Secondary reg bungee'd around neck?

[Lowrider Steve]

The original question is about using a bungee around your neck. I've read through the posts and can't get this idea in my head. Can someone describe how you use a bungee to secure a regulator? A picture would speak a thousands words.

 

[Lucy's Diver]

1- For standard single tank diving, I use a short hose primary standard length octo hose as octo bungied around my neck.
2- For doubles, my primary is on a 7 foot hose (not wrapped around me, rather routed back and forth between the tank valves held with bungies, so a yank pulls all 7 feet out).
3- For AGA dives (mostly surface supply), my secondary is on a bungee around my neck on a short hose (and I have all sorts of unsightly loops of hose for the AGA, octo, drysuit hose, pnuemofathometer, umbilical, no way around it with a surface supply manifold on my shoulder and a bailout tank on my back). Its my secondary only, I am diving solo.
4- For hard hat dives (always surface supply) I just hope the second stage built into the helmet works, because there's no getting the hat off my head if anything fails Again, bailout bottle, suface umbilical, pnuemo - lots of deadly loops.

There are plenty of commercial, militaty, and public safety divers diving in zero viz, cold, entanglement rich waters all covered with "unsightly loops" of hose. Relax. Just configure your stuff to keep it off the bottom.

As to to 1 and 2 above I see no reason to wrap a long hose around me and no reason to dive a single with a long hose. I bungee the octo because its what I am used to and this keeps it close and secure. I'm not taking a single tank into a wreck or cave so why the long hose (and associated PITA wrapping it around me on a pitching boat with heavy gear)? An OOA diver is getting my secondary if I see them in distress. I know the secondary works because I breathed from it on the surface (didn't you?). Even if I was not sure, if the guy is that panicked I'm not giving him what I know to work for what I think might, that's a recipe for two victims. If someone manages to grab the primary from my mouth, well fine now I can breath off the secondary. There are more compelling reasons with doubles for the "long hose as primary to be donated" set up than with simple, easy, single tank, no D dives; so that's what I use when diving doubles.

Right tool for the right job. I have seen people dive singles with a long hose - only people taking the singles into wrecks. OK, if you're going to take a non redundant system into an overhead environment that is so tight that you can only swim single file....

Oh - and to answer Lowrider's original question: buy or make this: Manta Regulator Necklace, DIR and Technical, Manta, Manta Regulator Necklace

 

[mempilot]

The original question is about using a bungee around your neck. I've read through the posts and can't get this idea in my head. Can someone describe how you use a bungee to secure a regulator? A picture would speak a thousands words.

Here's a picture of a not-homemade version. A single piece of bungee can accomplish the same thing with zip ties or simple nots.

 

[highdesert]

Haven't read thru the whole thread, so sorry if this has already been asked. Been thinking of going this route for some time, but wondering if both the primary and backup are supplied from the right side of the first stage, over right shoulder, or if people use a backup that can be reversed to take the low pressure supply from the left side, coming over the left shoulder?

 

[DBailey]

Hi guys,

I've noticed a few posters mention that they bungee their secondary reg around their neck.

Thinking about it, I have to say this sounds better than the way I was trained - having it affixed to your BCD on your chest. However, listening to a few people talk about it and then deciding to go against my training seems a little rash.

So, dive experts, is the neck-bungee a safe and appropriate method for securing one's secondary reg? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Most importantly, how is it appropriately done so as to minimize the potential for strangling?

Thanks in advance,
a Novice Diver

Other have pointed out pros and cons for both methods. You can decide from there. My only words of advice are:

--Whichever method you use, make sure you take care of your gear.
--Whichever method you use, make sure you know how to use it.
--Whichever method you use, make sure your buddy knows how to use it.
--Whichever method you use, make sure you practice it with your buddy.

Most of the "bad OOA" situations that I have seen or heard about, often involve two divers that never practiced OOA situations; therefore, both of them were fubarred when the situation came up.

