The Octopus Conundrum

[dumpsterDiver]

Well, it is that time of year that I pile everything in the middle of my "dive shop" and pick out what I will use for the year. Last year I started out with no octopus/second on my main regulator and a slung pony with it's regulator, therefore fully redundant. Then about half way through the season, I went back to my old ways of no pony above 60 feet (arbitrary number that is flexible and dependent upon several factors).

This year I am considering an Air II type device to eliminate a hose for buddy diving and I may as well retain that for solo as it adds no particular clutter (nor redundancy). And this would be with or without my slung pony (depth/condition/whatever dependent). If I had only one set of regs or one SCUBA rig I would do differently but I, unfortunately, have many complete rigs and a huge assortment of gear collected over the years so I am not restricted in any way to a single rig or configuration but rig instead appropriate to the dive and my needs for that dive.

The other consideration is my camera, the pony, frankly, it gets in the way, no way around it. Is it a big deal, not really, but it is there and it can be in the way. Another is weight when walking, when one gets to be 60 plus, it does matter, no way around it. And, my typical cylinder for solo at sport diving depths is a 63 cf. I can have the same or greater bottom time with that size cylinder as do most with an 80 or larger, I simply do not need larger for most diving.

I did not expect a consensus and am not surprised there is not. I am pretty sure the SDI book for solo and the book Solo Diving do not call for an octopus as it does not provide redundancy or at best partial redundancy, that being supplied by an independent gas supply, however rigged (pony, independent doubles, doubles on an isolation manifold etc.).

N

If you feel you can ascend with no redundancy from 60 feet while solo, I think you should definitely be able to ascend on a 6 cu-ft pony from any depth you are gonna wear a 63 tank. Weight is minimal and drag is negligible.

I use an Air 2 on most of my BC's. I think they work very well and they are perfect for solo.

I do not use a standard octopus .. ever..

 

[bakodiver391]

Nope, no standard octo. I always use either H valve on a single or doubles. And yes I can reach the valves and I can troubleshoot and shut down the correct post, after all, my life depends on it.

 

[Nemrod]

If you feel you can ascend with no redundancy from 60 feet while solo, I think you should definitely be able to ascend on a 6 cu-ft pony from any depth you are gonna wear a 63 tank. Weight is minimal and drag is negligible.

I use an Air 2 on most of my BC's. I think they work very well and they are perfect for solo.

I do not use a standard octopus .. ever..

I do not "feel" it but in fact know it. The 60 feet is well within my free dive limit and that with a good deal of loiter time.

But back on subject, a 6 cf bottle, where would it go? A 19 slings well, a 30 slings well. I understand what you are saying but where would one park it and how would such a small bottle be rigged to self contain the regulator as does a 19/30?

N

 

[waterpirate]

I dive the long hose and bungied back up, always. I also dive only doubles, unless monkey diving.
YMMV
Eric

 

[Kharon]

I don't understand the "you never can tell when you'll run into someone" and "I don't want to change configurations when I buddy dive". What? They can't breathe from the pony. If someone in the water with me (almost certainly not a buddy) is OOA they can use my slung pony and we will surface together. No octo needed or wanted. It's just another failure point and snag point and provides nothing in the way of added functionally. And don't give me the crap about them grabbing my primary. The hose is way too short for that to be of any use to them unless they climb into my mouth. The pony reg is right where an octo would be, ready to pop free and everything is bright yellow. Most likely, I will already have it popped free and be holding it out to them. And, yeah, it's always on. I won't be richarding (think about it) around with a valve in an emergency. It's slung in a way that I can hand it off and even has a handle. So no octo on my main tank - ever.

 

[redacted]

I don't understand the "you never can tell when you'll run into someone" and "I don't want to change configurations when I buddy dive". What? They can't breathe from the pony. If someone in the water with me (almost certainly not a buddy) is OOA they can use my slung pony and we will surface together. No octo needed or wanted. It's just another failure point and snag point and provides nothing in the way of added functionally. And don't give me the crap about them grabbing my primary. The hose is way too short for that to be of any use to them unless they climb into my mouth. The pony reg is right where an octo would be, ready to pop free and everything is bright yellow. Most likely, I will already have it popped free and be holding it out to them. And, yeah, it's always on. I won't be richarding (think about it) around with a valve in an emergency. It's slung in a way that I can hand it off and even has a handle. So no octo on my main tank - ever.

I understand that. (Perhaps you should broaden your perspective.)

Your solution will work also. BTW, if you can breath from your primary, so can someone else.

 

[Nemrod]

I don't understand the "you never can tell when you'll run into someone" and "I don't want to change configurations when I buddy dive". What? They can't breathe from the pony. If someone in the water with me (almost certainly not a buddy) is OOA they can use my slung pony and we will surface together. No octo needed or wanted. It's just another failure point and snag point and provides nothing in the way of added functionally. And don't give me the crap about them grabbing my primary. The hose is way too short for that to be of any use to them unless they climb into my mouth. The pony reg is right where an octo would be, ready to pop free and everything is bright yellow. Most likely, I will already have it popped free and be holding it out to them. And, yeah, it's always on. I won't be richarding (think about it) around with a valve in an emergency. It's slung in a way that I can hand it off and even has a handle. So no octo on my main tank - ever.

