Inflator-integrated octopus

"Lee Bell" <pleebell@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:%jQuf.1206$0y2.890@bignews2.bellsouth.net...
> "HappyFunBoater" wrote
>
>> Image you and your buddy at 80ft. Your buddy is 50ft away when he runs
>> out of air, beginning the process of freaking out and turning blue.
>
> 50 feet away at 80 feet? That's not a buddy, that's a solo diver.
>
>> By the time he gets to you, he goes straight for your primary regulator
>> because you're supposed to breath from the secondary combo. But you may
>> not be ready for him to yank the primary from your
>> mouth.
>
> Why aren't you ready? You had time to see him coming, right?

If you're diving that far from your buddy, I doubt you're looking at him the
whole time.

>> Now you're freaking out also . . .
>
> Why are you freaking out? Isn't this what you planned for when you bought
> your alternate?

Because the other guy yanked your regulator out while you were breathing in
and you got a lung full of saltwater?

>> . . . you grab your snorkel, computer, or whatever else you can find
>> before finally getting the secondary combo in your mouth - at which point
>> you immediately suck in a lung full of salt water. If you don't
>> routinely check out your secondary maybe it doesn't even work.
>
> This is not a reason to carry a regular octopus, it's a reason to keep
> your equipment in good shape and test it before every dive.

Shit happens.

>> Of course none of this happens if everyone keeps their head. And I'm
>> sure there are other situations where a combo is better. But this one
>> reason really swayed me to go the more traditional secondary route.
>
> Actually, I'm not sure there are times when a combination unit is better.
> Sure, it reduces the number of hoses just a bit, but that's about it.
> There aren't many disadvantages, but there are some. There's only one
> advantage and, for most divers, the balance comes out in favor of a
> separate alternate. For some, it comes out that other way. That's OK
> too.
>
> Lee
>

But I agree with your points. None of the shit I mentioned should ever
happen.

"Dan Bracuk" wrote

> :There are, however, more than a few that aren't calm in an emergency.
Try
> :not to be with one of them in an emergency situation.
>
> I don't know what category I fall into. I avoid emergencies.

An excellent plan. I sometimes wish that I'd done the same. Most often,
it's when the pain of one of my past mistakes reminds me of just how
reckless I sometimes was.

Lee

hammond@not wrote:
> Her is an unpublished article I wrote a few years ago. Near the end is
> a section on "Combined" or "Collocated", which addresses this question.

Thanks for this very informative article Charlie!

On Wed, 04 Jan 2006 16:22:50 +0000, hammond wrote:
>
> The PRIMARY second stage is most commonly connected to the first
> stage with at 28-36 inch hose that comes over the right shoulder.
> I will call this the "Short Hose" primary.
>
> When using the Short Hose primary, the most common configuration
> for the backup second state is a hose 36-40 inches long routed
> under the diver's right arm.

I'd add that a side valve regulator is a reasonable choice for
the donor second stage as there is no upside down for a SVR.

Inline.

On 5 Jan 2006 10:56:18 -0800, "Mick" <micknewton@direcway.com> wrote:

>Alan Street wrote:
>> € > Here's an example (note that this is not necessarily an endorsement of
>> € > Halcyon, just DIR-L).
>>
>> http://www.wkpp.org/images/pina_equi..._attach_r.jpeg
>>
>> http://www.wkpp.org/images/pina_equip/regs_setup.jpg
>
>Okay, I get it now. Nice photos. They do a good job of showing how it
>all goes together.
>
>Is the surgical tubing part of the DIR thing, or is that something that
>you (or others) came up with independently? BTW, where can I find
>information about DIR? I looked on Halcyon's web site and didn't find
>much info, other than that it means "Doing It Right".

Tubing or some type of bungie cord is used to position the reg under
the chin.

http://www.gue.com is the place to start.

>
>
>> For open water, a shorter primary hose is often used (5' instead of
>> 7'), and the routing is just once around the neck.
>
>So, with a shorter primary hose, it goes over the sholder instead under
>the arm?

Shorter hose does go over the right shoulder.

