Where to put octo BP&W

[rhwestfall]

Most divers have never heard of Scubaboard. Most divers only know what they learned in their Open Water class using gear sold by their LDS. Unless they have tried to share air using a long hose, they have no understanding of how much better it is than the standard setup. Sharing air with a long hose allows both divers to swim side by side or in a single file easily without having to be in each other's faces or hold onto each other. The long hose is much more streamlined against your body. There are no hoses sticking out such as the ones in your avatar that can snag or be pulled by current or another diver. The necklassed backup allows you to quickly get air after donating your primary. It also means your backup hasn't come loose from a holder and either dragged along the sand of drifted somewhere behind you when you need it most.

^this!

When I dropped back in to academics (nearly 20 years after OW/AOW) to complete Rescue and MSD, I showed up with a long hose/bungied octo. The Rescue Instructor (technical diver) was thrilled to see a BP/W and my regulator configuration, and took extra time to go through it with the students, while my MSD instructor took great pride in mocking it. Statements during instruction like, "I don't know why you would ever take a regulator out of your mouth when there is an emergency situation with another diver" - yet the class also optionally taught buddy breathing.....) Thing is, when we went to do drills, each person I partnered with was really liking how the equipment configuration worked for the team. I don't know how many ever switched, but there were a significant number of positive comments.

There was one instance where we were doing a river drift as part of a class. We went under after a lengthy surface swim, only to have a regulator issue with one of the team. As the dive was a really shallow one, we completed the 30 minute drift with the other diver on my long hose, and me on my octo.... LOL.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

^this!

When I dropped back in to academics (nearly 20 years after OW/AOW) to complete Rescue and MSD, I showed up with a long hose/bungied octo. The Rescue Instructor (technical diver) was thrilled to see a BP/W and my regulator configuration, and took extra time to go through it with the students, while my MSD instructor took great pride in mocking it. Statements during instruction like, "I don't know why you would ever take a regulator out of your mouth when there is an emergency situation with another diver" - yet the class also optionally taught buddy breathing.....) Thing is, when we went to do drills, each person I partnered with was really liking how the equipment configuration worked for the team. I don't know how many ever switched, but there were a significant number of positive comments.

There was one instance where we were doing a river drift as part of a class. We went under after a lengthy surface swim, only to have a regulator issue with one of the team. As the dive was a really shallow one, we completed the 30 minute drift with the other diver on my long hose, and me on my octo.... LOL.

Did that instructor that mocked you about a primary donate setup also mock anybody using an Air2?
Because it’s basically the same thing except not as efficient and has a few inherent flaws. However, LDS’s won’t present this fact because there’s money to be made selling Air2’s.
A little hypocritical, no?

 

[Streydog]

No it doesn't and I demonstrate it to every buddy as part of pre dive checks.

As a purely recreational diver (single tank, not carrying a pony, not doing any deco or carrying any additional gases), I don't have that many uses for my shoulder D-rings so the only things that get attached to them are my 2 lights which are on boltsnaps and snugged down to the harness with snoopy loops (I have no need for a can light so 2 torches is more than enough for me) and a Go-pro type set up if I am not using it.

Never ever had any issues with the reg blocking the lights or vice versa. I can deploy and restow both regs and lights blindfold (or eyes closed /zero vis).

If I ever progress to tech diving, I will need to change my set up but until then I see no reason to change.

I have been using the same method as you with my BPW. My octo is on a flex hose and it did not hinder the use of the d-ring I stick it through.. I did just order 22 and 40" hoses to change my setup. The reason I am changing is to streamline my hoses a little better.

 

[apenland01]

So if you have a 40 hose and you use it as your primary, wouldn't that have a significant bow in it coming around from the first stage? I'm struggling with this concept, probably because I'm too old to understand and I need pictures. I just bought a BPW, two identical second stages, one is on a yellow 40" hose and the other a black 24" hose. I was planning on using the primary on the 24" hose and using the D ring on my right shoulder to secure the octo on the 40" hose. However, it sounds like some are promoting using the longer hose as a primary and carrying the octo on a bungee necklace around your neck. Then if needed, you pull the regulator out of your mouth to give to someone and start using the octo on the necklace for the ascent. I'll have to think about this concept a little more....

 

[scubadada]

So if you have a 40 hose and you use it as your primary, wouldn't that have a significant bow in it coming around from the first stage? I'm struggling with this concept, probably because I'm too old to understand and I need pictures. I just bought a BPW, two identical second stages, one is on a yellow 40" hose and the other a black 24" hose. I was planning on using the primary on the 24" hose and using the D ring on my right shoulder to secure the octo on the 40" hose. However, it sounds like some are promoting using the longer hose as a primary and carrying the octo on a bungee necklace around your neck. Then if needed, you pull the regulator out of your mouth to give to someone and start using the octo on the necklace for the ascent. I'll have to think about this concept a little more....

The primary goes under your right arm. A 90 degree, 70 degree, or Omniswivel makes the regulator very comfortable in your mouth. This is very streamlined. The second passes over your right shoulder to the necklace. My second hose is a little shorter than 24 inches, 22 inches. Try it, you'll like it

 

[apenland01]

The primary goes under your right arm. A 90 degree, 70 degree, or Omniswivel makes the regulator very comfortable in your mouth. This is very streamlined. The second passes over your right shoulder to the necklace. My second hose is a little shorter than 24 inches, 22 inches. Try it, you'll like it

Okay, I can understand that. I wasn't thinking about using an elbow or something, that would make all the difference in the world, so the 40 and 24 makes sense to me now. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Colliam7]

So if you have a 40 hose and you use it as your primary, wouldn't that have a significant bow in it coming around from the first stage?

The answer is, 'Yes', if you route it over your shoulder as you ordinarily do with the primary hose.

The primary goes under your right arm. A 90 degree, 70 degree, or Omniswivel makes the regulator very comfortable in your mouth. This is very streamlined. The second passes over your right shoulder to the necklace.

YES. When I demonstrate the procedure for converting to a 'primary donate / bungee necklace alternate' using a 'standard' regulator hose set-up (with 40" and 32" hoses), I use a 70 degree angle adapter between the 40" hose and the (now primary) second stage, and route that hose under my right arm. I run the shorter (now alternate) second stage hose over my right shoulder. With a 32" hose, there is a bit of a bow. But, the point of doing it is to show that even if a diver has a 'standard' regulator set-up - in terms of hose lengths - that unit can be adapted to a 'primary donate / bungee necklace alternate' configuration without the expense of buying new / additional hoses, as a first step.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

This is what a 5’ primary hose and 22” alternate hose looks like in practice. I didn’t have the camera low enough to catch my alternate but it’s just under my chin on a bungee necklace.

Hoses are nice and tight to my right side. Very little for the current, other divers or wreck parts to get hold of.