Why give primary instead of alternate regulator?

[Storker]

If I were your wingman [...]

If we were diving together, I'd probably be your wingman, and I'd appreciate if you would help me spotting cool stuff to shoot

But if it were up to me, we'd agree on the team dynamic before we splashed.

 

[markmud]

If we were diving together, I'd probably be your wingman, and I'd appreciate if you would help me spotting cool stuff to shoot

But if it were up to me, we'd agree on the team dynamic before we splashed.

I enjoy following a dive plan...

Wouldn't that be part of our dive planning procedure?

I would enjoy having you as my wingman while you shoot-up the cool stuff.

cheers,
m

 

[Edward3c]

Someone seems not to have the slightest idea about proper primary donate:
1: With right hand, grasp hose close to reg
2a: Spit out reg, nod slightly to let the hose slide over your head, and give reg to buddy
2b: Simultaneously, with left hand, put necklaced reg in own mouth, clear reg
3: Check that buddy has gas, exchange "OK" signs
4: Now that both buddies have gas, take your time to check if everything looks good and make sure your buddy has a firm hold of your hose close to the reg s/he's breathing from
5: Prepare for ascent

I'ts primary take not donate. This is when the reg in the mouth is taken by your buddy who is slightly behind and on your left.

 

[Storker]

your buddy who is slightly behind and on your left.

I can sort of live with "slightly behind and on my left". What I really dislike is "slightly behind and above". Having a buddy in that position truly sucks.

And while I'm ranting, why isn't buddy signalling with a light covered already at OW/1*/OD level? No matter where my buddy is, as long as they make sure to swipe their light across my field of vision regularly, I don't have to look for them. The first time I dived with someone trained in this, I was totally at a loss. I had never been told that if that light spot swipes across my FOV regularly, I know well enough where my buddy is, and that they're OK and in control of the situation. At least up here, it doesn't have to be dark on the surface before it's a good idea to bring a working light.

 

[Edward3c]

I can sort of live with "slightly behind and on my left". What I really dislike is "slightly behind and above". Having a buddy in that position truly sucks.

Now think through how they're going to get to the reg in your mouth. Are they going to come in front of you - for you to donate - or just reach under your left arm and grab the reg in your mouth? What's the routing of your primary hose, if taken that way? Chances are it will impede you reaching your secondary.

Nothing wrong with the Hog Loop in confined environments where its not possible to be side by side when donating gas. That is where the set up came from.

 

[Ayisha]

To reenforce the above.

There is in our area a diver, ex military, commercial etc, who if told “take my primary if you need air” will during the dive do just that. To date none of his buddies have been able to access their secondary regs as it been pinned to their chest by the primary’s hose.

If their bungied backup is inaccessible, their regs have not been routed properly. If the bungied backup is too long, and the long hose was put in place before (ex. under) the bungied backup, it can trap the bungied backup.

That is why the bungied backup needs to hang at about the base of the neck; both regs need to be placed properly; and during an equipment check prior to starting the dive, S-drills and other checks are done to ensure that no hoses (or dump valve string, etc.) are trapped.

 

[Storker]

Are they going to come in front of you - for you to donate - or just reach under your left arm and grab the reg in your mouth?

Why would they have to "reach under my left arm"? That's just one of a multitude of scenarios, and, frankly, not necessarily the one I consider the most likely.

Disregarding the fact that the way I'm diving, they'll have to work quite a bit to be able to "reach under my left arm".

 

[KenGordon]

If their bungied backup is inaccessible, their regs have not been routed properly. If the bungied backup is too long, and the long hose was put in place before (ex. under) the bungied backup, it can trap the bungied backup.

That is why the bungied backup needs to hang at about the base of the neck; both regs need to be placed properly; and during an equipment check prior to starting the dive, S-drills and other checks are done to ensure that no hoses (or dump valve string, etc.) are trapped.

It is almost like people need to be trained...

 

[markmud]

I'ts primary take not donate.

Hi Edward,

I know this may be a semantic argument to some, but I was taught that it is primary "donate."

"Taking" is quite rude u/w and I can't stress this point enough.

It is almost like people need to be trained...

Training and experience sure does help!

cheers,
m

 

[lowviz]

Going back to the OP:

I'm new to diving and also work in a unrelated technical field and for the life of me I can't think of any legitimate benefit to have a diver take primary instead of alternate regulator?

I was taught to take the alternate from your buddy if needed and not necessarily wait for them to hand it to you.

OK, fine for warm water endless viz and cool heads all around. How about lungs on fire, last breath, low visibility (low visibility is the only way I have ever dived), and a diver appears in horizontal trim?

...//... Amongst the things I consider on such dives is whether the student or buddy can cope with what is planned or might happen. Not giving people excessive stress is important in my opinion. Personally I find inhaling water quite stressful and to be avoided.

I totally get that, you are a shepherd. My point is that not everyone dives the same way with the same expectations of safety. How comfortable would you be with buddying up your standard flock so you could sit one out topside?

...//... On SB it is made out that that is not a problem because everyone is a hard man ex military or whatever and used to being harassed.

Not so. Some of us realize that we become totally dependent on our gear and reflexes at depth while being immersed in a fluid that will quickly kill us. Solo diving, for me, really drives that point home. No, there is nobody around and no hope of a savior appearing in the nick of time.