Finally caught up with my instructor for a debrief of our wreck dives.
It turns out the other divers . . . (I think, including my instructor) . . . are very unsure / don't trust / the deployment of the hoses.
Background - I'm 5'4 and slender -- the triangle of my torso is small, and there is a LOT of 'stuff' there.
Although I explained the procedure for donation - if you ask, I will hand you the right reg, whether it is in my mouth or clipped off. If you need air, just grab what's in my mouth and I will ask you to swap.
Still, they were unsure of the bungee'd backup (fisherman's knot around the mouthpiece, it will come out with a sharp tug), and if I was a . . . ? reliable? gas donor in an emergency. In my instructor's words, "The hoses don't work."
My instructor is not comfortable with hanging my right tank off the boat. I'm not sure why, but he thinks it would be better for the crew to hand down the steel 100.
I'm thinking I could possibly drop it, a very bad thing. I also think, why should I clog up the back of the boat, with the platform rising and dropping, when I could drop a few feet under, pull the tank up to me, get my hand through the chest clip loop for security, unclip the rope, and clip off. I'm not in anyone's way, and if there is a current, I could grab the rope.
He wants me to come up with an alternative way, especially to deal with rougher seas and current. I said I would do so, but understand I would probably call the dive under rough seas. While I have had someone carry my right tank with the chest cord clipped in - hey, it's an alternate - I really do not want to do that under rough seas and uncertain footing, for my own personal welfare.
I explained to him that in the sidemount community, and those that dive with them, they are perfectly aware of the sidemount reg switching and if they needed gas, they'd grab one. I pointed out that if someone does take my bungeed reg out of my mouth, I'd just unclip the primary, take a breath, and offer the swap.
I still practice the clip and unclip primary if I'm on the bungeed backup . . . maybe he just hasn't noticed?
I don't know what else I could do - I have the Heinrith Sidemount book, but there isn't enough there to address procedures.
Help! I did tell him if we dived the Oriskany, I'd get Rob down there for a day or two . . .
It turns out the other divers . . . (I think, including my instructor) . . . are very unsure / don't trust / the deployment of the hoses.
Background - I'm 5'4 and slender -- the triangle of my torso is small, and there is a LOT of 'stuff' there.
I am the only sidemount diver they have ever seen - None even knew about it before I showed up with my rig.
Although I explained the procedure for donation - if you ask, I will hand you the right reg, whether it is in my mouth or clipped off. If you need air, just grab what's in my mouth and I will ask you to swap.
Still, they were unsure of the bungee'd backup (fisherman's knot around the mouthpiece, it will come out with a sharp tug), and if I was a . . . ? reliable? gas donor in an emergency. In my instructor's words, "The hoses don't work."
My instructor is not comfortable with hanging my right tank off the boat. I'm not sure why, but he thinks it would be better for the crew to hand down the steel 100.
I'm thinking I could possibly drop it, a very bad thing. I also think, why should I clog up the back of the boat, with the platform rising and dropping, when I could drop a few feet under, pull the tank up to me, get my hand through the chest clip loop for security, unclip the rope, and clip off. I'm not in anyone's way, and if there is a current, I could grab the rope.
He wants me to come up with an alternative way, especially to deal with rougher seas and current. I said I would do so, but understand I would probably call the dive under rough seas. While I have had someone carry my right tank with the chest cord clipped in - hey, it's an alternate - I really do not want to do that under rough seas and uncertain footing, for my own personal welfare.
I explained to him that in the sidemount community, and those that dive with them, they are perfectly aware of the sidemount reg switching and if they needed gas, they'd grab one. I pointed out that if someone does take my bungeed reg out of my mouth, I'd just unclip the primary, take a breath, and offer the swap.
I still practice the clip and unclip primary if I'm on the bungeed backup . . . maybe he just hasn't noticed?
I don't know what else I could do - I have the Heinrith Sidemount book, but there isn't enough there to address procedures.
Help! I did tell him if we dived the Oriskany, I'd get Rob down there for a day or two . . .