Don't have many pics of myself - you can see my octo in my avatar and here's a screen grab from a video where you can sort of see how the octo is sitting. Sorry, but this is the best pic I have:
Where to put octo BP&W
- Thread starter PghDiver089
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MattK911
Contributor
I Have a buddy who uses a snorkel keeper on his left chest D-Ring to hold his alternate second stage on his recreational rig (see above).
I’m not a fan of stuffing the hose into D-rings for numerous reasons. One being the d-ring becomes essentially useless as you could easily trap the hose. Another being that the hose has the possibility of being grabbed by an OOG diver in an emergency, this could lead to the hose being kinked or stuck when a diver needs it most.
When I first started renting a BP/W, I stuffed the octo hose through the left shoulder D-ring. I'd previously tried those rubber loops and found they didn't hold it tightly enough; it invariably fell out when giant striding off the boat or walking through the surf. The D-ring thing worked great until I had a buddy OOA incident; it was somehow more difficult to pull the hose out in the water, in the moment, than I'd expected. It was a scary couple of seconds. Now I do the long hose primary donate and necklaced second setup, and I'm really happy with it. No further OOA incidents, but my buddy and I do practice drills and I like the way it works. I also really like having that necklaced reg for rough surf entries just in case I get knocked down.
OTF
Coney Island Whitefish Biologist
Not to push the tech configuration bandwagon much faster than it's already speeding along, but the 7 foot longhose + necklace really does work well and offers some non-technical benefits. Despite the hose being super long, it is MUCH more streamlined when wrapped against your body, no big arcing hose loops flopping around snagging things, creating drag, and looking silly in pictures. The primary is easier to find when dangling since it tends to lay on your chest rather than swoop behind you. The secondary is always right by your mouth so there's no panic or thrashing if you faceplant in the shallows or lose your primary.
Downsides are that it does take some minimal practice to smoothly deploy/stow the longhose, and putting on the necklace on and off can be a pain. But those things become second nature quickly and the advantages far outweigh them.
Downsides are that it does take some minimal practice to smoothly deploy/stow the longhose, and putting on the necklace on and off can be a pain. But those things become second nature quickly and the advantages far outweigh them.
OP
PghDiver089
Registered
Thank you everyone for your advice. I believe I am wearing my BP&W way too tight. I think I'm going to go with the necklace octo. I currently use Hollis DCX 200LX regulator setup. I'll see if I can find a longer hose for it.
I have 7 ft hoses in stock and I'm down the road in Canonsburg. I just got home from Crusty's. I have set up well over 100 BPW/reg setups for customers over the last 8 years. It sounds like your dealer didn't do their due diligence. I can get a BPW setup pretty darn close given someone's height, waist, and chest measurements for those I have to ship the rig to. Locally I offer a session in the pool with every purchase to get things adjusted.
Barnaby'sDad
Contributor
I'm happy you decided not to go with all the hootenanny schemes.
@PghDiver089,
I would seek out @Jim Lapenta to smoothly “fast forward” your equipment selection and sizing. He’s authored a lot of educational/instructional materials in the dive industry and his assistance will help you cut through the fog of forum chatter (me included).
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