No Octo while diving with redundant air supply

[johndiver999]

There is a truism in aviation that states, "One of the three most useless things in an airborne emergency is the gas you left in the fuel truck...The other two being the air above you, and the runway behind you." If you just have your primary, and that craps out on you, you may have a lot of air in a tank that you can't use. Same principle as gas left in the fuel truck.

How is this relevant to the Op's question? If he needs the air, he has a power inflator. The analogy makes zero sense to me.

 

[DAJ]

What part of your octo setup is “getting in the way” of anything? I would argue most folks don’t even think about them during the dive until they actually need it. My secondary hangs on a necklace under my chin and I have never had an issue with it. Besides cutting back on overall costs associated with gear purchase/maintenance, no direct reason to remove it from your setup. I run three first-stage and three second-stage regulators on every dive.

 

[johndiver999]

What part of your octo setup is “getting in the way” of anything? I would argue most folks don’t even think about them during the dive until they actually need it. My secondary hangs on a necklace under my chin and I have never had an issue with it. Besides cutting back on overall costs associated with gear purchase/maintenance, no direct reason to remove it from your setup. I run three first-stage and three second-stage regulators on every dive.

This is a back mounted pony bottle configuration? If not, how is it related to the question at hand?

 

[Altamira]

How is this relevant to the Op's question? If he needs the air, he has a power inflator. The analogy makes zero sense to me.

@johndiver999. Well, from my perspective, it makes more sense to immediately switch to the octo if the primary reg has a problem than to deal with trying to use the power inflator as a breathing option if that is what you meant, and still have a way to inflate/deflate the bcd? Since the Op is diving solo, I would expect a pony bottle would be available, but, a failed primary in that case would likely mean dive termination if it was me. Like other divers, my octo is on a necklace, immediately available, and not once has it ever gotten in my way. As a very conservative diver, I want immediate and easy access to every bit of air that is in my tank. Of course the Op can work around not having an octo, but he asked for reasons to keep the octo in play. What I presented is my opinion only, and for me the analogy is sound. Not once have I ever regretted having more easily accessible air in my tank, or fuel in my jet, but I have regretted the reverse situation.

 

[MB NZ]

I was going to start the same thread, but couldn't be bothered with the pitch forks. I can understand it's controversial. When solo recreational diving with a pony became my thing, I ditched the octopus. My reasoning is the most likely 2nd stage failure is a freeflow and in my anecdotal experience, the regulator most likely to have a freeflow is the one not being used (i.e. the octopus), so I have removed that risk. A minor point, but it is also one less hose to deal with. A very tidy rig.

Obviously, the downside is that you can't access the gas in the main tank and while I agree, you can never have too much gas, in this event, my pony will get me home. That's what it's there for after all.

The other downside is that you have to think about configuration when you do a buddy dive. Most of the time, I take the pony anyway, have a briefing with the buddy and make it clear that the pony is there for either one of us. I can unclip it and pass it to them very quickly should the need arise. Sometimes we practice in water. Everyone has been cool with it so far.

Photo taken by last insta-buddy.

 

[Nemrod]

Been Running an Octo on my primary regulator while diving with a completely redundant system on my back

I'm thinking about ditching the Octo while diving solo as is just one more piece of kit to get in the way

What, if any, compelling reasons are there to keep the octo in play?

I agree, if you are truly solo diving then there is no reason to have an octopus or secondary regulator on the same air source. My solo regulator rig is set up with only a single second stage. The redundant air source has a complete regulator also with a single second stage.

 

[LI-er]

So you are now with three 2nd stages? Are in of them in a long hose in case you should happen upon a diver who needs gas?

I solo dive with a 30cf back mounted pony, the pony reg is on a necklace for easy access should I need it. My primary reg is on a short hose, only as long as it needs to be to comfortably breathe from.

I don't carry extra stuff or run a long hose so that I have to be prepared to help some stranger who I might come across who needs assistance because they messed up and are alone and low or out of air.

 

[johndiver999]

I solo dive with a 30cf back mounted pony, the pony reg is on a necklace for easy access should I need it. My primary reg is on a short hose, only as long as it needs to be to comfortably breathe from.

I don't carry extra stuff or run a long hose so that I have to be prepared to help some stranger who I might come across who needs assistance because they messed up and are alone and low or out of air.

Yes it is very beneficial to have a back mounted pony second on a necklace because it makes monitoring for a free flow easier and if you do not run a spg from pony, then you never know what the actual pressure is. Carrying an octopus for a diver who does not exist (solo diving) makes zero sense.
Another reason to not have 3 is because it can be more confusing if a free flow happens. Also the main reason not to take 3 back mounted second stages is the potential for confusing the pony for the primary. That error alone can and has killed people. This is not an issue of more Is better

Also….what kind of primary second stage failure do you envision that will spontaneously fail? How likely is that? If it does happen then you go to the pony. If that too fails then you go to the air 2 or the bc inflator. The 3 rd second stage will become useful in the most unlikely of events.

 

[LI-er]

Yes it is very beneficial to have a back mounted pony second on a necklace because it makes monitoring for a free flow easier and if you do not run a spg from pony, then you never know what the actual pressure is.

I run an air integrated computer on my left wrist to monitor the gas in my back mounted pony as well as my primary computer on my right wrist monitoring my main tank gas. Plus a backup to my main wrist computer in a BCD pocket on a retractor.

 

[happy-diver]

These days it's here with one reg no pony but at 14metres with a tendency for relaxation the computer still comes