A lot of people on this board that dive the long hose with a bungeed back-up regularly practice air sharing skills. When faced with the situation, both parties know how to react. Many people that do practice the donating the alternate that is secured somewhere else typically don't have an issue since they have practiced it.

 

[mempilot]

I guess rebreather divers, whom I would consider technical, are diving 5’ – 7’ long corrugated loops? I don’t think so. I don’t think they dive with a 5’ or 7’ hose off their diluent bottle either.

First, most RB divers transitioned over from diving technical/recreational OC. While the RB itself would lend nothing to the need for a an OC regulator, the bailout bottle would. There are two schools of thought for the length of the hose on the bailout regulator, just as we are discussing here for normal OC diving. Either you pass the bottle to a distressed diver and give up your bailout gas, or you pass a regulator. I use a 7' foot hose on my bailout bottle, so that I can control the bottle. The long hose in this setup serves the same purpose as we are discussing for OC. It allows a diver to lead or follow in a confined space, or to ascend in a comfortable manner. Also, many RB divers bungee a bailout regulator around their neck to make bailout quick and easy when there is a lack of a dedicated bail out valve. Many of us switch back and forth between diving CC and OC, so the conversation is valid from either perspective.

Scenario 2
Lets assume Diver 1 is on a rebreather and diver 2 is open circuit. Same issue, diver 2 runs out of air, a new diver and panics. Doe he go and rip the loop out of diver 1’s mouth or does he say “Oh, he is on rebreather so I have to go for the open circuit regulator he has clipped off to his bc?

A RB diver donates a regulator attached to his OC bailout supply in this scenario. The bailout supply is either onboard from his diluent bottle, or from offboard in the form of a stage bottle. The loop is not breathable by anyone but the diver wearing it.

Is there some sort of gestalt when seeing a rebreather that causes the panicked diver to revert back to his/her training and look for the regulator in the triangle?

When a RB diver is buddied up with an OC diver, it is paramount that both divers are familiar with many protocols. For the OC diver, asside from having basic understanding of the hazzards to be aware of for his buddy, they must be familiar with how he will recieve/donate air in a OOA situation. This wouldn't be something not discussed on the surface. Once in the water, it is too late if the protocol isn't understood. In the case that a OOA non-dive buddy swims up to a RB diver looking for gas to breath, there wouldn't be an obvious safe source available like in the event of an octo in the triangle.

I see most closed circuit divers sling a 40 or so cf bottle that they simply can hand off to the out of air diver.

Passing the bottle creates a very dangerous situation for the RB diver. That bottle is there to breathe off during a RB failure or abnomal situation. If the bottle was passed, then the bottle isn't there to perform it's function. When diving RB's as a team, each diver has their own bailout. When diving with a mix of CC and OC divers, having a short hose for bailout and a long hose for donation while retaining the bottle is the normal procedure.

Lets face it, rebreathers will be mainstream just like nitrox. What is going to happen to all of the 5+ foot hoses? Are they going to be used on their onboard bail out dil bottles? If so, why are they using them on their open circuit primary regulators now? If not, once again, why use them on their open circuit primary regulators now?

I think there is gong to be a paradigm shift as rebreathers become more common.

Many of the long hoses stay on the OC regulators that they used for OC tech, but the regulators end up on the bailout bottles. This was the case for me and many of my buddies. Most onboard DIL bottles are of large enough capacity to provide adequate bailout gas. This is why most RB divers carry offboard gas for bailout purposes.

 

[Lowrider Steve]

Here's a picture of a not-homemade version. A single piece of bungee can accomplish the same thing with zip ties or simple nots.

Very interesting. Thanks

 

[BabyDuck]

(nice to see you again, eric!)

 

[mempilot]

(nice to see you again, eric!)

:10::11::mooner:

So many emotions, it's overwhelming!!

 

[Ed Hatfield]

Very enjoyable and spirited discussion. This is why I keep coming back to ScubaBoard.