Regulator Necklace Setup

[ink]

I'm looking to switch to a hog setup with primary donate. I bought a necklace, but how do I actually attach it to my regulator? How do I measure what the ideal length is?
Also, what do I do with the clip for my new extra-long primary reg tube? Why do I need a clip? The videos I found made it look like I just wrap it under my arm and around my neck, so why would I clip it?

 

[Pearlman]

I have a silicone necklace and prefer it because the skin on my neck gets chaffed and suffers irritation with a red weal mark if I use a bungee cord… almost like a rope burn! However the problem with the silicone necklace is that the loop that goes over the mouthpiece is a little too loose and the reg can fall out and dangle from the short hose if you accidentally tug the small reg hose or the reg itself.

I think it needs an extra zip tie woven thru the silicone band and tightened down over the mouthpiece …

 

[TrimixToo]

Another thing to consider is that the necklace can be sized so that it holds the reg in your mouth. If you ever think you might be losing consciousness it could save you until you run out of gas in the tank(s). Just another tool in the box that seemed worth mentioning.

 

[jborg]

Another point which I haven't seen mentioned is that the necklaced regulator should be bungeed close enough under your chin that in the event you lose/donate your primary, you can simply tilt your head down and "switch" to the backup regulator without using your hands.

This sounds cool. I’ve never been able to accomplish it when I’ve tried, regardless of necklace length. Maybe a somewhat stiff dry suit neck combined with a 10mm hood restricts movement too much or I just haven’t got it in me to do the required head movement.

 

[DCN]

We use a bungee kit for our necklaces, but we actually discovered that it can come loose, so we're switching to securing the bungee with zip ties. We are not super experienced, but realise that KISS is probably the way to go here.

 

[d^2b]

We use a bungee kit for our necklaces, but we actually discovered that it can come loose, so we're switching to securing the bungee with zip ties. We are not super experienced, but realise that KISS is probably the way to go here.

I'm also not super experienced with a regulator necklace (a few hundred dives), but there have been times when I wanted the necklace to come loose. One example that sticks in my mind is handing my BC onto a boat but forgetting to remove the necklace from around my neck. Since I don't do much diving with entanglement hazards, the risk of the regulator coming loose during the dive seems minimal. At worst my regulator flops around a bit.

 

[TrimixToo]

I'm also not super experienced with a regulator necklace (a few hundred dives), but there have been times when I wanted the necklace to come loose. One example that sticks in my mind is handing my BC onto a boat but forgetting to remove the necklace from around my neck. Since I don't do much diving with entanglement hazards, the risk of the regulator coming loose during the dive seems minimal. At worst my regulator flops around a bit.

You won't get strangled. It'll just come out of the bungee or silicone tubing or whatever. Same if someone grabs it in an OOA situation.

 

[halocline]

One example that sticks in my mind is handing my BC onto a boat but forgetting to remove the necklace from around my neck.

You’ll do that once and then never again. Don’t ask how I know.

 

[mr_v]

Silicone all the way.

You can adjust a silicone necklace by cutting it in half and overlapping the two cut parts as seen in the picture below. Most people don't do that because they either do not care or have not experienced a loose necklace or proper instruction.

Silicone is stretchy and can you can put it over your head without issues. I have XXL hat size and haven't had any problems with silicone necklaces.

Unlike bungee, silicone fits nicely over the top of the reg while allowing you to swiftly remove the reg without entangling in or removing a mouthpiece (if it is not zipped properly). That capability is important to me, as I remove the reg from the necklace while donating to an out-of-air diver; I am on a rebreather and that is one of the rebreather-specific configurations.

Once you dial-in the silicone necklace, it stays the same, i.e., there is no danger in things moving around or becoming loose.

Here is my prototype:

Unfortunately, silicone necklaces do not come in many sizes and the large (~10") is too big for me, but the small one (~7") is too tight. I have a 9" one in my shopping cart now.

Octopus Regulator Necklace | SiliconeGear

The regulator necklace is great for securing your 1st or 2nd regulator. Made from extra-elongation material the regular necklace is flexible in cold water.

siliconegear.com

 

[d^2b]

You won't get strangled. It'll just come out of the bungee or silicone tubing or whatever. Same if someone grabs it in an OOA situation.

Right, that's exactly why I wasn't keen on "securing the bungee with a zip tie", but I guess that could mean different things to different people.