Pony or primary?

[rhwestfall]

The long hose isn't "long" until you have assessed the situation, then, when its decided as okay, deployed the incremental length that has been tucked/hooked/etc. Until that has happened, I have a hold of one of your d-rings/chest webbing, and we are making serious eye contact, and both get what is going on, and what we are going to do (and going nowhere for the moment).

STOP, breathe, think, breathe, action, breathe... (probably more steps but you get the idea)

As I am usually in very cold water, and for the moment on a single post (H-valves as well as doubles are now being prepped as AN/DP begins next month), I am not real comfortable with someone extra on my second stage stressing the first.... My plan is to move them to the pony, and get out of the water. If they are not prepared to "go it alone", I may go on my pony..... my grip on the harness remains until i see fit....

Akimbo: agree, but I'm 6'-7", and with my f-1's on my feet, you would need a 10'+/- hose.........how is that stored?????

---------- Post added February 7th, 2014 at 02:28 PM ----------

Steve (Doppler), thanks for your ongoing contributions. Your perspective is much appreciated, and opened my eyes many times.

 

[OtherHalf]

I'd have to say donate with care. If you're not breathing the pony, you don't KNOW that the regulator on the pony is functioning. Switch to backup second stage and deploy the long hose. If there is a switch to the pony its after the situation is under control, and the OOA diver is no longer panicked. My view on it at least.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Give then the reg that you know works: your primary. Switch to the back up reg if you are confident that you have enough gas to get two divers to the surface.

Keep the pony bottle for a back up and real emergency. If they are breathing too hard from the primary and you are worried that they will run the tank down, then you switch to the pony.

I wouldn't give my back up tank to some clown to swim off and die with it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get your loaned gear back from the dead diver's family? I do... it is tacky... easier to just write it off... I am keeping my pony for ME!

 

[Akimbo]

The long hose isn't "long" until you have assessed the situation, then, when its decided as okay, deployed the incremental length that has been tucked/hooked/etc. Until that has happened, I have a hold of one of your d-rings/chest webbing, and we are making serious eye contact, and both get what is going on, and what we are going to do (and going nowhere for the moment)….

I concur and would attempt to do the same. Unfortunately that isn’t so easy with an untethered camera in hand or hanging onto a downline in a current… or both. I wouldn’t wrap the hose around my neck though.

IF I decided there was a good reason to use a long hose it would be bungeed or looped in a custom bag along one side of a cylinder. That would allow it to be pulled free in 3-4' increments and wouldn’t require removing the regulator from my mouth to pay out slack. I would probably add a bolt snap 20-24" from the second stage to prevent pulling the hose out accidently, in addition to one near the first stage end for the strain relief.

I “might” wrap it around my neck to re-stow on the surface before climbing the ladder. I wouldn’t have much heartburn over climbing the ladder and letting it dangle overboard until on the swim step either.

… Akimbo: agree, but I'm 6'-7", and with my f-1's on my feet, you would need a 10'+/- hose.........how is that stored????? ...

More hose could be stored the same way with an extra loop or two. My big question is why have a long hose in the first place unless you spend lots of time restricted access spaces?

Unless there is a serious payday involved, I don’t see a good reason to get into tight places on Scuba anyway. On a hose, and preferably a surface-supplied umbilical, tethered from outside is another story… but I’m bit of a mercenary with a commercial diving background.

Although I’m not a fan; the OP’s scenario is a good argument in favor of a Spare-Air. Just hand it over and hover out of reach!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The long hose is not wrapped around your neck. It is routed from your right side, across the chest, behind the neck and into your mouth from the right side. At no time does the hose touch the front of your neck. When you donate it you simply lean your head forward and it slips over the top of your head.
I have been fortunate to have never been involved in an OOA situation, but have been in two low on air dives when the long hose came in handy. We swam side by side to the exit, comfortably and not having to hold each other's BCs.

 

[Akimbo]

The long hose is not wrapped around your neck. It is routed from your right side, across the chest, behind the neck and into your mouth from the right side….

I see divers all the time in full tech regalia with hose coiled around their neck. I have no opinion as to what is “regulation” but there are videos, threads, and instructions all over the Net promoting 1-3 wraps. Personally, I don’t want any wraps around any part of me.

Here’s a one-neck-wrap video:

Pro-Tech Dive College Technical Skills, S Drill - YouTube

I have never had the luxury of such a leisurely response while somebody’s turning blue and their eyeballs fill their entire mask!

Edit:

…I have been fortunate to have never been involved in an OOA situation, but have been in two low on air dives when the long hose came in handy. We swam side by side to the exit, comfortably and not having to hold each other's BCs.

Basically you are describing how it works when things go well. Heck, you can buddy-breathe when things go well. There are just too many divers who are primed for panic these days, you can see it in their eyes before leaving the boat.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

In the video you linked the diver does not have the long hose wrapped in front of his neck. He has it wrapped just as I described. If someone came up and grabbed his reg it wouldn't choke him.

 

[rhwestfall]

the only thing I didn't like in that video is the light cord. I'd have it "under" the long hose....

 

[NAM001]

water conditions would be moot. give him the 7', get stableized and then give the pony. That would provide the ability to both do a normal ascent without being tethered. Any less that optimum waters will only complicate the share air process.

 

[DogDiver]

Neither. My primary is my primary. The guy effed up so it's on him/her. I will hand off my pony (my reserve) - it's set to hand off the octo in a second and unclip and hand over the pony, and then they are on their own. I dive solo so I have little tollerance for unprepaired divers - sorry. Get the training, get the equipment, do the practice.

Agree. My redundant reg on my H valve when diving open water is for me!!!


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