Which regulator should you donate?

[Boogie711]

Cincy - I have no dog in this fight. But... you seem to drift closer and closer to being a nice guy, and then you seem to repeatedly blow it by launching into some vitriole and rhetoric.

You would probably do yourself a favour by calming down. You're not doing yourself any favours.

And let me spare you your next response - "I didn't start it! I'm only responding...."

Whatever. You're the one running around accusing everyone from DetroitDiver to Uncle Pug (!) of launching personal attacks against you. Well - you're not just responding. You're instigating.

It's not all about you, dude. Get over yourself. Move on. You keep promising to let it drop, but sure enough, here you still are.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

Boogie711 once bubbled...
Cincy - I have no dog in this fight. But... you seem to drift closer and closer to being a nice guy, and then you seem to repeatedly blow it by launching into some vitriole and rhetoric.

You would probably do yourself a favour by calming down. You're not doing yourself any favours.

You're right. But DD said his way was "FLAWLESS" and I guess it just blew my mind away.

 

[Don Burke]

Wendy once bubbled... Just wondering which the people on this board donate....your primary that is in your mouth to an OOA diver or do you give them your backup reg or octo?

I donate the one with the longer hose.

When I used an AIR2, that meant the reg in my mouth was donated. When I used the more common octopus rig, that meant the reg in my pocket was donated. Now that I'm using a seven foot hose, it means the reg in my mouth is donated.

Your mileage may vary. Use of ignore list is recommended.

 

[mddolson]

I think the answer depends on configuration, and experience.

As an experienced wreck diver (1000+ dives) and instructor (25 years) I use a long (7ft) hose laced DIR style. and carry my back up bungied around my neck. I donate the long hose or primary. This is the most effective method for this configuration.

I am not however necessarily in favour of encouraging new divers to do the same. If they are rigged traditioanal sport, (only slightly longer octopus hose), I prefer to leave them the choice. I teach both, and let the students decide which they are more comforatable with.

An OAA situation is a stressful situation especially for beginners. If removing one's own primary is going to add to the stress, then don't do it. Number 1 rule in a rescue situation it look out for number 1. Donate the octopus, it can be just as effective.

Mike D

 

[GotAir]

Thus the name GotAir
Its only happened to me once and It wasnt because i ran my air out and said Oooops. I rewally had a equipment failure at 90 ft down. my training told me to stay calm and find a diver with some air and signal to them. and wait till they offered there octo or 2nd air source. I could have waited 10 or 15 seconds more till i paniced i'm sure. but the point is to follow your training and stay calm and get thru it and then get over it and get back in the water as soon as you can.. because things happen........

 

[The Chairman]

in the second scenario, one end of the l-o-n-g hose is attached to the first stage, and the other is attached to the octo. The hose in question is only a few inches longer than the one on my primary, but in this case it is still the l-o-n-g hose. :tease: No need to store it but you should clip off that octo somewhere within the "golden triangle".

You see, few own the "long hose" and bungee configuration. If uniformity is to be preached, then the minority should conform to the majority. BUT (and that's a big "but") I always feel that your equipment should be determined by the dive you are doing.

Teams are great for expeditionary diving... but are they really needed for normal OW dives? They seem overkill to me, unless we are training to conquer the Doria, or possibly to raise the Titanic. Kinda reminds me of the OSHA cowboy (see insert). You guys in the North might need this kind of mentality, but it is way over the top for the type of warm water diving I do.

That being said, I usually dive a long hose/bungee config. Heck I am too lazy to alter it from dive to dive, and I can use it just fine in most any condition. But I normally don't need it, unless I am doing a penetration dive, and then I had best have a "team" or at the least a buddy that I have many, many dives with.

But then I see gear as secondary in ANY and ALL situations. Training is far more important, and discussing these situations with your dive buddy is all most OW divers need. Knowing how to avoid putting yourself in situations that will cost you your life is far more essential then having a long hose on every reg. Knowing your limitations and staying within them will save way more lives than a bungeed second. Learning how to check your guages frequently will surpass the "save" potential of always donating your primary.

 

[BigJetDriver]

NetDoc once bubbled...
....I see gear as secondary in ANY and ALL situations. Training is far more important, and discussing these situations with your dive buddy is all most OW divers need. Knowing how to avoid putting yourself in situations that will cost you your life is far more essential then having a long hose on every reg. Knowing your limitations and staying within them will save way more lives than a bungeed second. Learning how to check your guages frequently will surpass the "save" potential of always donating your primary.

Amen to that, sir! A big AMEN to that!

Love that OSHA cowboy!

 

[Sebastian]

WOW this thread has been a real eye-opener for me.

Personally I don't mind what reg a person takes in an OOA situation.

I feel quite comfortable having no reg in my mouth blowing bubbles.

Having that said I have to say that I have been really sloppy with my octo in a way.....I hardly ever considered it for an emergency.

I still have to hire a BCD and sometimes I get some which are old. Some of them have no clips at all to attach an octo (or anything else) to.

What I've been doing in such cases till now is to tug the octo under my bottom strap of the BCD (the strap that holds the bcd together around the weightbelt) to prevent my octo from dangeling around.

Until now I never considered the hazard I could put myself and possibly any other diver in an OAA emergency.

The next time I'll walk into my LDS the first thing i'll do is to buy myself an octo clip so I can have it clipped to my BCD around the shoulder strap (whichever one I would rent)

Other than that I take good care of my octo and when cleaning treat it like my primary.

 

[Bob]

Well said Pete. Idealogy or gear configurations don't make anyone a better diver or save lives. Training, awarness, and the practice of Basic good diving habits is the key. Clint Eastwood said "A man has to know his limitations" Diving within ones limitations and skill level is the most important part of any dive. :tree: Bob

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

Bob once bubbled...
Well said Pete. Idealogy or gear configurations don't make anyone a better diver or save lives. Training, awarness, and the practice of Basic good diving habits is the key. Clint Eastwood said "A man has to know his limitations" Diving within ones limitations and skill level is the most important part of any dive. :tree: Bob

Man, that's exactly right and should be printed in every diving bible.