Do I Really Need An Octopus?

[Colliam7]

When I said it's not being taught by any agency, I should have clarified to say it's not being taught by agency STANDARD. ... Some agencies, NAUI for instance, allow instructors to exceed standard. Other agencies frown on this behavior.

Good point. Doesn't it remain an 'optional' skill in PADI OW - buddy breathing while swimming underwater in the Confined Water portion, and - buddy breathing, in both stationary position and during ascent in the Open Water portion? I remember doing it as an OW student and having the standard jokes made about ‘double drowning’. It is certainly a required skill in the DM course.

It's not my version. Buddy breathing is when two divers breathe off a single second stage. You were taught octopus breathing. Buddy breathing was the standard before octos were common.

It appears from Steve’s post that SSI terminology may combine the two skills under one heading. But Walter’s point is important – buddy breathing and alternate air source (octo) use are different.

 

[Walter]

Yea I know the version that your talking about. I learned it in the stress and rescue class, but I was also taught in my OW course that what you call octo breathing is in fact still buddy breathing and replaced the 2 breaths of air of off the 2nd stage. I guesse it depends on the intstructer? Thanks Walter for your insight.

You were taught incorrectly. Buddy breathing is two divers breathing from one second stage.

Oh and my instructer refuses to call the Alternate Air Source an Octo, lol. He calls it....well an Alternate Air Source.

A rose by any other name.....Alternate Air Source....Safe Second....Octopus.....

 

[~Scuba_Steve~]

You were taught incorrectly. Buddy breathing is two divers breathing from one second stage.

Well Walter that may be true with YMCA and some others........... but what gives you the right to decide who and what is the right way.....? If another instructer chooses to call this buddy breathing (by the way your are breathing from your BUDDYS alternate air source) does that make him wrong? I do believe that this is the 2000s not the 1980s times and methods change over the years and so does verbage, trust me I spent over 20 years in the military and verbage changes all the time.

Their are many instructers out there that teach one thing and then another using slight changes in the wording metholigy, if verbage gets ya wraped arounfd the axle oh well...I was just simply explaining what I was taught. Bashing my instructer by stating that he was wrong, is not only wrong its direspectfull as he is not able to defend himself. :no

A rose by any other name.....Alternate Air Source....Safe Second....Octopus.....

Agian verbage....I actaully call it an octo myself just to get on my instructers nerves, lol.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Buddy breathing is still taught by MDEA. I may never need the skill, and in truth, hope that my buddies or I don't ever require it, but I know how to do it, and I am proficient at it.

All the same, I agree with Ana's approach. Don't lecture me about my setup. If you don't like my gear, don't like my setup, don't understand my gear, don't feel comfortable with me as your buddy, go elsewhere. Choose a different buddy. It's no sweat off my sack, but the right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.

When I'm on vacation and diving and having a good time, unless you are my instructor or I've specifically asked you a question, don't you dare sit down next to me on the boat and begin lecturing me. And tattling to the boat captain? Puh-leeeeease.... LMAO! GMAFB...

 

[redacted]

Well Walter that may be true with YMCA and some others........... but what gives you the right to decide who and what is the right way.....? If another instructer chooses to call this buddy breathing (by the way your are breathing from your BUDDYS alternate air source) does that make him wrong? I do believe that this is the 2000s not the 1980s times and methods change over the years and so does verbage, trust me I spent over 20 years in the military and verbage changes all the time.

Their are many instructers out there that teach one thing and then another using slight changes in the wording metholigy, if verbage gets ya wraped arounfd the axle oh well...I was just simply explaining what I was taught. Bashing my instructer by stating that he was wrong, is not only wrong its direspectfull as he is not able to defend himself. :no

Agian verbage....I actaully call it an octo myself just to get on my instructers nerves, lol.

What we have here is a failure to communicate. My 1994 PADI OW maunal clearly defines "buddy breathing" as 2 divers on one regulator. What you are describing is referred to as "ascent using an alternate air source".

Steve - How about getting your manual so we can get an idea when they changed it.

 

[Walter]

Steve, I did not bash your instructor. If he calls breathing off an octo/alternate air source buddy breathing, he is mistaken. He can call it anything he wants, but buddy breathing means one thing and one thing only. I suspect your instructor has not been diving very long. It's fairly common to see folks new to the sport hear the term "buddy breathing" and assume they understand it. They don't.

 

[~Scuba_Steve~]

Steve - How about getting your manual so we can get an idea when they changed it.

I would if I could I am enrout to Germany right now and am at the airport on my aircard, lol. To be honest not to sure if it covers the Buddy breathing or not(2nd stage). I know what You and Walter are talking about, we did this mehtod in our Stress and Rescue course. I just simply stated what my instructer called it "buddy breathing with an alternate air source (OW course), my point is that people use diferent methods of teach and verbage nothing more...if one cals it breathing from an octo, spare reg, back up air source, or alternate air source its all the same? Just becuase my instructer called it buddy breathing using the alternate air source what makes this wrong? I realy don't see the diferece (your breathing from an air source from your dive buddy). Maybe I am just an ignorant @#$% in someones eyes due to the fact that I have only been diving for a little over two years now.............? And have not been schooled in the proper dive terminoligy that one should use, so shame on me, lol. All in all this is a great debate though

 

[~Scuba_Steve~]

Steve, I did not bash your instructor. If he calls breathing off an octo/alternate air source buddy breathing, he is mistaken. He can call it anything he wants, but buddy breathing means one thing and one thing only. I suspect your instructor has not been diving very long. It's fairly common to see folks new to the sport hear the term "buddy breathing" and assume they understand it. They don't.

Actually he has been diving for over five years now...I am olso working on DiveCon so these are good things to know to be honest with you. My instructor was very profesional, and taught an outstanding class. You more than likley you are corect in your assesment, it could be the case.

I do look at it as bashing him though as he is not able to defend himself, just my $.2 worth. That doesn't mean we cant have a good debate on the subject though. To be honest I come here to learn stufff and gather information all the time, not to sure whats good and whats bad though (info)

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

I do look at it as bashing him though as he is not able to defend himself, just my $.2 worth.

That seems a little thin skinned!

I don't think Walter was bashing anyone. He was saying that there are two different skills that are often confused with one another. Walter was giving the definition of two terms or skills, not bashing by a long shot. Both involved getting gas from your buddy. One you share a single 2nd stage and take two breaths and pass back and forth--aka buddy breathing. The other each diver has his own 2nd stage and they are breathing from the same tank--aka an air share with two second stages.

 

[AevnsGrandpa]

Interesting thread.

I took my OW (PADI) in 2003 and I was taught both to pull the octo from my buddy and to share, if I am remembering correctly. Either way the more you learn the more you can draw on in a time of emergency.

As far as the need for an octo, to me it is not a question or an option. It is part of the required equipment for a diver to me. I actually had to use my own once when my main one had an issue so I pulled my own octo and used it.

Every year one my first dive I try it out UW just to make sure it is ready to be used by whomever.

Jeff