Which configuration do you prefer?

[Kodad]

I have a Dive Rite Hunter Pac with the XT regs. My primary air source is on a necklace with a short hose. My alternate is on a longer hose and I use that as my 'share' regulator.

Recently a friend suggested that I use the long hose as my primary and the necklace as my secondary. His reasoning was that in an OOA or share situation, a panicked out of air diver could conceivably rip the regulator out of my mouth. Then my rev on the necklace would be right there for me to use.

I can understand his thought process and was thinking of switching regs on my next dive and practicing sharing air that way. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Will1760]

If it's bright yellow it should be easy enough to find. Also that would mean 2 people have to swap regs instead of just 1.

 

[tbone1004]

it is the way I was trained, it is the way I train, and it is the standard in all forms of technical diving except BSAC for a reason...

 

[rhwestfall]

either, just be proficient at the one you choose...

I prefer the long hose/primary donate, but I also dive a double hose with an octo for donation.....

 

[Diver0001]

In certain circles they are both used but breathing the long hose and using the reg on the necklace for back up is much more common.

In addition to the "ripping" out of the regulator in the mouth there is another compelling reason to donate the primary. That reason is that you know for SURE that the primary is working (clean, not full of sand etc) and a distressed diver who needs air does not need any additional complications like having to clear sand out of the donated reg.

In technical diving we ALL donate the primary for yet another reason. In technical diving you are often carrying multiple gasses and some of those gasses can be dangerous to use at just any depth. In an emergency donating the primary is really necessary because not only are you 100% sure that the reg is functioning but you are also 100% sure that the diver can breathe THAT gas from it without dying.

It is for that last reason that in the late 90's when technical diving was beginning to gain main stream traction that divers were reconfiguring for long-hoses and started to favor breathing the long hose and donating the primary as opposed to breathing the necklace and stuffing the long hose until needed.

R..

 

[Kodad]

Will, both hoses are black and I can easily swap the yellow reg cover... I see what you mean about two divers switching rather than one, but if a reg gets yanked out of my mouth it will be two anyway.
Tbone, do you mean that the way my friend suggested is the way you were trained?

 

[Diver0001]

Tbone, do you mean that the way my friend suggested is the way you were trained?

It is the way almost all divers using a long-hose configuration with a necklace backup are trained. The BSAC seems to be an exception and there may be other exceptions as well that I'm not aware of.

R..

edit: At the recreational level it looks like BSAC has a protocol specifically tuned to the OOA diver "acquiring" the alternate of their buddy. BSAC instructors appear to not be permitted to train primary donation (see link).

Clarification statement on Alternative Supply training and going diving - British Sub-Aqua Club

 

[tbone1004]

correct. I have no real preference of color coordination, but as long as you are practicing primary donate, it is the most streamlined and easiest regulator configuration to deal with.

@Diver0001 go back and read the BSAC standards, unless they have changed in the last year they teach secondary take which is the long hose, not primary donate...

 

[Kodad]

Follow up question:
If I use the long hose as primary/share, should I put the yellow cover on that regulator so as to distinguish it from the necklace (so the short hose is not reached for)?

 

[Will1760]

Will, both hoses are black and I can easily swap the yellow reg cover

If both hoses are black then I guess the best think to do would be to go diving in a pool with a friend and practice out of air drills with both set ups and see which one works best.