Octo keeper pulls mouthpiece off?

[stuartv]

I did the confined water part of my OW cert class this past weekend. All the BCs provided had the cheap little rubbery octo keeper that is clipped to the BC and has a rubber ring that you insert the mouthpiece through, so the rubber band is holding the octo between the mouthpiece and the main body of the reg.

Looking at them, I had been wondering if it would ever happen that the mouthpiece would pull off from the reg, instead of pulling through the keeper ring.

Then, sure enough, my friend and his wife were doing the OOA drill and she pulled her octo loose to hand him. He went to put it in his mouth and it had no mouthpiece. The octo keeper had pulled it off the reg.

Was that a total fluke? Or is that a reason to not use that type of octo keeper? If you don't use that type, and you aren't using a necklace, then what do you use?

 

[AJ]

Seems to me the mouthpiece was not secured correctly. This should not happen.

 

[stuartv]

Seems to me the mouthpiece was not secured correctly. This should not happen.

That's kind of what I was thinking. I mean, it seems like it was even remotely likely to happen, when the equipment is assembled and maintained even somewhat reasonably, then people wouldn't use that type of octo keeper - and yet they do.

 

[tursiops]

Losing a mouthpiece is an annoyance, not an emergency.

There are better "keepers" that what I think you are describing. Is this it?

This is rubber, not very stretchy, and actually a snorkel keeper.

This kind is better.

It is silicon, very stretchy and a bit slippery.

 

[stuartv]

Tursiops, it was definitely the second kind. I described it as rubbery but I believe it was actually silicon.

 

[Damselfish]

The mouthpiece was simply not secured well enough. Those "cheap little rubbery octo keepers" with the square opening work better than anything else I have tried, and I've tried a fair variety. (Including a couple I've found on the bottom that may have been ditched rather than dropped, given how poorly they worked.)

 

[mikeycanuk]

Probably a good thing it came off when it did.
I read am accident report that had a mouthpiece detach as one of the suspected issues causing drowning. I could see it leading to panic in newer divers.

Always check your gear!


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[stuartv]

Probably a good thing it came off when it did.
I read am accident report that had a mouthpiece detach as one of the suspected issues causing drowning. I could see it leading to panic in newer divers.

Always check your gear!


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It was on the reg set provided by the dive shop for this class.

Fortunately, the guy who was attempting to use it is already Advanced certified. He is only taking the class as a refresher and to be in it with his teenage kids who are doing it.

 

[Tbar]

Was that a total fluke? Or is that a reason to not use that type of octo keeper?

I would say poorly maintained gear, did anyone find the zip-tie or clip that help the mouth piece on? You have also raised some concerns with other regs not breathing easily and from the sounds there is a variety of different equipment.

Most facilities I know have consistent sets of gear, particularly regs and computers, its generally cheaper to buy and maintain than having a mix of gear.

I hope your instructors are better and more consistent than the gear they are providing.

 

[stuartv]

I would say poorly maintained gear, did anyone find the zip-tie or clip that help the mouth piece on? You have also raised some concerns with other regs not breathing easily and from the sounds there is a variety of different equipment.

Most facilities I know have consistent sets of gear, particularly regs and computers, its generally cheaper to buy and maintain than having a mix of gear.

I hope your instructors are better and more consistent than the gear they are providing.

I don't know if they looked for or found the zip tie.

The equipment was a total potpourri.

It's hard for one of my limited experience to say definitively, but it seems like the instruction has been consistent with the gear. :-/