PerroneFord
Contributor
jtoorish:
Probably should clarify. They weren't failures of the second stange per se. Just failures that caused me to need to use my backup reg. Don't want to imply anything "broke".
Is octopus useless?
- Thread starter selytch
- Start date
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Probably should clarify. They weren't failures of the second stange per se. Just failures that caused me to need to use my backup reg. Don't want to imply anything "broke".
Darnold9999
Contributor
Leaned to dive in 78 - only instructors had octos. There if you needed it during training, sort of a backup in case something went wrong with buddy breathing while learning the skill.
Did not own one with my first set of gear, didn't miss it, but that was then.
I can't imagine diving without one now. As others have said your buddy has been trained to expect it. To try to buddy breathe without training and practice is a disaster just waiting to happen. Cheap insurance, wouldn't be without one - keeping in mind that you are wearing it primarily for your buddy - not yourself. Except that your buddy might just take your primary from you if OOA then you will be very glad that you have the second reg.
Did not own one with my first set of gear, didn't miss it, but that was then.
I can't imagine diving without one now. As others have said your buddy has been trained to expect it. To try to buddy breathe without training and practice is a disaster just waiting to happen. Cheap insurance, wouldn't be without one - keeping in mind that you are wearing it primarily for your buddy - not yourself. Except that your buddy might just take your primary from you if OOA then you will be very glad that you have the second reg.
Excellent thread! Lots of good discussion and history of the sport.
I have never owned a standard Octo. I've been diving almost a year now and have been using a different version of a safe second/Oct. A 19cf pony bottle strapped the right side of my 80 with a high vis hose and reg strapped in standard octo position. Should my buddy need air, he can grab my redundant air source and if he bolts for the surface I pull the pin on my quickdraw and let him have the whole enchilada.
The advantages are: totally redundant air source, removeable, standard placement configuration as taught in current PADI form.
Disadvantages: Tough to get a pony on vacation, extra gear.
Just another way to do it....
I have never owned a standard Octo. I've been diving almost a year now and have been using a different version of a safe second/Oct. A 19cf pony bottle strapped the right side of my 80 with a high vis hose and reg strapped in standard octo position. Should my buddy need air, he can grab my redundant air source and if he bolts for the surface I pull the pin on my quickdraw and let him have the whole enchilada.
The advantages are: totally redundant air source, removeable, standard placement configuration as taught in current PADI form.
Disadvantages: Tough to get a pony on vacation, extra gear.
Just another way to do it....
Is octopus useless?
My octopus has been deployed 3 times in the last 10 months.
The first was deployed for an advanced diver with over 500 logged dives who failed to monitor tank pressure in stressed diving conditons. A resort DM- led dive . Calm process and orderly ascent with safety stop.
The second recepient was a resort DM with 8000 dives again in high stress conditions ( 5 knot currents ) and losing air through a bad valve connection. Again a calm and orderly exercise complete with safety stop.
The latest was ( last friday ) again on a dive resort led dive where the diver, a relatively inexperienced diver hyperventilated at 140' and went on a rapid ascent. The DM started to try and catch up but gave up. I ( starting from a shallower depth )
continued and managed to catch up and managed to stabilise the diver. On the ascent his air supply ran out. I gave him my octopus and controled his bouyancy and we ascended and completed the deco stop. This was the most dangerous as the diver was in a near panic state.
I cannot imagine how much more difficult it would be to calm down a near panic OOA diver, share air, control bouyancy, deploy SMB and perform deco stop without an octopus.
I hope the above helps to answer questions as to whether an octopus is useless.
My octopus has been deployed 3 times in the last 10 months.
The first was deployed for an advanced diver with over 500 logged dives who failed to monitor tank pressure in stressed diving conditons. A resort DM- led dive . Calm process and orderly ascent with safety stop.
The second recepient was a resort DM with 8000 dives again in high stress conditions ( 5 knot currents ) and losing air through a bad valve connection. Again a calm and orderly exercise complete with safety stop.
The latest was ( last friday ) again on a dive resort led dive where the diver, a relatively inexperienced diver hyperventilated at 140' and went on a rapid ascent. The DM started to try and catch up but gave up. I ( starting from a shallower depth )
continued and managed to catch up and managed to stabilise the diver. On the ascent his air supply ran out. I gave him my octopus and controled his bouyancy and we ascended and completed the deco stop. This was the most dangerous as the diver was in a near panic state.
I cannot imagine how much more difficult it would be to calm down a near panic OOA diver, share air, control bouyancy, deploy SMB and perform deco stop without an octopus.
I hope the above helps to answer questions as to whether an octopus is useless.
'randini' wrote:
"I was going to say that the octo is useless, at least it has been for me. Most of the diving I've done has been scientific diving, usually in & around kelps (lot of the time hovering in the canopy) so I took it off to keep it from ketting tangled up. My buddy was usually too far away to be of any use to me in an OOA situation (and vice versa) and the surface was just a few meters away. Then I just never put the octo back on. Several of the posts I've seen have convinced me that maybe it's time ot put it back, especially since my kelp diving days are pretty much over."
I would think that if you are in kelp and your buddy doesn't stick within arms reach, THAT would be when an octopus could come in a little bit handy in an OOA situation!
"I was going to say that the octo is useless, at least it has been for me. Most of the diving I've done has been scientific diving, usually in & around kelps (lot of the time hovering in the canopy) so I took it off to keep it from ketting tangled up. My buddy was usually too far away to be of any use to me in an OOA situation (and vice versa) and the surface was just a few meters away. Then I just never put the octo back on. Several of the posts I've seen have convinced me that maybe it's time ot put it back, especially since my kelp diving days are pretty much over."
I would think that if you are in kelp and your buddy doesn't stick within arms reach, THAT would be when an octopus could come in a little bit handy in an OOA situation!
It'll depend on the depth, your nerves and how heavy of a breather you are. Most of this stuff I did was in less than 30ft and spending the majority of the time at about 8ft or less (on my back looking up, man did I learn bouyancy control doing that job). Even taking my time and getting to the surface in an OOA situation would have been much quicker than looking for my buddy (who BTW also didn't use an octo).duckbill:
I'm not advocating doing stupid stuff like this. I was young, dumb, needed to get a job done and took unnecessary risks. Fortunately nothing bad ever came from it.
Ed Palma
Contributor
donooo:
This sums it up nicely
Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
Pez7378
Contributor
45fsw nearing the end of the dive. Buddies primary gave him a mouthful of water instead of air. He transitioned to his Octo and we aborted the dive comfortably without air sharing. Brand new Legend. Just happened to get clogged up with seaweed.
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