Regulators and DIR ?

[MHK]

Shame we don't have more of the GUE guys over here, or maybe it's a good excuse for trip over there to do DIR-F, which I intend to do as soon as I can just so that I find out just how far I have got to go !

Cheers again guys

Hoppy

Hoppy we've done several classes in the UK and in fact we have a local instructor Andy K available. Andrew G, myself and Andy K taught a series of classes at Capernwary Quarry last November, JJ has taught several classes over there and as I understand it many of the locals have set up a UK DIR list..

As far as your specific questions go respecting doubles. You will route the primary hose off of your right port. This is done for several reasons. Primarily, you will donate the regulator that you are breathing in an OOA scenario. Accordingly, by donating the primary regulator you ensure that the diver that is OOA is gauranteed to receive a regulator known to be working at the time he needs it the most. When you start considering doubles it's important to start understanding that it's possible when inside a wreck or a cave that it's possible a diver will make contact with the ceiling and could possibly "roll-off" one of the valves. Given that the right [primary] port if it makes contact with the ceiling will "roll" in the "on" position, it's more beneficial to have the OOA diver on a regulator that even if you hit a ceiling will continue to donate air. Whereas if you juxtapose that against the left port, if you hit the ceiling the left port will "roll-off". Well, you as the donating diver in an OOA scenario, will be breathing off that port. If that should happen all you would need to do is reach back and turn your valve back on. If the OOA diver is breathing off that port and is in front of you, and you hit a ceiling you may not know that there is a roll-off until it's too late.

Hope that helps.

Later

Michael Kane

 

[Hoppy]

Hoppy we've done several classes in the UK and in fact we have a local instructor Andy K available. Andrew G, myself and Andy K taught a series of classes at Capernwary Quarry last November, JJ has taught several classes over there and as I understand it many of the locals have set up a UK DIR list..

As far as your specific questions go respecting doubles. You will route the primary hose off of your right port. This is done for several reasons. Primarily, you will donate the regulator that you are breathing in an OOA scenario. Accordingly, by donating the primary regulator you ensure that the diver that is OOA is gauranteed to receive a regulator known to be working at the time he needs it the most. When you start considering doubles it's important to start understanding that it's possible when inside a wreck or a cave that it's possible a diver will make contact with the ceiling and could possibly "roll-off" one of the valves. Given that the right [primary] port if it makes contact with the ceiling will "roll" in the "on" position, it's more beneficial to have the OOA diver on a regulator that even if you hit a ceiling will continue to donate air. Whereas if you juxtapose that against the left port, if you hit the ceiling the left port will "roll-off". Well, you as the donating diver in an OOA scenario, will be breathing off that port. If that should happen all you would need to do is reach back and turn your valve back on. If the OOA diver is breathing off that port and is in front of you, and you hit a ceiling you may not know that there is a roll-off until it's too late.

Hope that helps.

Later

Michael Kane

Thx for that, I understood the routing as its explained well in the book. It was the "how many second stages" question that was bugging me. Its the "rec" diver donate the Octo in me which keeps coming out I suppose.

I'll PM you for Andy K's details.

Thx again.
Hoppy

 

[MHK]

Thx for that, I understood the routing as its explained well in the book. It was the "how many second stages" question that was bugging me. Its the "rec" diver donate the Octo in me which keeps coming out I suppose.

I'll PM you for Andy K's details.

Thx again.
Hoppy

Perhaps what is confusing to you as you move from single to doubles and from a recreational mindset to a more advanced mindset is that the "octo" thing is a thing of the past. Generally speaking, in a single tank recreational environment the "octo" is something that most divers hand off in an OOA. DIR believes that it is more valuable to hand off a regulator that you know to be working at the very moment it is needed by the OOA diver. Accordingly, we donate what we are breathing since we absolutely know it's working. To speak more directly to your question, when using a set of doubles complete with proper isolator, you have the ability to have, in essence, two separate tanks, two searate regulators. Therefore, the answer is that 2 regulators are sufficient when diving in an O/E, anymore then that adds an additional failure point for no real benefit. In a real pickle, a diver could use his LP inflator hose as a breathing medium. This takes a little bit of practice, it's not recommended that the wing be used as a RB, and you need to exhale into the water, and it can screw with your bouyancy. All of that being said, if you find yourself in a situation where both of your regs fail, somehow you aren't diving in team fashion and your buddy is nowhere to be found, the above provides a better solution then drowning ;-)

Andy K, and all other GUE instructors contact info can be found on www.gue.com.

Let me know how else I can help.

Regards,

Michael Kane

 

[Hoppy]

Perhaps what is confusing to you as you move from single to doubles and from a recreational mindset to a more advanced mindset is that the "octo" thing is a thing of the past.

Yep, that was it really , I was still thinking I needed the octo as well, DOH ! Got it now though.

In a real pickle, a diver could use his LP inflator hose as a breathing medium. This takes a little bit of practice, it's not recommended that the wing be used as a RB, and you need to exhale into the water, and it can screw with your bouyancy. All of that being said, if you find yourself in a situation where both of your regs fail, somehow you aren't diving in team fashion and your buddy is nowhere to be found, the above provides a better solution then drowning ;-)

I don't even want to think about this ! But as you say better than drowning

Andy K, and all other GUE instructors contact info can be found on www.gue.com.

Michael Kane

I'll be in touch today , thanks again.

I really appreciate the time all of you guys take to answer what sometimes seem like really stupid questions, but you do it with good grace and for that I thank you.

No doubt there'll be more

Hoppy