"Mark" <m_lloyd@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ra2rr1hdl9409k41stdqaa4ovi1dnav4fm@4ax.com...
> Inline.
>
> On 5 Jan 2006 10:56:18 -0800, "Mick" <micknewton@direcway.com> wrote:
>
>>Alan Street wrote:
>>> ? > Here's an example (note that this is not necessarily an endorsement
>>> of
>>> ? > Halcyon, just DIR-L).
>>>
>>> http://www.wkpp.org/images/pina_equi..._attach_r.jpeg
>>>
>>> http://www.wkpp.org/images/pina_equip/regs_setup.jpg
>>
>>Okay, I get it now. Nice photos. They do a good job of showing how it
>>all goes together.
>>
>>Is the surgical tubing part of the DIR thing, or is that something that
>>you (or others) came up with independently? BTW, where can I find
>>information about DIR? I looked on Halcyon's web site and didn't find
>>much info, other than that it means "Doing It Right".
>
> Tubing or some type of bungie cord is used to position the reg under
> the chin.
>
> http://www.gue.com is the place to start.
>
>>
>>
>>> For open water, a shorter primary hose is often used (5' instead of
>>> 7'), and the routing is just once around the neck.
>>
>>So, with a shorter primary hose, it goes over the sholder instead under
>>the arm?
>
> Shorter hose does go over the right shoulder.

You run a 5 foot hose over your shoulder?

Lee

On Thu, 5 Jan 2006 21:26:19 -0500, "Lee Bell" <pleebell@bellsouth.net>
wrote:

>
>"Mark" <m_lloyd@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:ra2rr1hdl9409k41stdqaa4ovi1dnav4fm@4ax.com.. .
>> Inline.
>>
>> On 5 Jan 2006 10:56:18 -0800, "Mick" <micknewton@direcway.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Alan Street wrote:
>>>> ? > Here's an example (note that this is not necessarily an endorsement
>>>> of
>>>> ? > Halcyon, just DIR-L).
>>>>
>>>> http://www.wkpp.org/images/pina_equi..._attach_r.jpeg
>>>>
>>>> http://www.wkpp.org/images/pina_equip/regs_setup.jpg
>>>
>>>Okay, I get it now. Nice photos. They do a good job of showing how it
>>>all goes together.
>>>
>>>Is the surgical tubing part of the DIR thing, or is that something that
>>>you (or others) came up with independently? BTW, where can I find
>>>information about DIR? I looked on Halcyon's web site and didn't find
>>>much info, other than that it means "Doing It Right".
>>
>> Tubing or some type of bungie cord is used to position the reg under
>> the chin.
>>
>> http://www.gue.com is the place to start.
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> For open water, a shorter primary hose is often used (5' instead of
>>>> 7'), and the routing is just once around the neck.
>>>
>>>So, with a shorter primary hose, it goes over the sholder instead under
>>>the arm?
>>
>> Shorter hose does go over the right shoulder.
>
>You run a 5 foot hose over your shoulder?

Oops, should of read that one a bit more carefully. That would be a
bit entertaining.

>
>Lee
>

Captain's log. On StarDate Wed, 4 Jan 2006 08:58:38 -0500 received comm from
"Lee Bell" <pleebell@bellsouth.net> on channel rec.scuba.equipment:

: at least tried this sysgtem and many are still using it, even for their open
: water diving. While I, at least temporarily, have given up the long hose,
: my alternate, like Alan's, is necklaced, tied, around my neck.

With your current configuration do you still donate your primary? How long is
your primary and how have you fitted it to you?

martin

--
Martin Törnsten - http://martin.tornsten.com/


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"Martin T" wrote

in message news:rqo2s1d9qjmtql0scqrpl4e9i4l77eqfc0@4ax.com...
> Captain's log. On StarDate Wed, 4 Jan 2006 08:58:38 -0500 received comm
> from
> "Lee Bell" <pleebell@bellsouth.net> on channel rec.scuba.equipment:
>
> : at least tried this sysgtem and many are still using it, even for their
> open
> : water diving. While I, at least temporarily, have given up the long
> hose,
> : my alternate, like Alan's, is necklaced, tied, around my neck.
>
> With your current configuration do you still donate your primary? How long
> is
> your primary and how have you fitted it to you?

I have always donated my primary. Prior to 1991, I only had a primary. I
learned to dive without an octopus or BCD back in 1962. Because either my
family or I had a boat the entire time, I had little reason to change. In
1991, my wife got certified and, when I tried to accompany her on her open
water dives, I was turned away. They didn't allow anyone to dive without a
BCD and octupus. So I went out and got one of each, actually two of each.
I bought them for her too. I got a SeaQuest BCD and Air Source. As I've
mentioned, with the combination unit, it only makes sense to donate the
primary. Around 1999, I adopted the long hose and necklaced alternate. To
this day, I like the long hose slightly better in the water, but it's more
of a pain on a crowded dive boat than it's worth in the water.

So, in answer to your questions, yes, I still donate my primary. My primary
hose is whatever the standard length primary hose is and it is configured
and routed accordingly, looped off to my right, over my right shoulder and
into my mouth. My alternate is on the shortest hose I could get that would
allow me to have full head movement. I think it's 22 inches, but don't hold
me to it. That may be the length of my high pressure hose.

Lee