What is an octopus?

[toodive4]

An octopus is a sea creature that is hard to find during the day and much easier to find at night...

or

It is an alternate air supply (basically a second regulator) connected to your primary tank or to a second air source such as a pony bottle...

or

It is a dirty old man with his hands all over a woman...

I think that covers the definitions...

Ken

 

[CIBDiving]

The entire tangled mess of hoses, first and second stages, inflators etc are/were the "octopus" but its commonly used these days to refer to the spare 2nd stage.

And here is a Guess - The literature used to talk about 'sharing air from your octopus with an OOA diver'. The meaning is simple, buddy breath OR use a safe second. It wouldn't have taken too long for that to become <safe second = octo > as the safe second increased in usage ( and buddy breathing fell into disfavor) with the various training agencies.

 

[CIBDiving]

It is an alternate air supply (basically a second regulator) connected to your primary tank or

to a second air source such as a pony bottle...

Ken

No, because Regulators were/had Octopuses Long before the concept of pony bottles as a backup was in use. also 'Pony' bottle is a slang term absorbed into more common useage - they were 'bailout' bottles first.

 

[drbill]

When I started diving, the octopus hadn't evolved yet... nor had the SPG in common use at least. Amazing how fast Darwin's theory can produce a survival benefit!

 

[wolf eel]

The octopus being used as way to discribe the second stage has allways been a problem for me. The entire set up I can see a slang use for. The term only confuses the new diver and they end up feeling uncomfortable to speak about there gear. I wish we would drop the term completley. That way we would have a first stage, second stage, pony, and and thats it for regs. (except of course for tech divers) Everybody would understand what the other is saying.
Cheers

 

[CIBDiving]

Everybody would understand what the other is saying.
Cheers

HUH????

 

[spectrum]

And here is a Guess - The literature used to talk about 'sharing air from your octopus with an OOA diver'.

I don't have the resources to say for sure but I bet that quote is after the corruption of the term.

Pete

 

[H2Andy]

The entire tangled mess of hoses, first and second stages, inflators etc are/were the "octopus" but its commonly used these days to refer to the spare 2nd stage.

yup

basically, Sheck (Exley) needed more HP and LP ports in a first stage, so he
got with a machine shop guy, and they drilled extra ports.

the sight of all the hoses dangling from one first stage (keep in mind, it used to
be one first state, one hose, end of story) reminded people of an octopus, so
they started calling first stages with more than one hose an octopus.

somehow, that term got applied to the back-up second stage, and it has stuck

i did a bit of reading into it for this essay on Sheck Exley:

http://www.arojas.com/diving/essays/sheckexley.html

 

[spectrum]

The octopus being used as way to discribe the second stage has allways been a problem for me. The entire set up I can see a slang use for. The term only confuses the new diver and they end up feeling uncomfortable to speak about there gear. I wish we would drop the term completley.

I agree

That way we would have a first stage, second stage, pony, and and thats it for regs. (except of course for tech divers) Everybody would understand what the other is saying.
Cheers

You still don't have a term for the back-up second stage connected to the primary first stage/gas supply.

Pete

 

[H2Andy]

You still don't have a term for the back-up second stage connected to the primary first stage/gas supply.

hehehe... yeah, it's called an octopus