Edit: Always remember. "Left. Lean." "Right Rich."
The M.O.D. sticker was put on to communicate to others....I know, what it is....
Hey. Please, please, don't make position your primary or only way to confirm gas. I don't know what exactly your protocol is, I am sure you are physically confirming the gas label before switching, but I need to put this here for others reading this later. It doesn't take a long event chain to end up with a tank on the wrong side, there are too many stories of folks swapping gas and getting stopped by a team mate seeing the wrong MOD and preventing a problem.
Some will say that I have a buddy and training problem. Yeah, you are correct; however, that won't get fixed. They are my friends (wife) and I won't dump them because they don't think like I do. Dive and Let Dive!
Yes. The standard answer is usually "if your buddies suck, get other buddies" and that is the end of it. That is so far from a real world answer for many folks that they just proceed to ignore everything else that gets said afterwards. The fact is, for many that really just isn't a real option. I know so many husband/wife dive teams where they only dive with each other, and there is a significant skills/attitude/enthusiasm gap.
My personal opinion? Yes, get better buddies. So, teach, educate, help, mentor etc those you are diving with. Once they reach the best level they are capable of, then the rest is on you. Either walk away if they aren't there yet, OR, create solutions and protocols to bridge the gap. I find it funny that folks will tell someone to "find other buddies" for things like inattention or lax attitudes, but if we dive with a disabled person then it's fine to make allowances and gear solutions.
Hello. I guess.....I'm unsure, what you're asking.
I think the confusion came from the solo forum location. Many/most? solo divers don't use a backup regulator for their back gas. If you aren't donating, then it really is just an additional failure point for gas loss etc etc. I suspect in your case, the reason for it is that you are occasionally diving with buddies so you want to have something to hand off to one of them, or you are diving solo in a group of divers so someone coming up to you with an urgent gas need is possible.
If you really are diving alone in the water, you may want to reassess that backup reg from a risk/benefit point of view but as someone who is never in the water alone, I can't speak to the pros and cons like the more experienced solo divers.