New Bungee / Long hose setup - Questions

[darrenlowjq]

Having a necklace that breaks away easily doesn't seem like a great idea. If your buddy is really panicking I would think you'd want to be able to focus 100% attention on him/her instead of messing around trying to grab your backup that has somehow "broken away easily". That's why we drill the basic 5 until the muscle memory for getting the backup after donating primary is there and it really only works if you know for a fact that your backup is always in the same place.

 

[Nemrod]

If the op plans to breath a 40 inch hose under the arm as primary and donate the primary then I highly recommend a 90/70 degree swivel. I use a 90 and it certainly adds to comfort. It is not needed on a 60 or 72 inch hose. The secondary can be a standard 24 or 26 inch hose and needs no swivel.

I necklace my octopus second with a standard piece of 1/8 bungee and a fisherman knot. It has never once that I can recall released by accident "easily" but it releases every time it is pulled. It is not any different in terms of release than using the typical octopus keepers but is much more secure.

I have abandoned the long hose primary for all of my open water rigs except for one. In the end it was cumbersome to me and not consistent with my wife's rigging or buddies or 99% of the diving public and it did not fit my minimal criteria.

James

 

[KenGordon]

I don't know if we are talking about the same thing now. When I say a back up regulator on a necklace, I am referring to this (both of these pics are random pics I pulled from the interwebs):

View attachment 212727

This is what it looks like on a diver (the reg on the bottom):

View attachment 212728

The pic above is pretty much what regs look like irrespective of the dive - including 30ft reef dives like the ones I did in Maui a couple of weeks ago.

I don't know what the definition of break away is but my back up reg is not coming off the bungee necklace unless there is a lot of tugging and pulling from another diver.

If you want a necklace which is ok for an OOG diver to take then these silicon ones work Amazon.com: New Silicone Regulator Necklace for Scuba Diving Octopus Regulator - Yellow ( Size Small) another of about a million connection schemes which allow for secondary take.

They are uncomfortable for a primary as the silicon is quite thick, bungee is better.

That is not a photo of a diver using a 40 inch hose.

---------- Post added July 15th, 2015 at 10:19 PM ----------

Having a necklace that breaks away easily doesn't seem like a great idea. If your buddy is really panicking I would think you'd want to be able to focus 100% attention on him/her instead of messing around trying to grab your backup that has somehow "broken away easily". That's why we drill the basic 5 until the muscle memory for getting the backup after donating primary is there and it really only works if you know for a fact that your backup is always in the same place.

It is for the reg which is to be donated, not a backup ( a reg to be used in the case of a primary donate).

I am suggesting there are two broad schemes which might be regarded as 'normal'. Primary donate of a looped long hose, secondary take/donate of any 'long enough' hose. Primary donate and swapping to an Air2 style BC source is more or less tolerable, and primary donate may be required in some circumstances involving independent twins but those are a minority interest. Divers are trained in those configurations, there are procedures and mitigations in place which cover the disadvantages (eg noticing putting on a drysuit inflate after a hog loop) and when agencies notice trends in accidents involving those configurations they try to do something about them.

On the other hand there are configurations which are not subject to the same testing and experience.

 

[Adobo]

If you want a necklace which is ok for an OOG diver to take then these silicon ones work Amazon.com: New Silicone Regulator Necklace for Scuba Diving Octopus Regulator - Yellow ( Size Small) another of about a million connection schemes which allow for secondary take.

They are uncomfortable for a primary as the silicon is quite thick, bungee is better.

That is not a photo of a diver using a 40 inch hose.

We are talking about very different things now.

I am talking about the primary regulator being on a long hose (be it 5' or 7' or in some circumstances, 40"). In an OOG emergency, the primary regulator is donated to the OOG diver. As such, the primary regulator is not necklaced or bungeed. The backup regulator is on a shorter hose (I think mine is 22" or 23"). Since the backup regulator is only for my use and must *always* be where I expect it to be, even in a frantic emergency situation, the backup regulator is on a necklace and remains under my chin.

I think you are talking about something else - maybe putting a necklace on the primary reg. I have no experience with that configuration and would not personally recommend it to anyone.

 

[shoredivr]

It's a BSAC thing, maybe.

 

[KenGordon]

It's a BSAC thing, maybe.

'It' being?

 

[rongoodman]

"It" being the resistance to primary donate, and the current emphasis on secondary take?

 

[Bob DBF]

I think you are talking about something else - maybe putting a necklace on the primary reg. I have no experience with that configuration and would not personally recommend it to anyone.

I've had experience with a necklaced primary, but it was back in the '60's and '70's before an additional second stage was carried. Even then most divers did not use them as it impeded air sharing and retrieving a "lost reg" was not that big of a deal, except perhaps for a novice. I occasionally use one when I dive vintage.



Bob
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I think that advocating unsafe and dangerous practices is both stupid and foolish. That is why I don't tell people to do what I do. Dsix36

 

[TinFins]

I am a newish diver as well (50+ dives) and just went through this exact same thing. Are you in a BP/W (backplate/wing) set-up or just a regular BCD? If just a regular BCD, then id probably not go for a long hose set-up where you need to route the hose along your right side. If, however, you are in a BP/W already then I highly suggest skipping the 40in hose and just go with the 7ft (84in). It is not as long as you might think and you do NOT need a canister light on your hip to help route the hose. I have now done 15 open water dives with this setup and find it to be awesome. Does not get in the way like one might think. A simply pocket on your right hip is enough to tuck the hose behind. If you do go to a long hose set-up (no matter the length) make sure you practice out of air with your buddy a few times so you and your buddy can get used to the change. Just my two cents worth.

A dive knife on the belt works to route the hose flawlessly as well.

 

[NorCalDM]

I could care less what configuration you use as long as it works for you and you know how to use it! Too many people take an OW class go out and buy gear and have no clue what they just bought. Last weekend I helped a friend with a specialty class he was teaching so I buddied up with one of the students who has only done a couple dives since his OW class and mentioned he just bought his BCD and regulator. I dive a 40" primary with a necklaced secondary so when we geared up I showed him my set up and told him if you need air I donate my primary as do you since he had an AIR2. I got a blank stair back so I asked do you realize that with an AIR2 you need to donate the reg you have in your mouth his answer was I was instructed to donate my secondary? I suggested he practice with the gear he just bought because the configuration he has does not lend itself to donating his secondary reg. I was lucky enough to have an instructor that showed us different configurations and what the differences were. So no matter what you have practice with it and get to know it!