S Drill Etiquette

[Randy43068]

That was NOT a visual I needed in my brain just then but I do agree!

I know, and it's just funny as can be!

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

People are just assuming this is true, but has this possibility ever truly been researched? Isn't it possible that the level of methane might be too high for this to be a safe alternative? Before I took a donkey into the cave with me, I would want to be sure it will work. I searched the DAN web site and I looked through Rubicon, but I cannot find a single authoritative study.

I suggest some brave soul, perhaps Bob since it was his idea, initiate a study. I am sure grant funds will be available somewhere.

I suppose you could carry a S.A....... Spare As-

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

And in the ocean, there are these things called fish. Ya. They actually poop in the water.

No kidding ... I swam with a "herd" of bumphead parrotfish once ... those things are like aquatic cows ... :shocked2:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[SkimFisher]

OK I'll begin to confess that in my world we don't make S drills nearly as often as some consider essential, but I'm looking to change that. (S drill = Air share drill)

I also don't subscribe to the bungee'd alternate, donate the primary configuration but dive with some that do.

So to those of you doing frequent S drills how do you handle a situation where you simply don't want the primary that just came out of someone's mouth?

1) never mind it getting rinsed between their mouth and yours

2) never mind the open water contaminants that any alternate is exposed to

The same question applies to not wanting to have to take a primary back from someone else.

Thoughts?

Pete

I don't understand what the problem is? If you want air bad enough you'll take a reg that was pinched between someone's butt-cheeks, let alone worry about a little spit....

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I don't understand what the problem is? If you want air bad enough you'll take a reg that was pinched between someone's butt-cheeks, let alone worry about a little spit....

He is talking about DRILL / practice, not real OOG situations.

 

[Big John]

Just in for this dive season. The donky pony. Enjoy.

 

[boulderjohn]

And in the ocean, there are these things called fish. Ya. They actually poop in the water. (And pee and spawn and spew sperm all over everything.)
.

W.C. Fields had an interesting take on this.

 

[xeptra]

My suggestion, and unfortunatly this is based on experience.. If your doing drills (not real life scenerio) and you just puked in your reg DO NOT give it to your buddy.. for once just pass on the drill. Unfortunatly I didn't know my buddy puked in his reg right before doing s-drills. Thats one drill i would have passed on.
Other than that I've never seen sharing regs as that big of a deal. If it bothers you just think that the reg is being rinsed in the water as it goes form your buddy to you.

 

[Sas]

You guys realize that the second you get in a swimming pool you are sharing germs from far worse places on other peoples' bodies than their mouths, right? And in the ocean, there are these things called fish. Ya. They actually poop in the water. (And pee and spawn and spew sperm all over everything.)

Draw some Nike swooshes on your mask lenses and Just Do It.

There's chlorine in pools. I try to avoid it though, just like sharing a reg.

I don't care about fish either - they can't give me face herpes.

 

[DCBC]

Donating the working reg seems to me to be the wisest thing to hand off to someone who's probably on the edge of panic since they're asking for air. Then I always have my second right under my chin so I always know it's there. No fumbling no messing, it's always there tucked away. Frankly, I see no reason to have it anyplace else, but that's a discussion for another day.

Place the regulator, which by the way is on a long hose, directly in front of his or her eyes so they see it and can take it. Seems good practice for the donator to be doing as well. We've all heard that a diver who's in panic will grab your working reg anyway, so why not just let that be the one you practice donating?

I suppose it depends if you consider yourself as a rescuer or not. The first rule of being a rescuer is that you never put yourself in danger. If you give away a functioning primary and go for your secondary and it doesn't work, you're screwed (you may both die).

I've delt with OOA situations on a few occassions in the past and have never had a problem with offering a secondary. If it doesn't work, the other diver may be screwed, but I'm also prepared to buddy breath if I feel the diver is capable. I check my secondary prior to the dive and stow it properly. It has a 5 ft hose.

A diver in panic will go for the closest regulator. If you are doing your job properly, you will be handing the regulator to him in either case. If not, the choice is his not yours. I don't buy the "he'll grab your regulator out of your mouth" explanation. This hasn't been my experience even before octopus seconds were even around. I'm just not giving-up a clear functional regulator in an emergency.

Oh well different strokes for different folks as they say...

Yes. The most important thing is that the diving team know the other diver's equipment configuration and what he expects.