Reg Failures

[CPH]

Ok so then I guess a smash second stage would result in a catastrophic failure. Is there anything else?

Surely though, if you have a burst hose with a manifold, you just shut the valve and still have easy access to all the gass.

Is there any agency that actually teaches 1st stage swapping underwater?

 

[Teller]

I didn't say anything about choosing one configuration over another based on this thread. I was just curious. When I said swap regs I meant swap which reg I was breathing from not literally swap a first stage to a different valve. Sorry I figured that went without saying since we were discussing SM.

Based on what everyone has said I am led to believe that it is true that manifold doubled do offer more redundancy due to the unlikely but possible event that a reg encounters a catastrophic failure. Although with proper gas management among your team I wouldn't say SM is any less safe even if you did lose half of your gas at the deepest point in the dive. So I guess it just depends on if you see the glass as half empty or half full.

 

[CPH]

If this is a discussion about side mount loosing half your gas.... couldn't you just hold your breath long enough to switch the regulator from one tank to another? (Maybe 30 seconds?) That doesn't sound too hard... easier than making a free ascent from 100 feet..

I am not saying that I wouldn't switch regs but lets just say I need both cylinders to surface safely.

Ah I see. From what you said earlier it looked like you were willing to do what Dumpster suggested and swap first stages underwater.