how to do an OOA drill, then do a drill and bubble check before descending. That way both people know that their hoses are rigged properly and air is on both posts, etc.

Peter Doege

 

[MechDiver]

I'm gonna make a guess that your secondary is too close to your mouth. There should be no interference at all if the necklace is hanging correctly. If not caving, I would also not worry about being able to use the secondary without using a hand.

MD

 

[Mako Mark]

make sure you are putting you necklace/backup on first then the long hose over it.

 

[lragsac]

I have a couple questions/concerns about using a 5' primary with a bungeed necklace as a backup (recreational diving only) I have done about 60 dives with this setup and lately I don't feel very comfortable with it.

I have not had any formal training on the proper OOA procedures using this setup and that is probably where my concerns come into play.

Some problems I have had when doing OOA drills is that the primary gets hung up on the backup when donating....has anyone else had this problem?

Please share any hints/tips about this topic.

Thanks,
Jason

...are you diving with this setup then? With all due respect to those who offered suggestions here, let me also add that you should get with some DIR (or similarly) trained divers asap who can work with you in the water to make sure you are comfortable with this setup and know how to execute an OOA without any glitches. This is too critical a skill to leave to chance.

 

[MikeFerrara]

1, Grab the primary by the hose.
2, By twisting your wrist take the primary out of your mouth so the mouthpiece is pointing down. Kind of hard to explain but easy to show. That keeps it from free flowing and giving your buddy nothing but a face full of bubbles and also positions it right..

3, extend your arm streight to the OOA diver (like a punch) with the mouthpiece still facing down while ducking your head slightly.

4, hand it off and put the backup in your mouth

5, arm sweep to clear the long hose from the light or belt.
6, tug on it over your shoulder to make sure it's fully deployed.
7, pull out your SPG for inspection by both of you.

 

[MikeFerrara]

ooops...I didn't notice this was in the DIR forum. I hjope the instructions I gave are in line.

 

[Snowbear]

ooops...I didn't notice this was in the DIR forum. I hjope the instructions I gave are in line.

Well, you described it how I was taught
This thread proves the point to me that real live training, by a qualified mentor or instructor, is essential to "getting it"

 

[joe_at_subtidal]

1, Grab the primary by the hose.
2, By twisting your wrist take the primary out of your mouth so the mouthpiece is pointing down. Kind of hard to explain but easy to show. That keeps it from free flowing and giving your buddy nothing but a face full of bubbles and also positions it right..
3, extend your arm streight to the OOA diver (like a punch) with the mouthpiece still facing down while ducking your head slightly.
4, hand it off and put the backup in your mouth
5, arm sweep to clear the long hose from the light or belt.
6, tug on it over your shoulder to make sure it's fully deployed.
7, pull out your SPG for inspection by both of you.

Just an addition: rushing is a common problem I've seen students have with this drill. The main priority of the drill (and its real life counterpart) is the diver experiencing the OOA is the only emergency. The only real urgency is getting the OOA diver the regulator; everything else should be practiced smoothly and precisely. Going too fast through the drill could cause some unnecessary stress, and your first concern should be taking care of the OOA diver, and not worrying about how fast you can release the rest of your long hose.

For example, if you were to donate to an OOA diver, and then go to deploy the rest of the long hose (i.e. step 5) without either a) getting an OK from the diver and the rest of the team, or b) ensuring they have a secure grip on the donated reg, there's a real possiblity that you could yank the reg right out of their mouth, making a bad situation worse.

To get the skills down, I'd suggest a DIRF course, which can help you learn a lot of the nuances in the system quicker than figuring them out on your own. But just remember, go slow to go fast.

Joe Talavera

 

[OE2X]

1, Grab the primary by the hose.
2, By twisting your wrist take the primary out of your mouth so the mouthpiece is pointing down. Kind of hard to explain but easy to show. That keeps it from free flowing and giving your buddy nothing but a face full of bubbles and also positions it right..

3, extend your arm streight to the OOA diver (like a punch) with the mouthpiece still facing down while ducking your head slightly.

4, hand it off and put the backup in your mouth

5, arm sweep to clear the long hose from the light or belt.
6, tug on it over your shoulder to make sure it's fully deployed.
7, pull out your SPG for inspection by both of you.

Excellent description Mike. This is how we were taught by Brandon a few weeks ago.