Regulator Bungee Necklace, safe or not

[Remy B.]

I have a bungee necklace and I'm thinking that actually in a sidemount I see it as not the best option, I'm thinking from a safety stand point, if another diver is in OOA situation they normally go for the regulator one have in the mouth and normally not in a controlled manner, as sidemounter we have to keep both tanks at fairly the same pressure which makes us swap regulators often to keep the same volume in the tanks.

With that said, if it happens that one is breathing with the regulator that have the necklace bungee, and an desperate diver OOA gets you by surprise and go for that regulator, it is possible that my mask go with it our the mouth piece gets pulled out, or I get smak back with my same regulator, making the situation not exactly better, it is hard to predict how the real situation can go, so better take measure to avoid situations escalating

just having both regulators hanging around my neck I see it as less possible for those situations to happen, but I like to hear your opinion as well.

 

[DevonDiver]

That's the reason why I use a rubber (off-the-shelf) necklace, not a bungee, when sidemounting. If someone did grab the short-hose from my mouth, it'd detach and they would have immediate access to gas. I'd swap them onto the long-hose once calmed and before ascent.

In backmount... tied-on bungee necklaces...and cut-away bolt-snaps on the long hose are acceptable. In sidemount, they're problematic and influence safety in some scenarios.

Competently trained divers, especially at tech/overhead level, are taught varied approaches to seeking gas. Taking directly from the mouth is one of them. Tec Sidemount divers (excluding DIR off-shoot agency folks) are taught to take the long hose.

Recreational divers grabbing regulators out of the mouth isn't a taught technique. If it occurs, it's due to panic. I doubt it occurs as much as people speculate. I've never seen it happen in 25 years/8000 dives....

The point to take-away is that a panicked diver shouldn't be able to get that close to you....and snatch your reg... if you are sufficiently situationally aware and observant.

In an ideal world, you observe and recognize the issue as it unfolds... and your long hose regulator is deployed and heading towards their mouth long before they've had the notion to snatch a reg out of your mouth.

I can imagine someone snatching the reg for themselves if you've just stared at them slack-jawed for seconds as their eyes started to bulge...and rightfully so.... But, the whole 'they pounce on you out of nowhere, like a hypoxic ninja' thing must be very, very rare.

Worrying about short-hose necklaces (whilst valid) is reactionary. The pro-active measure is to develop your own observational and situational awareness capabilities. Prevention being better than cure...

 

[tbone1004]

what Andy said. I have actually experienced a regulator being forcibly removed, but that was an ambush from a random diver which seems to go with the stories that I have heard. It's never "your" buddy, but someone else in the water that you aren't paying attention to. In a cave, you can see the guy coming at you because of the lights and in that situation you can anticipate and have the long hose ready to go.

I don't dive sidemount in open water unless I have a specific reason to, but I dive independent doubles fairly regularly which does put me in the situation of switching regulators. None of my suicide straps are zip tied onto the mouthpieces but they tend not to come off all that easily so I use a molded highland suicide strap in those scenarios

 

[Remy B.]

I understand and agree that it is a very rare happening, like Tbone said, it normally is not your buddy, but a common place for this to happen is when diving for photography, where you are fully concentrated in what you are filming of shooting, put that scenario in a boat dive trip or a shore dive that is popular for divers, so yes they can sneak on you and take your regulator out of your mouth.

I used a highland rubber bungee, but with the drysuit and 8mm cap and me having a thick and short neck, it was not working it actually poped loose or it was very uncomfortable on my neck, seems that they are pretty much one size or at least the times that I have looked in the dive shops, honestly have not look further nor ask if they sell longer ones, as I'm planing too remove my mouth bungee.

 

[johnnywulff]

I use bungee necklace DIY double fishermen's no zip tied, not very tight on the mouthpiece, so if a OOA panic diver go for that 2nd stage no problem easy go and for more precautions, I use long hose in both sides of my sidemount configuration

 

[Remy B.]

Any negative point on not using a necklace with sidemount ?

I started to use long hoses on both tanks as well.

 

[DevonDiver]

... a common place for this to happen is when diving for photography, where you are fully concentrated in what you are filming of shooting...

If you have a buddy, what are they doing at that time?

Photographers need to compensate for their reduced situational awareness. That compensation is the use of a robust team/buddy system. A 'shooter' and a 'spotter'. The spotter should have heightened situational awareness, protecting the 'shooter' whilst they are engaged.

A skills and protocols fix to the problem... not an equipment fix.

I used a highland rubber bungee,...it actually poped loose or it was very uncomfortable on my neck....

Some of the rubber bungees are truly horrific... too long, too short, too stiff etc etc etc...

The nicest rubber necklace I've found was a Saeko Dive... works a charm.

 

[johnnywulff]

Necklace is use for safety reasons on any configuration backmount sidemount recreational, if something goes wrong you have easily access even without using your hands. I dive solo it's most important

 

[Remy B.]

Andy, you are 100% right, but I normally have insta-buddies, or both of us are shooting pictures, my best buddy actually is my wife, but have not dived lately with her, eventually I see my self shooting pictures alone in the future if i don't find a buddy or if I don't dive with my wife.

That will be a new one for me Johnny, how you manage to do that effectively and quickly ?

 

[tbone1004]

quickly depends on a lot of factors and your definition of quick, but effectively means a properly adjusted suicide strap so you can reach it by looking down and grabbing it with a combo of your tongue and lips.