Octo on right , or left side?

[passeparici]

I'm not sure it "matters", but the typical set up is to the right, worldwide, and that is where most recreational level divers will expect it to be if they need it. I suspects your limited research is photos on the internet? Keep in mind that those phots may depict custom setups. Also, make sure you don't fall victim to image flipping. Make sure the reg and octo are on opposite sides if you're looking at them that way. I see what I think are snorkels and regs and stuff on the "wrong side" in photos occasionally, and then realize the image is flipped or reversed.....but I'm a little slow sometimes. LOL!

Nope, in France the typical set up is to the left ! Not sure there is a worldwide "typical" set up !

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

Nope, in France the typical set up is to the left ! Not sure there is a worldwide "typical" set up !

Which is why I started this thread, to see the differences around the world. Try to see if there is a more popular method.

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

You have no idea the configuration of long hose(primary donating) with the Octo(right-handed) sitting below the chin!!!! How would you run a LP hose from the left side of the 1st stage to a Octo(right-handed) hanging below the chin? The Octo is the one that I used after donating the primary.
Why would I want to use a left-handed Octo and clustered myself with three hoses coming out from the left side of the 1st stage.
Any configuration should be the same for any form of recreational diving whether it is cold or warm water.

Did I get upset? NO I have my standard to deal with.....

Left or right? Nada! At the apex of a triangle.

.... but primary donate, is not the subjest of this thread, rather left or right placement of an octo.

 

[DiveProKoko]

Nope, in France the typical set up is to the left ! Not sure there is a worldwide "typical" set up !

That's interesting. I've never dove/taught in Europe, so that's news to me. I would offer that there is a "standard", but some shops opt to teach a different setup. Apparently, this can be a regional thing as well. I do know that SSI and PADI, the two largest worldwide certifying agencies, teach a standard octo to the right (same side as reg) setup. If it becomes popular or preferred by various shops or is commonplace in a certain region, I guess that's what you'll see there. I know SSI gives instructors a littlie autonomy in their teaching as long as it meets standards. Back to my original point...I don't think it matters as long as people you're diving with are familiar. Thanks for the info!

 

[Grievous Angel]

I'm one of the left side divers. My daughter and I took our initial OW classes in 2019. Mid-South SSI shop that also runs local university program. Everyone that learns OW through them is set up left side octo. When I asked my instructor why, he gave me the DAN list almost verbatim. Makes good sense to me. Hand off the octo with the left hand, control the OOA diver with the right hand. Direct route of hose vs S twist means I can keep the OOA diver at arms length if needed. We've dived FL caverns, the Keys, Cayman and just got back from Costa Rica. Only one DM has ever asked us why the left side routing. Once he saw the set up and that we are squared away he was good with it. Octo is yellow, runs under the left arm with a 40" hose and is clipped to the right shoulder D-ring. Easier for an OOA diver to spot than shoved into a BC pocket or loop low on the right side. I use a scum ball type octo holder with a bolt snap. Setting up it's clipped to my left hip. Once the gear is donned just move the clip over.

 

[sea_ledford]

I learned left side octo. It is particularly useful if you have to swim horizontally with an OOG buddy rather than straight to the surface. Our primary example was swimming out from under a kelp canopy since this was in northern California. Divers can be comfortably swimming side by side rather than in a weird both-on-their-sides in a roman hand shake position.

Strangely, we never practiced breathing off our own octo, it was strictly for the buddy. I had a first stage freeze up in Lake Shasta (never had to deal with that before) and the DM gave me my own octo to breath off of while he banged my primary around trying to get it to stop freeflowing (which I had already done, but he hadn't experienced a freeze before either, so we were both oblivious as to the real problem).

I learned then that breathing off of an upside down reg is less than pleasant. It breathes very wet, and it knocks your mask off a bit, making it flood. Which is especially fun in the 38 degree water we were in. The dive program added in a drills to breath off your own octo after that. It isn't hard, you just have to put an s-curve in the hose so it is oriented correctly in your mouth. I just didn't even think about it in the, uh... freeze of the moment.

I now use primary donate for my personal gear, and for scientific diving classes, but traditional right side octo for recreational classes.

I teach all of my current students to make sure that reg is right way up when donating! If they are ever in a situation of dealing with a near panicked OOG diver, giving them an upside down, wet breathing reg is likely not going to go well.

 

[Nemrod]

This should have been a poll and should have excluded primary donate (tech) rigs. Interesting some of the comments are. I was taught air supply right (including the snorkel if used) and everything else (BC, spg, drysuit) left. I tend to be anti-personal preference and consider what is standard. But obviously standard is not standard the world over .

FWIW, I dive both traditional right side octopus rigs and long hose primary donate rigs. Which I choose depends upon circumstance and in particular if my wife is buddy diving with me. I once tried to move her to long hose and primary donate (which this thread is not about) and after a bit of fussing and arguing she told me to leave her alone and gave me that look!

And further off course for this thread, when solo (and I am SDI Advanced Diver Solo) I do not have a "long" hose nor an octopus or any of that, just one second stage on my (single tank rig) back gas and another complete regulator, slung let side for my redundant supply. But, I suppose if an errant diver where to swim through my solo universe and present me with the issue of their being OOA, I would provide them my left side (pony/aux) regulator so in that case I do have an octopus and my octopus is indeed left side.

James

 

[Gandalf-the-Diver]

This should have been a poll and should have excluded primary donate (tech) rigs. Interesting some of the comments are. I was taught air supply right (including the snorkel if used) and everything else (BC, spg, drysuit) left. I tend to be anti-personal preference and consider what is standard. But obviously standard is not standard the world over .

FWIW, I dive both traditional right side octopus rigs and long hose primary donate rigs. Which I choose depends upon circumstance and in particular if my wife is buddy diving with me. I once tried to move her to long hose and primary donate (which this thread is not about) and after a bit of fussing and arguing she told me to leave her alone and gave me that look!

And further off course for this thread, when solo (and I am SDI Advanced Diver Solo) I do not have a "long" hose nor an octopus or any of that, just one second stage on my (single tank rig) back gas and another complete regulator, slung let side for my redundant supply. But, I suppose if an errant diver where to swim through my solo universe and present me with the issue of their being OOA, I would provide them my left side (pony/aux) regulator so in that case I do have an octopus and my octopus is indeed left side.

James

I thought about making it a poll; but then I wanted more discussion about the topic. I also specifically excluded long hose / primary, because the topic of the thread has nothing to do with that set up. I loved, "gave me that look" bahahwahaha.
I just dive a traditional setup, octo on right. Even if I am diviing Solo; which I do as part of my LDS drop in shore dives. If another diver comes to me OOA, they can have my octo. If we are past rock bottom gas for 2 divers on my main tank, I would switch to my pony for the ascent. I sling a 30cu Catalina, and am PADI AOW, and SDI Solo.

 

[VikingDives]

I do know that SSI and PADI, the two largest worldwide certifying agencies, teach a standard octo to the right (same side as reg) setup.

There's no PADI standard that I'm aware of. I know of a PADI shop locally that's extremely compliant with standards that has some octos on the left.

 

[faze]

I wear to the left to aid donation and because my pony second stage I wear to my right. I’ve been told twice my set wrong, although the individuals concerned couldn’t really explain why it was wrong.