octopus regulator

[large_diver]

Thanks for clarifying....it was I who was confused.

My comment was intended for a config where the octo originates from the left side of the 1st stage and is secured on the left side of the diver's body...

 

[devilfish]

I think this post is going astray a bit. My questions was simply left or right for the octopus, and why.
I am very familiar with the 5? or 7? foot hose. It is for out of air/gas situations where the exit is an obstruction such as caves. I don?t think a long hose works well in open water, too much hose too handle separating the divers. Although some do practice it, I do not like wrapping the hose around the neck. A simple fold and bungie with surgical tubing to the side of the tank works well.
On a regular setup whatever side the octopus is, yes, the best place for it is in the ?golden triangle?, that?s on the chest, clearly visible regulator of different color such as orange works well.
My point was this.
When the octopus was introduced in the late ?70 by Dave Woodward and also Tom Mount was also instrumental, the concept of the octopus was that this was the regulator for the ?leach? (out of air diver). It was mounted on the left for the following reasons:
Being on a longer hose for additional mobility and mounted on the left side when passed of to the out of air diver the hose would not need to be bend like it would be from the right side, and therefore taking away the benefit of the longer hose. Coming from the right side the hose must be bend/looped in order for the exhaust port to be down. In a stress situation which usually is, if the exhaust port is up then the leach would breathe water.
Furthermore, since eye contact is important and the divers are facing each other, the loop of the octopus hose coming from the right side, same side as the primary second stage would loop in front of the donors face. Should the leach want to ?bolt? the loop could catch on the donors mask or regulator ripping it off. Now we have both the leach and the donor in panic.
How did the octopus migrate over the years to the right side, I have no clue. Some one figured that if air is on the right then all breathing devices go on the right. It started a fad without thinking of the consequences, thus 99% of divers have the octopus on the right. Similar concept of left handed right-handed weight belt release, there are logical reasons for a right hand release but often lost in the shuffle. There is no such standard. No agency has a standard on which side should be the octopus as long as an alternative air system exists. The octopus on the left side of the diver mounted in the golden triangle is a much safer place for the leach as well as the donor.

 

[Ed Jewell]

The LDS that I volunteer my time at teaches the octopus on the left side for all the reasons you listed.

I agree with your observation that no where is there written a universal standard that states the octopus has to be mounted on the left/right side of the regulator.

This is just another reason why you should make yourself familiar with your buddies equipment configuration and dicuss OOA procedures, especially if your diving with someone for the first time.

 

[simonk999]

devifish made the good point that mounting a conventional regulator on the right side for use as an octopus makes some compromises regarding routing of the hose to breathe the regulator "right side up". This seems to me to be the main advantage of mounting the octo on the left -- it is naturally in the correct orientation for the OOA buddy (but on the other hand, if the OOA buddy grabs your main reg, you'll have to deal with the orientation problem).

Better are the side-exhaust octos, like those from Oceanic or Aqualung, which don't care about orientation, so you can mount in the "standardized" right side manner, and be able to breathe from them without having to twist the hose. I.e. just grab and breathe. I've done some practice OOA drills where I've taken longer than an emergency situation should warrant to find the correct orientation of a "normal" reg, and that's one reason I bought a side-exhaust.

This is sort of a compromise between having a "standard" configuration that addresses the orientation problem.

-Simon

 

[devilfish]

Side exhaust such as you mentioned including posidon and the older techna would work on both sides. Also some conventional housing regulators allow hose mounting form both sides. Unfortunately most divers have a conventional housing regulator as an octopus.
Those that use inflator/regulators such as the air II, the prime second stage should be on a longer hose since it is the prime that must be passed off. To often that is neglected.

 

[ScubyDoo]

Devilfish

Those are all really valid points. I hadnt ever considered them before. Think I'll take those points up with my LDS the next time Im by there and consider reconfiguring. Thanks!

 

[devilfish]

Ask your LDS. Just don't let them tell you that the reason for the octopus on the right is a agency standard. It is not.

 

[budgy]

If you dive with a single tank and want to swim side-by-side whilst donating an octo, I think the most comfortable position to mount the octo is on your left. The OOA diver on your left is also I think the best position for swimming whilst buddy breathing Try it in the pool.
With a conventional 2nd stage mounted on the left, the only problem is, it is not in a suitable position for you to breath out of. This is ok with a single tank, however if you have twins, you want the advantage of an alternative independant breathing apparatus, so you route the octo from one cylinder and the primary 2nd stage from the other cylinder both to the right for your own benefit.

 

[devilfish]

I agree, in a situation of diving with doubles. Each tank is on a seperate reg for redundancy. In that case both regs are for the diver. When I dive with doubles I also in addition have a pony.
However in case of single tank diving, the common octopus (not the blue ring octopus) is not for the diver, it is in the case of out of air buddy.

 

[roakey]

There's only one place where an OOA diver will always find a regulator, and that's the donor's mouth.

This so-called "Golden Triangle" or whatever standard is NOT a standard, it's admitting that there is no standard. "Somewhere in this area, maybe in a pocket, maybe on a mouth plug, maybe under some velcro maybe on the right side, maybe on the left side you MIGHT find a regulator." And by the way, you're running out of air while you're hunting for it.

Worst case scenario is that the OOA diver takes the donor’s regulator from their mouth without warning.

This is why:

1) You donate from your mouth
2) You practice donating from your mouth (for the worst-case scenario)

The 7’ hose is NOT “wrapped around your neck” I don’t know how many more times we’re going have to dispel that myth, but obviously this is yet another case. The 5’ or 7’ hose is NOT an entanglement hazard, it lays against your body better than a standard hose and presents LESS of an entanglement hazard. The long hose should NOT be bungeed in any way because this lessens the chance that you will do an S drill or if you do, you usually have to have your buddy restow it and there’s no guarantee that he’ll do it right. The long hose is not just for restrictions, it gives you the OPTION of separation. Keep the diver close if need be, but in the meantime they’ll relax more because it doesn’t feel like the reg’s going to be pulled out of their mouth any minute.

Donating from your mouth is even more important when you’re carrying different gasses. By donating from your mouth the OOA diver will ALWAYS get a breathable mixture.

If you’re looking for the BEST setup you want a primary/backup setup, not an octo setup.

Roak