New buddy check and what reg to use - 1st, 2nd or Pony?

[BEM]

here’s the scenario:

Diving with a buddy you just got matched with;
Depths will be down to 80 feet max;
You have a pony (along with your single 80);

When doing your buddy check:

What reg will you offer to the buddy if s/he signals Out-Of_Air!

What do you tell your new buddy if s/he has to share air and has to quickly garb a reg– s/he should use your primary, octo, pony reg, or the first one they see? (Or do you hide the pony – What pony bottle?)

(and if the buddy does need air, you keep in the back of you mind to use whatever reg s/he didn’t grab from you)

 

[jettyrat21]

I tell my buddy durring pre dive check to grab my primary out of my mouth, which from what I understand will happen in most cases with or without your approval. My pony second stage is on a bungie around my neck, and I have an Octo+ on my Stiletto, either of which I'll use in the event of some one taking my primary.

 

[Wayward Son]

Ditto. My octo is on a bungee on my neck, and my primary is what will be handed off. I even replaced its hose with a longer one in yum-yum yellow to draw attention to it in an OOA.

I don't have a pony, but intend to get one. The purpose is to have a redundant gas supply. In an OOA, my primary still gets handed off. If my main is low on gas it may be time to switch to the pony.

By handing off my primary, I know the diver is getting a gas source that is known working and safe for the depth we're at.

 

[redacted]

I tell my buddy that he is welcome to any regulator I have but that I expect him to take the one out of my mouth. I do point out the problems he would have breathing from my air2 and also advise him that my slung pony will not provide much, if any air, until I turn it on.

 

[matt_unique]

I have never experienced an out of air situation fortunately. I am told by those who have that you are seldom asked and signaled. Usually they will come over to you - very anxious - and take the reg they know is working right from your mouth.

If someone is out of air and has the capacity to signal, offer the reg in your mouth anyway. You will be calmer than your buddy and will be better equipped to grab another reg after you hand your primary to your buddy.

At this point you would immediately begin a controlled ascent.

--Matt

 

[Daryl Morse]

My primary is on a 7' long hose. My secondary is bungeed around my neck. When I dive with a "pony bottle", it's an AL40 sling bottle with a 40" hose. If I'm breathing from my sling bottle, my primary reg is clipped on my D-ring. If my buddy needed air, I'd give him whatever reg was in my mouth, and revert to my secondary. I would call the dive at that point.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

In 20 years and something over 1700 dives, I have donated air in real deal situations three times and in 2 of the 3 I was mugged for my primary (the third time I saw him coming and just gave him the primary when he got there.

So it makes sense to me to plan to be mugged, or at least plan on donating your primary. I just wish non tech oriented agencies would get with the program and start teaching it that way.

I am also a believer in the long hose as it makes air sharing much easier and much less stressful even in rec situations. A 5' or 6' hose would be ideal for most rec divers. Another situation where it would be great for the rec training agencies to overcome institutional inertia and get on board with one of the greated improvements in scuba since the Bouyancy Compensator.

 

[darkstar]

.... Another situation where it would be great for the rec training agencies to overcome institutional inertia and get on board with one of the greated improvements in scuba since the Bouyancy Compensator.

You are so right.

With so many divers now diving with different gas mixes, grabbing at a deco bottle reg by mistake or the reg from a bottle that is not turned on could be a fatal mistake. The only way to be certain that a distressed diver get the right gas, right away, is to donate the primary. After that you have plenty of time to hand off a pony and sort out your ascent.

But then again, these are the same guys who (until they could make money from it) said that if you breathed anything other than air, you would surely die.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

When doing your buddy check:

What reg will you offer to the buddy if s/he signals Out-Of_Air!

The one in my mouth.

What do you tell your new buddy if s/he has to share air and has to quickly garb a reg– s/he should use your primary, octo, pony reg, or the first one they see? (Or do you hide the pony – What pony bottle?)

The one in my mouth.

(and if the buddy does need air, you keep in the back of you mind to use whatever reg s/he didn’t grab from you)

That would be best.

 

[wedivebc]

Since this trend toward donating out of your mouth is not practical with my equipment configuration I sling a 30cuft pony which I can use as bailout or donate as required.