Swapping reg protocols...

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I agree with Bugman about doing a switch early in the dive to test both regs at depth. I start the dive with the opposite reg I want to breath first, usually my long hose. I use this for a few minutes and test it underwater. Then I switch to my short hose, and use that tank for the first portion of the dive, much like DA Aquamaster suggests. But, I switch regs earlier and more often then he suggests. I think once I am full cave and start diving thirds, that I will switch regs less often. For now I switch earlier and more often then most...but I like the practice.

Recognizing a problem with an opposing regulator sooner than later is a pretty good reason to swap regulators more frequently IMO. I don't go as far to swap every 300psi, but make it a point to keep my tank pressures within a 6th of each other. I don't see any additional potential for mistakes while doing this and certainly an extra regulator swap isn't a reason to disregard this approach.
 
I decided I didn't like the bungee necklace anymore for diving sidemount so I adopted something else.

To stick with muscle memory I keep my regs clipped off to the right shoulder D-ring but with a twist.

I make a loop of 3/16 bungee with a bolt snap on it. The loop is made with a double fishermans knot. so imagine a plain loop going through the eye of a small bolt snap. This loop is very small but can still be stretched over the mouthpiece on each reg.

both regs have omniswivels on them ( I dont care if they are going to kill me so spare me the lecture) so I remove the reg from my mouth with my right hand and clip it off and unclip the other reg, verify the gas source and breath. it takes only a second. worst case scenario anyone can easily pull a reg free from the d-ring. Once I am breathing from the new reg I snug up the hoses and tuck things in to keep everything streamlined. The reg doesn't dangle at all and doesn't impede my chest area to much.

I test both regs when in the water and verify gas supply. Then breath the left bottle down 1/3rd cause the right bottle feeds the drysuit and I don't use a bc. I then breath the right tank's remaining 1/3rd and turn the dive but remain on the right tank for an additional 500psi.I then switch every 500. this makes the math easy and limits switches.
 
I dove independent doubles for years and while you can switch more often to maintain less than a 600 psi or 300 psi difference between tanks, it is more work, involves no gain in safety and has more potential for making a mistake and overusing the intended gas near max penetration.

Not at all! If I start with 3600, I do my first switch at 3000, my next switch at 2400 (1200 breathed from 2nd tank), third switch at 1800...

It's the same with the exception of the first switch. And if I were to ever turn on thirds or come out with my tanks at less than 1500 (can't remember the last time that happened), I would still end the dive with 1200 in each tank.
 
Breath the first reg down 300 psi, then switch to the other. This will stagger the pressure in your tanks so that you can breath 600 psi at a time and the tanks are always within 300 psi of each other.

IOW, breathe the left tank down to 3300 (from 3600) and then switch to the right. Breathe it down to 3000 and then switch to the left. Breath it down to 2700 and switch back to the right. Clear as mud?
 
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