Should octos be yellow?

[spectrum]

If you're diving a conventional set-up then there are real benefits form it being apparent.

I would not get into painting, That won't last. If an alternate cover is available for the model that's. A yellow hose is a fallback.

Pete

 

[Teller]

The idea that the OOA diver will just grab the one in your mouth is repeated regularly on threads like this, but I have never seen any evidence that this is in fact the most common occurrence. In every case I know of, the OOA diver reached for and took the alternate. (It was not donated.)

Yellow is not filtered out for a while (the reds and oranges go first), and even when it is filtered out, you are left with a light colored regulator that should stand out from a wet suit/BCD instead of a black one that blends in.

I believe most yellow goes by 40 feet with great vis however the point was the yellow paint is not needed if OOG is discussed prior to the dive.

 

[boulderjohn]

The only case I was ner involved a husband/wife buddy team. They had both been taught to donate the octo in response to an OOA signal.

The wife apparently went into the water with a partially filled tank without checking the pressure, because she went OOA early in a pretty deep dive. When she went OOA, she did not signal in any way. She swam to her husband and took his octo. He did not know there was an issue until he realized she was taking it.

 

[g1138]

No need. What are the chances that a non-buddy will come up to you for an OOA emergency? If it's not likely in your diving situations then don't bother altering the reg. Just brief your buddy well enough during the dive planning.
Should the situation actually come up, you should take control and give them a reg if you have the chance. Don't wait for them to act if you can help it.

I would suggest getting a yellow hose and even a yellow mouthpiece if you're that worried about it.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I have set ups that are both ways. All same color or one black and one yellow. The yellow cover set I have is set up with the yellow on the primary. That is the reg I am going to donate to an OOA diver. I do not teach nor believe in the OOA diver take scenario. It is dangerous and offers little help to the stressed diver. My belief is that if you cannot donate your primary fast enough to an OOA diver you probably should tell them this before hand so they can make out their will or find another buddy.

The donor donate (hand off to the vic) has several advantages.

1. It keeps the donor in control of the air supply.

2. It allows the donor to decide which reg to hand off.

3. It sends a clear psychological message to the OOA diver that says "It's ok, here's air, I am going to help you."

4. If you donate the primary it is even more so as it says " Here's air, this reg works. I was just using it! Relax, I am going to help you. Everything will be ok!"

5. The OOA take method where you protect your reg and open your arms to allow the vic to grab a reg says "Holy Crap! You have no air! Well you're not getting mine! Here, try and find something to breathe off of! Good luck!" and the vic may need it if as John illustrated the octo has fallen out of the scum ball or it's hidden in the lower part of the poorly named "golden triangle" that often seems to run from the divers right butt cheek to the left one and up to the chin.

6. You don't need to worry about a golden triangle if the reg being given is in the donors mouth. Now you have a diamond and platinum target!

And for God's sake work on taking the reg out of your mouth every time by the hose. Even on the surface. It builds muscle memory so that when you do hand it off the vic is not trying to push the purge button, that they may desparately need to do, through your hand that is covering it!

 

[boulderjohn]

The donor donate (hand off to the vic) has several advantages.

That's great, except that in every case I know of, the OOA diver took the alternate without signaling. What do you do then?

I teach my students that a variety of things can happen, and it does not matter what they have been trained to do as donors. The person dictating the actions in the OOA scenario is the OOA diver. If the diver signals and then looks at you expectantly, then by all means hand the diver a regulator.That is what I teach in technical classes and what I will do whenever possible. (I haven't had a real case yet.) If the OOA diver reaches for your alternate without warning, though, any attempt by the donor to take charge and donate it will result in an unnecessary hand fight. I don't see a good outcome to that, so I tell my students to let them take it and then deal with the results.

 

[Lorenzoid]

If you believe this thread, an OOA diver is going to panic and grab whatever reg is in your mouth without paying any attention to color.

I suppose in a conventional configuration a yellow octo can help YOU distinguish at a glance which one is your octo when you're doing your pre-dive check and getting everything in place, but that's a minor benefit.

 

[boulderjohn]

If you believe this thread, an OOA diver is going to panic and grab whatever reg is in your mouth without paying any attention to color.

Really? I read through that thread and did not see any reference to any sort of evidence to that effect. In fact, in my skimming of it I didn't even see anyone repeating something they heard somewhere. Perhaps you can point out the specific posts I missed when I read it.

In contrast, there has recently been something of a raging discussion of a similar topic in the Instructor to Instructor forum. One person argued that OOA situations always result in panic events caused by a panicked OOA diver. People disputed that. Another person started a new thread with a poll asking people to cite their knowlege of actual OOA emergencies and what they are like. The response was close to 100% that OOA emergencies of which they had direct knowledge or experience were handled calmly and without panic. The people responding to this poll were instructors and divemasters from around the world.

From my reading of the DAN fatality reports and the recent DAN/PADI study, I conclude that when an OOA diver panics, there is no attempt to take any regulator from the buddy--there is just a quick ascent to the surface.

 

[ermaclob]

Out of coincidence, the long hose i have is Yellow not black, everything else i have is all black. the hose is very very noticeable even at 100ft compared to very thing else. i do talk to my buddies before the dive about that, but im sure if some random diver runs out of air and sees me, that yellow hose will be pretty clear for him to see.

i didn't do this on purpose tho, the guy that sold it to me just happen to have it as a spare. Funny how no ones mentioned rule 6 yet.

 

[Islandheart]

To respond to your question without writing a book.....

Paint..... ?
Poor solution, looks crappy as it starts coming off, right after you do it.

Get a Yellow Front Cover and/or Yellow highlighted Mouthpiece.... ?
Yes. but, Some 2nd's just don't come in Yellow, easy to find the mouthpieces though.

Get a Yellow Hose....
Easy and very Smart addition to your setup even with a Yellow 2nd stage. The yellow (or maybe seen as lighter colored) hose can be seen by and the OOA diver from the back or front approach to you.

Easy to write a book on this issue: Some here will mostly poo-poo the normal Octo configurations..... citing; necklaces, SSI, Air2's.. bla-bla-bla.

Reality from my view is: Based on my 40yrs of diving (20Navy & 5k+ dives)

Usually it's that; once a year, out of shape, un-maintained, careless and haphazard diver that is not even your dive buddy, that has the OOA.

80% of new divers are trained using the Yellow Octo alternate on holder method.
Q: Do you want your rig different than what those 80% basically understand, or use something they never seen before, especially when they are in a panic situation.

Sadly, the OOA skills are seldom or if ever practiced or discussed, after OW certification, by the mass majority of rec. divers.

When buddies perform skills practice often, check their equipment thoughtfully during assembly, then conduct correct predive safety checks with each other and check air pressures often with their dive buddy during the dive..... OOAs seldom if ever happen.