Primary Light - Hand

[TSandM]

And the answers I've gotten to the long hose under the light cord question are a perfect example of why I don't try to rethink the system . . . Having had very little experience with carrying any sort of deco bottle or stage, I wasn't thinking about having to clip the light repeatedly during a dive. There's ALWAYS a reason why the DIR procedure for something is the way it is.

I dive my goodman handle on my left hand, but I do shift it to my right hand when I want to dump air from my bottom valve, also I sometimes shift it temporarily to the right to allow Argon into my left glove...

Having the fist clenched for a period of time, my left hand is not as warm as my right. I then just shift hands for a second and flex my left hand and then resume my diving with the handle back on the left hand.

Mike, temporary holds are perfectly OK. There are all kinds of reasons why you might want to transfer the light temporarily to the right hand. The key is to learn to do it smoothly enough that your buddies don't turn around to see if you're OK

 

[coldsmoke]

Stuck on the BC inflator is pretty creative, but they do tend to reach out and grab stage regs, ....

Yeah, not so much experience with stages and scootering yet, but I do get caught up on the gauge often. That is pretty easily corrected though.

If your inflator is facing you and laying flat, I am struggling to see how this hapens regularly. You may be able to adjust how the hose is laying. Of course, unless things have changed dramatically, this might be a good excuse to get rid of that piece of crap stainless inflator.

Yeah, now that you mention it it does kind of angle out so to speak. I'll get it twisted more towards my body and see if that helps.

On a side note, what is it that is so bad about the SS inflators. I understand some of them were recalled, but I have a post recall inflator. I like it. It's nice and heavy, it seems well made, and it's very simple to rebuild. I have had it leak a little before but it just needed to be cleaned, lubed and tightened a bit. What don't I know about them?

Thanks

Hunter

 

[Gombessa]

On a side note, what is it that is so bad about the SS inflators. I understand some of them were recalled, but I have a post recall inflator. I like it. It's nice and heavy, it seems well made, and it's very simple to rebuild. I have had it leak a little before but it just needed to be cleaned, lubed and tightened a bit. What don't I know about them?

I had a post-recall SS inflator that also leaked and auto-inflated. I really liked the sturdiness/heft of it as well, but it just wasn't worth it.

I figured the problem with the SS is that some part of it seizes in the barrel when any kind of debris gets in. Maybe the tolerances are too narrow, or it's too hard and doesn't flex/bend/gouge like plastic. Either way, replaced it with the generic plastic inflator and never looked back.

 

[rjack321]

On a side note, what is it that is so bad about the SS inflators. I understand some of them were recalled, but I have a post recall inflator. I like it. It's nice and heavy, it seems well made, and it's very simple to rebuild. I have had it leak a little before but it just needed to be cleaned, lubed and tightened a bit. What don't I know about them?

Pre-post recall is irrelevant, the SS inflators leak way more often than standard plastic ones. Sometimes catastrophically. While they have a nice configuration and heft, and I still have a couple on our single tank wings; I won't use them for any deco/cave diving.

You know you are "getting there" as a tech diver when your instuctor can lay on the power inflator at 20ft midwater and you merely need to tip head down, pull the butt dump with your left hand while shutting down your right post - and can calmly complete this without getting above 18ft or below 22ft. Its even more of a required skill for SS inflator users.

 

[ivobj]

We did get to post 8 before someone posted a non-DIR answer and tried to justify it, that's doing pretty good

Ok Guys, I am sorry, didn't have the idea that would cause such a discussion. Just clarifying 2 things and I rest my case:

1 - It was not my intention to post a non DIR answer, I simply answered a question, the OP asked in which hand you use the light and why, I just answered that.

2 - Although that may seem strange, when I first stated my worries with the light cord crossing under my body in wrecks, it was a GUE instructor that sugested me to use mainly in the right hand, I do it exactly like in the pictures below which I took from "Doing it Right: Fundamentals of Better Diving" (notice that also the gauge is in the left hand in the picture of the diver in the water), that's why I though it was ok to post here, I honestly though that it was also DIR acceptable, since I found the idea of how to do it in DIR book.

Again, if the more experienced guys consider that non DIR, I respect and will argue no longer, sorry for posting.

 

[rjack321]

That would be a good example where the book is not the final word (its a bit dated). Its fine asking, but a bunch of us have been around awhile and can definitely tell you things have evolved since the book was published. 99% of the time if you put the light in your right hand it will be as a temporary hold. With the right hand grasping the top of the light. If you are on a scooter, the right thumb would go in the goodman or thumb loop.

Wrapping the cord is not recommended. If the cord is getting caught in wrecks (or a cave) get it shortened and increase your awareness. The arm wrapping causes a cascade of issues that you want to avoid.

 

[Jasonmh]

Ok Guys, I am sorry, didn't have the idea that would cause such a discussion. Just clarifying 2 things and I rest my case:
...

Looks like you got an answer to your question on the Quest list. It was a good question to ask, as I'm sure others have had the same question.

 

[trogloxene]

From Quest list

Hello Ivo,
I wish I could pretend we had some higher purpose but the truth is that
these images were missed in the edit runs. In the early days we did play
with both styles (ergo the existence of the images) but settled upon the
light in the left hand so as to ensure clean deployment of the long hose.
You will note the vast majority of images represent this style. Certainly
there is nothing wrong with switching hands from time to time or as the need
arises but the proper DIR "parked" position is in the left hand.
Best,


Jarrod Jablonski
CEO Extreme Exposure
CEO Halcyon Manufacturing
President Global Underwater Explorers

Sean

 

[LiteHedded]

totally unrelated question

who's this dude?

 

[Gombessa]

totally unrelated question

who's this dude?

I have no idea, but I just realized that there's something about wearing a hood in "out of water" pictures that's strangely unsettling.