Placement of Octo (possible Alternative?)

[Blargh]

Originally posted by reefraff

Danglies. It won’t matter if you’re diving with an Apeks ATX200 as an alternate, if you’ve spent six months dragging the thing across the coral and through the sand, it cannot be considered to be reliable. An Air2 (or similar) won’t allow even the doofiest newbie to let it dangle enough to be damaged. Then there’s the streamlining issue – even if you leave your inflator dangling, it’s less of a drag than a second hanging in the current. Scumballs? Now those things are a joke.

Which is why you breath the regulator you intend to donate, and keep the other one under your chin

Emergency. With the trend towards donating the primary second, knowing instantly and instinctively where the alternate second is located becomes critical. Since push-button divers usually have their fingers on their inflators, it isn’t much of a search to find their alternate if it’s integrated.

Unless of course its a real emergency, where the trend is to have your reg ripped out of your mouth anyway. Which is when you switch to the other one under your chin.

Reliability. My Air2 is several years old and it doesn’t get used very often

So you are never actually sure it works ? Hmmm...

The integrated alternates aren’t perfect, but they represent a viable solution (there may be other solutions, but that’s not the point) to a number of problems for divers that don’t give a puffers breeze about gear fiddaddlin and just want to hop into the warm water a couple of times a year and make faces at the fishies. We all make compromises in order to enjoy diving (remember – this is a DANGEROUS sport) so it’s really just a question of what and how much, not whether.

I happen to hop into the (not-so-warm) water and make faces at the fishies. I also carry my spare reg under my chin. The fish dont care. Really.

Is it an insult to tell a diver that he's all wet?

Depends.

 

[CAMPER]

Spare rig under chin.

I am very interested in this approach, and am still trying to understand everything. The bungee cord needs to be breakaway so you don't get choked. If it does breakaway, for any reason, how do you find it again and reatach? Would this require you to terminate your dive? I assume that the second is on a shorter then normal hose.(normal in this case the standard non dir primary length)

I have yet to see anyone I would be willing to dive with using this rig so I really have to investigate this here.

Ed B

 

[jetblast00]

Originally posted by CAMPER
Spare rig under chin.

I am very interested in this approach, and am still trying to understand everything. The bungee cord needs to be breakaway so you don't get choked. If it does breakaway, for any reason, how do you find it again and reatach? Would this require you to terminate your dive? I assume that the second is on a shorter then normal hose.(normal in this case the standard non dir primary length)

I have yet to see anyone I would be willing to dive with using this rig so I really have to investigate this here.

Ed B

the secondary second stage around your neck is ussualy on a 22" or 24" hose.

EDIT: I guess though the way i have mine set up it is breakaway, the reg would definatly come off of the bungee before it choked me... I guess if that did happen, I'd just have my buddy hand it to me and I'd put it back on the bungee. I wouldn't continue the dive until I resolved it, and if I couldn't, yup, I guess dives over...

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by jetblast00


the necklace should not be breakaway, it would have to reeeeeally be pulled hard to choke me, it's bungee... if that did happen, I'd cut it with my knife. the secondary second stage around your neck is ussualy on a 22" or 24" hose.

Hmmm...
I use a breakaway arrangement - that is, it'll break away if I really need it to, but not if I don't.
See http://homepages.msn.com/SupportSt/rickmurchison/necklace.html
Rick

 

[CAMPER]

jetblast

You are not able to reach the now non-bungeed 2nd by yourself? In an ooa situation I would only rely on my own ability, these situations get very tense.

Ed B

 

[Lost Yooper]

You'd just do a sweap and grab it like you were taught in PADI 101 -- no biggie. Mine is not a breakaway style. It's attached via the mouthpiece zip tie to eliminate the "potential" failure point of accidentally coming off. If you're diving with someone unfamiliar, make them very aware of what you have and what the procedure is. Having the backup under the chin on a necklace makes so much sense it's mind boggling, IMO (of course )

Mike

 

[jetblast00]

Originally posted by CAMPER
jetblast

You are not able to reach the now non-bungeed 2nd by yourself? In an ooa situation I would only rely on my own ability, these situations get very tense.

Ed B

I dive with people who I trust as much as myself. Not to put aside my own abilities, but my buddy's have the same degree or more, so I can count on them. But I always could reach back to my post and follow the hose to the second stage myself too. It's just more efficient with a good buddy.

 

[kwesler]

Replying to the "have you actually had to use an Octo" question, and also addressing idea of donating primary...

My buddy on a quarry dive at 90' had his primary flood into his mouth-got a mouthful and lungful at once. He got a little panicky and grabbed my reg out of my mouth. I dive the long hose, and it was a GREAT advantage to give him 6' of hose to cool down with while I breathed my bungied backup. When he calmed down, we were able to ascend safely.

 

[carlislere]

Wow, I didn't know anyone in the world still used the inner tube rubber band method. In the early 80's we used that in the Austin area when I was with J. Rich Sports going up the diving ranks. We called the inner tube band the Oliver's Octopus Optimizer after the person who cut up the bands and gave us the idea. I used it for years after that and went thru my ITC with it in '82.
Don't remember when I stopped using it, but I think it was because I didn't have any bands. Also with the advent of the "golden triangle" method the OOO disappeared from around here after awhile.
Use of the OOO was safe and effective. The key was doing a buddy check and knowing each others equipment. I must admit that I had no trouble with the AAS slipping out from the band. It was the best working AAS device I have used. I haven't found one since that really does a decent job other than a clip.
Thanks for sharing.
Ron

 

[VTWarrenG]

carl,

By "inner tube rubber band method" I assume you mean "backup reg on a necklace method." A LOT of people use their backup on a necklace -- but it's usually surgical tubing or shock cord these days.

- Warren