I agree with you. Pretty much completely. The standard octopus rig (including long hose secondary and bungeed types on the same first) for a solo diver is just another failure point. It has no real value as redundancy because it is not redundancy at all. If I need redundancy I either need doubles with an isolation manifold or independent doubles or a pony. Since I am mostly single tank and do much of my solo as shore dives (where walking a distance is required) doubles of any sort are out.

Thus my conundrum of introducing the integrated inflator into my solo rig. It does preserve some ability to share air with a stranger (because ya know, I am solo!) and yet eliminates a hose. I do not really have any experience with these integrated inflators. How much of a increase in failure possibility does one present over and above a standard power inflator.

Absolute, compact, minimalist, simple, robust, reliable, well maintained, streamlined, not one more of anything than is actually needed. These are all my goals.

My current most often used solo rig:

vdh plate
Conshelf XIV on a short hose over the shoulder or a 36 inch hose with 90 degree under shoulder (or)
Kraken Argonaut
Oxy Mach V 18/30
19/30 pony slung with a Conshelf XIV or SP109 on MkV. Usually rigged with a 40 inch hose.

I keep the pony reg bungeed to the pony tank with rubber straps. But I do not always use the pony. I am in a quandary over this octopus conundrum .

See, travel with a pony, well, it is hard enough getting some place much less with a tank in your bags. Sometimes they are for rent, mostly not. When I make my annual pilgrimage to the Keys I have often bought an aluminum 63 and 19 and left them there.

N

 

[diversteve]

I keep an octo for my buddy who I still sometimes dive with during a trip, I don't want to keep adding/removing it. He has an SS1 alt/octo. Normally it rides in a pocket - he knows where it is and in case i'm surprised by another diver - so do I.

As someone else mentioned occasionally you run into another diver(s) even while solo diving. Much of my solo diving is from a liveaboard so there's generally other divers nearby that I come across them occasionally.

I have a buddy who has twice needed to help someone in an OOA situation while "solo" diving - once the diver wasn't even from her boat. I also learned buddy-breathing on a single 2nd but don't necessarily wish to practice that with a panicked stranger.

I don't own/carry a pony since I fly everywhere. So that's not an option for me.

I almost hate to admit this but once while scootering I dropped my primary out of my mouth. So it was easier to reach down and continue on my octo until I could stop in a sandy place to put the scooter down and retrieve it. It was an Apollo so if I'd let it go it would've sunk. As we were on the Grand Cayman North wall at the time that didn't seem like the best option - it's only 1000' or so to the first flat spot...lol.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I do not "feel" it but in fact know it. The 60 feet is well within my free dive limit and that with a good deal of loiter time.

But back on subject, a 6 cf bottle, where would it go? A 19 slings well, a 30 slings well. I understand what you are saying but where would one park it and how would such a small bottle be rigged to self contain the regulator as does a 19/30?

N

I am not questioning your freedive abilities, nor your decision. I use a pony for 60 ft or more, that is my cut off limit, but to be honest I am more comfortable solo with a pony bottle at 90 feet than no pony at 50 feet.

A 6 cu-ft bottle is easy to wear back mounted and you run the hose under your arm pit and on a necklace, Simple and easy. A 19 cu-ft tank is ridiculous for you, I think.

This video at time = 30 seconds (and at 1 minute) shows my 13-yr old diving (spearfishing) in 80 feet with a 6 cu-ft pony bottle. Tucked in on the tank, it is not a problem, even for a child under 105 lbs.

Also, we are both using Air 2's. I have used them for 15 years probably. They are pretty reliable and rugged and take 5 seconds to tighten the seat with an allen wrench as the seat wears.

However, if you are not diving with a pony bottle (or some redundancy) don't fall into the trap of thinking that a single second stage is all a solo diver may need. You could have problems with a single second stage, even losing it or having it damaged, where a plan B, could be very beneficial.

[video=youtube_share;duERFHCOhGA]http://youtu.be/duERFHCOhGA?list=PLjC5PqdqiSg6qIqNpCf7i9xRf7aHFpgw t[/video]

 

[Nemrod]

All very interesting, thanks.

Just to say though, for the SDI course I took, I dove a double hose regulator as primary and a Conshelf XIV second on a Mark V first on a 19 cf pony slung. The course involved a doff and don on sand bottom and then later a swimming doff and don and swim with the tank and rig off and then don the rig again in mid water. I di not want any more hoses than needed to satisfy the course.

I have a manual only inflator, I some times use it instead of a power inflator on my wings. Yet another hose and failure point gone. Once upon a time, early on, BCs did not have power inflators.I kind of still like them.

N