Necklace Octo holder

[ddmattos]

My g/f started in a Hogarthian setup with a long hose and bungeed backup. After class she remarked "I really like my bungee backup, since I always know right where it is". Both of our backups are on 24" hoses. I use a 7' primary hose, and she still uses a 5' hose until she is ready to add a can light to the mix.

This configuration in the link below works perfectly for warm water, cold water, rec, and tech. There is no reason to try to change it since it has evolved over many years, by some of the most experienced divers there are. I would strongly recommend taking a few minutes and at least read thru it.
Equipment Configuration | Global Underwater Explorers

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[TSandM]

90% of the diving I do at home is purely recreational, and I use a long hose/bungied backup setup because it just plain makes sense. Doing things that way, you know where BOTH of your regulators are at all times; you donate a regulator you know is working, and you pick up your own backup, which is right below your chin. No dangling octos, no fussing with recalcitrant holders that either don't want to hold, or don't want to let go. And if you ever do have to share gas, it's nice to have options. My one "real" air-share was with someone who got much lower on gas than he should have, given where we were; and where we were, we COULD have surfaced if we'd had to, but it was much nicer and safer to swim back to the boat. Swimming side by side on my long hose was a lot nicer than trying to do it on an octo-length hose!

 

[Searcaigh]

My Octo is on a necklace, primary on a 7' hose, sidemount pony has 5' hose, all purely rec diving.

 

[BluewaterSail]

I have a 7' primary with a bungied backup. I do single tank rec dives only. I think it makes sense. Its DIR and I believe that DIR is not just for tech.

But be warned that some closed minded folks will tell you its not good, only because its not what they were taught to use. I actually had a DM (who was a PADI instructor) tell me that it was unsafe because everyone knows that if you need air you take the extra regulator from your buddy's "triangle". He was afraid that he would not be able to find the regulator that was not in the "triangle" but rather in my mouth.

 

[ferris213]

I actually had a DM (who was a PADI instructor) tell me that it was unsafe because everyone knows that if you need air you take the extra regulator from your buddy's "triangle". He was afraid that he would not be able to find the regulator that was not in the "triangle" but rather in my mouth.

I thought your mouth formed the top point of the triangle? I wonder how he felt about Air2?

I use a 5 foot primary and 24" back up bungeid. I used to use standard length hoses until I had to do an air share ascent. My buddy was low on air and like TS&M, we could have surfaced directly but we chose to carry out the safety stop. All worked fine but I felt a longer hose would have made things easier.

I'm very much a rec diver

 

[buddhasummer]

I am a non tech rec diver and use a 22" necklaced backup and a primary on 44" with 90 adaptor. When assisting on courses sometimes I am asked to wear the "standard' PADI configuration, depends on the shop.

 

[DevonDiver]

I use the same backplate & harness for rec or tech diving - just swap wings over to suit.

Same again for regulators - long hose(7')/necklaced AAS (22-24"), whether it's on one 1st stage or two.

Changing between rec and tech configuration is a 5 min task... swap the wing, split the hoses between two 1st stages

 

[ddmattos]

I use the same backplate & harness for rec or tech diving - just swap wings over to suit.

Same again for regulators - long hose(7')/necklaced AAS (22-24"), whether it's on one 1st stage or two.

Changing between rec and tech configuration is a 5 min task... swap the wing, split the hoses between two 1st stages

I do the same. No need for two separate rigs and multiple wetsuits. I also always dive dry (trilam) with lift bag in dive rite pouch on bottom of plate and 6ft smb in backplate storage pack. Etc. Same basic gear setup all the time.

 

[USFpsychDiver]

I recently switched from the standard 'rec' to the 'long primary, necklace secondary' configuration (for cavern training) and never went back. As others have said, it's easier to keep track of where the second stages are in this configuration (a good thing). Not a bid deal tucking the long hose into the waistband. I used to have chronic problems with my old octo holder (kind that plugged into the mouthpiece) coming undone, leaving the octo floating free. Not an uncommon problem; see a lot of other (new) divers with their octos dangling. Did this once when fossil diving and ended up bouncing along the bottom. Next time I checked it, even after a thorough rinse, I got a mouthful of sand. Not going to happen again now that it's necklaced.

 

[rongoodman]

I started with the long hose/necklaced secondary on the very first regulator I bought after my OW class(along with a BP/W), and wouldn't do it any other way. I've never seen so much as a raised eyebrow about it in 8-10 trips to the Caribbean.