DIR Standard for Octo Necklace & Primary Reg Colors?

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Location
NW Indiana
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Hey, I'm new to scuba diving and the DIR idea caught my attention. I'm in the process of picking out my gear for the first time and I'm trying to learn everything I can about it. I know I want a BP/W setup, because I felt like I was being squashed with a vest inflated on my OW cert dives. I like the simplicity of harnesses, drings, and all the custom setups you can make. So I think this is the right area for me.

I like the octo necklace approach. Hand off your primary with a longer hose and use the octo on your neck. From my vast experience of 6 dives and OW cert, the octo is typically some sort of yellow casing/hosing. So in the DIR rules, if your primary is given to the OOA person, should that be yellow? have a yellow hose? Does it matter? Should I avoid buying a yellow octo if it's going on my neck?

Another idea that crossed my mind was to get 2 of the same primary regs and use one as the octo. They would have two different length hoses, and possibly colors. Any suggestions on that?

I tried searching, but no luck. I'm heading to my LDS today to start picking out gear, but wanted the DIR opinion. Thanks!
 
I agree with the idea of having the two secondary regs the same, rather than buying a cheap "octo", since that's the one you'll be breathing in an OOA situation. I've never heard of any color "standards" associated with DIR and don't see the point of yellow anything. You and your partner both know that he'll be getting the regulator you're breathing from and you're going to your bungeed secondary.
 
Most DIR guys (myself included) just use a normal reg and a normal hose for both the primary and backup (backup is the one on the bungee). No special colors or anything.

The color thing is mostly to make the octo reg visible. Since we don't use an 'octo' in the traditional sense, there's no need for the color. The primary is very easy to see since its in your mouth and there are bubbles coming out of it.

Getting two regs that are the same for your primary and backup is an ok idea, but I'm personally a fan of having a simple, non-balanced non-adjustable backup reg and a balanced-adjustable as the primary. Something like a Scubapro R190 on the bungee and a Scubapro G250 on the long hose.
 
the unofficial standard is BLACK! with little blue H's all over everything :) Most of us have matching second stages, though depending on your dive conditions there is some merit to the unbalanced secondary if you're in particularly nasty diving conditions you want the most idiot proof durable reg, but that's a bit beyond the scope of where you're at now. I do believe the official recommendation from when GUE was still using the term DIR and certainly when JJ wrote the book, was to have matching second stages.

where are you located?

lots of the online shops have spectacular CS and likely better pricing

Hog D1 Singles Regulator Package w/ SPG - Dive Right in Scuba
DRIS Dive Gear 28lb BP/W System | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba

This is a great singles regulator and bp/w package if you want to go the DIR route, and the guys up there can help walk you through the buying process and the have great followup CS if you need it. Also check on here for the forum local to where you are because you will want to have a local mentor help you. Most areas have divers proficient in this methodology even if they don't necessarily practice it. Quite a few of us do 98% of what the DIR book originally said, and can still help you get 100% of the way but have gone away from the rigid standardization for one reason or another.
 
+2 on having the same (or similar) second stages. When I dived singles, I had 2 hog classics. On my twinset, I have a hog classic as my back-up and an apeks atx 40 as my primary, which breathe pretty much the same. Most people don't have different colour second stages, but I know a few people who use an apeks ATX-40 "octo" (which is the same as a standard ATX-40 but yellow) as their primary. That is also an option.
 
Thanks for clearing that up. Black it is!

I reserved a hollis 500se and first stage that was on sale last night for the holiday because I really wanted the servo reg and side exhaust. Would a second 500se work as a backup? or would it free-flow too often on your neck?

I'm in NW Indiana, and actually driving over to DRIS tonight after work. It's relatively "local"... about 1 hr drive. That's where I got my OW cert.
 
I ordered two sets of MK25 + S600 on sale. Sometimes use it for double and sometimes for single tank, so octo also S600.
Regarding colour : yes, color doesn't matter and most DIR divers prefers black to prove it.
My wife kindly asked me to have octo (or actually regulator which I will donate to her) on yellow hose, as she learned on PADI cource.
So, my long hose is yellow and short is black.
One positive thing here - I can be easily found when diving with other standrd black DIR divers :)
 
Unbalanced reg for the backup has been a thing since day 1.
https://www.globalunderwaterexplorers.org/equipment/config
"Many divers prefer a high-performance, balanced, second stage as their primary regulator, and a slightly lower performance, unbalanced, second stage as their backup.6 This proven configuration gives a diver the best of both worlds."

Its certainly not a huge deal one way or another.

Jon, skip out on the side exhaust regs and (especially) servo regs. A standard-issue, downstream valve reg is the move for DIR diving.
 
I have 2 octo's as regs, so both yellow. And then the stageregs have blue, green, pink, yellow, red hoses. And all is DIR :D There is no rule that it needs to be black. Just good materials.
 
Unbalanced reg for the backup has been a thing since day 1.
https://www.globalunderwaterexplorers.org/equipment/config
"Many divers prefer a high-performance, balanced, second stage as their primary regulator, and a slightly lower performance, unbalanced, second stage as their backup.6 This proven configuration gives a diver the best of both worlds."

Its certainly not a huge deal one way or another.

Jon, skip out on the side exhaust regs and (especially) servo regs. A standard-issue, downstream valve reg is the move for DIR diving.


The 500se and Oceanic Omegas are downstream and much less prone to freeflow than any other style of regulator fwiw. They work fine for primary and backup, but they are definitely not DIR. These types of regs are VERY sensitive to getting water pushed through them by nature of the mechanism so swapping first stages underwater isn't recommended.

Stand corrected on the balanced unbalanced, but I'm seeing a lot more matching reg sets now than mis-matched.... to each their own
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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