Octo on right , or left side?

[rick00001967]

i had some time today and decided to read the comments in this thread.

as i mentioned, our shop teaches with the octo on the left. always have. i have been diving it that way for over 30 years. i suppose i have also been teaching it that way for about 10 years now.

lets discuss donating the octo from the left side when diving single tank back mount.

no changes need to be made. the same hose can be used. a standard second stage can be used. you simply route the hose from the left side of the first stage. (if some first stages do not allow for this then i guess this is not an option fo those divers).

possible benefits
- it may leave only the primary second stage on the right side keeping that side free / clean of other hoses with the possible exception of having a second inflate hose for a dry suit etc.
- the oog diver can easily swim beside the donator (on the left side obviously) while using the donated octo
- when passing off the octo, it is already in the proper position for the oog diver to breathe from. no need to "S" the hose in order for them to breathe from it.

possible drawbacks
- not ideal for using yourself. but it is possible to do it.
- if you teach sharing gas facing each other and having a right hand to right shoulder grip on each other (as we do), a standard hose can make things a bit akward imho, as you need to be very close to each other, especially if one of you (or both) are larger individuals. a longer hose may help with this problem. if you use a right arm to right arm grip, it will make things even worse.

what do i do?
- primary second stage on the right
- octo on the left on a necklace
- octo used is either an apeks egress or aqualung abs style reg. these will allow for breathing from either side by either diver in any position. they also lay nice and flat and out of the way when on the necklace. google these if you are not familiar with the design. sherwood and genesis also have something similar. there may be others.

donating octo vs primary
- if you choose to donate the primary and then breathe from your back up second stage yourself, then having a standard octo set up on the left serves no purpose.
- if an agency want to teach donating the primary, then they should be using long hose / short hose configurations.

using a second stage that allows the hose to be routed to the left side of the reg for a left side octo
- could be done. would allow you to easily use it yourself if needed but then makes it more akward to donate to the oog diver. i wouldn't do it.

how do you handle diving with an unfamiliar buddy?
- as always, you need to discuss how to handle an oog or low gas situation with your buddy
- for me, having a yellow hose on the left side going to a yellow necklace makes it fairly easy. just grab the one around my neck. if for some reason they take the one out of my mouth, i take the one from my neck and we sort it out once things calm down. easy.

what about divers who dive various configurations?
- if you dive single tank back mount one day and then double tank side mount the next for example, you may want to keep as consistent a configuration as possible so muscle memory and trained reflexes cross over as much as possible to each.
- me, i am a bit of an odd duck. i teach in single back mount but dive a single left tank side mount whenever i travel. then sometimes i dive double tank side mount as well. although not very often anymore. so i have no consitency at all. lol but it does not bother me.

pls remember, the key is that you are familar and comfortable with the gear you choose and how you choose to use it. we all have our quirks about how we like to do things.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I’m not sure it matters if the octo comes from the left or the right side as long as the second stage is secured in the “triangle” where an OOA diver would expect it to be. Plus it’s traditionally customary to use at brightly colored octo and 40” hose usually orange or yellow.
As an aside, those using an Air2 also need to realize that their primary also doubles as a donation reg so it needs to be on a 40” hose as well.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Yellow past 70fsw won't do too much for anyone without a light.

Well, actually seeing the color yellow no, but compared to black it will obviously be lighter in color value even down deep.

 

[ROUS]

I remember when octopi first started becoming 'a thing'. We were told to put them on the left, as if it wasn't even open to debate. I guess the thinking changed somewhere along the way.

In my cert classes, we were taught to buddy breathe. There were no alternate regulators.

 

[Centrals]

Also, @Centrals , I’m not sure why the routing and hose length would not be the same as you would just be running the same hose out of the left side of the 1st as opposed to the right. Per the article, this would put the mouthpiece pointing toward the ooa buddy without the hose snaking between the 2 of you.
Again, I have not tested this so I can not validate any of it.

Are you kidding?
Try it out yourself first!

 

[scubadada]

I was certified in 1970, there were no octos, we did buddy breathing. I was recertified in 1997, the octo was on the right. That's all I know from training. I dive a 40" primary under my right arm and have a 2nd on a short hose bungeed under my neck. On the rare occasion I have a buddy, I tell them I will donate my primary and that they will have to breathe off my custom mouthpiece

 

[Belzelbub]

I remember when octopi first started becoming 'a thing'. We were told to put them on the left, as if it wasn't even open to debate. I guess the thinking changed somewhere along the way.

In my cert classes, we were taught to buddy breathe. There were no alternate regulators.

Interesting. In my first cert class, we were taught buddy breathing as well as air sharing via octopus. Octo was on the right then (1990). Buddy breathing appears to not be taught anymore.

In my first OW cert class, it was secondary donate. A few years later I took another, and it was primary donate. I think they still taught buddy breathing then, but it definitely wasn’t taught when my daughters were certified.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

Are you kidding?
Try it out yourself first!

I’m not really certain why you seem so upset by my posts regarding the article. And, no, I’m not going to try it out as I have no interest in that configuration. That shouldn’t preclude me from participating in this conversation, though. If you would like to engage me in a discussion regarding theoretical pros and cons of left side octo routing, which is what this tread is about, I am all for it. Otherwise, I think our exchanges should end here.

Respectfully
Erik

 

[SlugLife]

I just tried using a right-handed regulator, but routed with the hose coming from the left side. Technically, the reg was upside down, but I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't paying attention. (Most) Mouthpieces are symmetrical, so the only difference is whether the "bulk" of the regulator is above or below the mouthpiece.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

I just tried using a right-handed regulator, but routed with the hose coming from the left side. Technically, the reg was upside down, but I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't paying attention. (Most) Mouthpieces are symmetrical, so the only difference is whether the "bulk" of the regulator is above or below the mouthpiece.

Just to clarify, was it upside down for you or the person you would donate to? I’m asking because, if I am understanding the pros and cons as stated by @rick00001967, the octo would be right side up for the oog buddy without having to s-curve the hose, but a bit more difficult for the you to use if you needed to ditch your primary for it.