Doing What Works reg and octo or 2 regs?

[DiveDaddyDale]

Hello fellow Bubblers;

I am diving: BP&W, and am wondering if someone can explain why DIR philosophy dictates 2 Regs?
Thanks for the education.

 

[spectrum]

Virtually everyone has 2 second stages.

The DIR philosphy has your alternate bungied under your chin for easy retrieval. The primary is on along hose to enable donation. This partly stems from needing enough hose for 2 divers to exit a cave single file.

BP&W may simply be Hogartian or may be taken to the DIR configuration that is more comprehensive.

Pete

 

[Dhboner]

ALL diving philosophies dictate two regulators. IN a "conventional" set-up you have your primary in your mouth and your octo secured somewhere on your BCD. In a DIR configuration you have your primary on a long hose (usually 7') and your octo on a bungee hanging just below your chin. In an "out of air" emergency you donate your primary regulator (the long hose ensures some separation between both divers) and you breathe off your octo.

 

[ams511]

The title of your thread seems a bit odd: Reg + Octo or 2 regs. So I don't know exactly what you are asking.

 

[robertarak]

Hi Dale,

An Octo or Octopus was a name given to a second regulator attached to a scuba first stage when the idea of using an additional second stage regulator started gaining favor. Back then divers only used one regulator and the extra hose was said to look like an octopus. An Octo is a regulator, more correctly a second stage regulator. Sometimes people use a less expensive second stage regulator as the one what will be donated in an emergency. The DIR philosophy is that both the primary and back-up second stage regulators are of the same high quality. As stated previously DIR divers donate their primary regulator, the one they are breathing that is on a long hose, then switch to their back-up which is usually secured with a bungie necklace just under their chin.


I hope this helps.

 

[DiveDaddyDale]

Hi Dale,

An Octo or Octopus was a name given to a second regulator attached to a scuba first stage when the idea of using an additional second stage regulator started gaining favor. Back then divers only used one regulator and the extra hose was said to look like an octopus. An Octo is a regulator, more correctly a second stage regulator. Sometimes people use a less expensive second stage regulator as the one what will be donated in an emergency. The DIR philosophy is that both the primary and back-up second stage regulators are of the same high quality. As stated previously DIR divers donate their primary regulator, the one they are breathing that is on a long hose, then switch to their back-up which is usually secured with a bungie necklace just under their chin.


I hope this helps.

This is the information I was seeking. The yellow Mares Octo reg I see almost everyone with is used due to cost savings rather than use a more $ reg. Still I wonder why the tech divers use a full size reg instead of the smaller Mares type as a second? Is there any reason one should consider the more expensive option?

 

[scubapro50]

The physical size of your regulator doesn't determine how easy it will breath. Most octs are set with a higher resistance to water pressure so they don't free flow on you durning the dive which makes them harder to breath on. Having a smaller 2nd stage is nice so it doesn't catch on everything ...... I have discontinued using traditional octs years ago for one attached to the BC hose. That setup is not always your best choice depending on the type of diving you are doing. Having that extra long hose is great if your buddy is having trouble and you can just hand him the extra 2nd stage ....... having to take your air out of your mouth and going to the backup BC mounted unit takes practice. Mose dive courses don't teach buddy breathing with a single hose regulator without a oct. God help anyone that needs to share air using an old doublehose ....... that skill died out years ago with most of the old divers using our favorite USD Aquamasters. I still use a doublehose ever now and then but make sure my buddy has a traditional oct with an extra long hose in case something goes wrong.

 

[Peter69_56]

This is the information I was seeking. The yellow Mares Octo reg I see almost everyone with is used due to cost savings rather than use a more $ reg. Still I wonder why the tech divers use a full size reg instead of the smaller Mares type as a second? Is there any reason one should consider the more expensive option?

Well a few reasons why.

First is that as a recreational diver if you go for your Octo and it doesn't work, another option is to go for the surface and as long as you breath out and don't exceed ascent rates all should be well (relatively speaking). With tech diving you usually don't have that option as you are probably racking up deco time and you are at significant depth preventing travelling to the surface on a lung full of air. Thus you are more dependant on your gear and so tend to buy better quality on the basis it will (maybe) be more reliable.

Another is that depending on cylinder configuration you may need to breath equally from both regs during the dive (when using side mount or twin independents) Given you are using the regs equally its reasonable to assume you don't want to be spending half your time sucking on a dog of a reg just to save some money. More comfortable and better to have 2 quality regs.

The reg on the long hose is the one you normally use if on twin manifolded tanks. Reason being if someone is out of air, you are handing them the reliable reg immediately, the reg around your neck is the backup, which one hopes will work for you, and as its at your mouth, easy to get to in an emergency so as long as its reliable all is well.

Given the additional depth for tech diving, better quality regs make diving easier and less stressful. A reg that breaths easy at the surface maybe a bit of a dog at 60m.

Whether the hose/reg is yellow or black is of no other significance other than to show someone in a panic a reg they can grab as its your "spare", and to denote the one you should normally use. In saying that you could use 2 standard regs with black hoses etc. It has become an accepted dive standard to colour the hose/reg by virtue of use I suspect. It hasn't been applied to DIR that I am aware of. I like using 2 quality regs but on my recreational gear I have the standard setup which I use to fit with everyone else, which makes life a bit easier in an emergency.

I also have my deco reg hose green to show Nitrox and white tape on the top of the reg (as well as the cylinder Max Operating Depth and Nx %) with the MOD of the gas on the white tape. This also prevents confusion.

 

[robertarak]

Dale,

Whichever configuration your equipment set up is, or the depth of your dive, if an emergency occurs when gas sharing is necessary, somebody is going to be breathing that less expensive regulator. Somebody who has been without something to breath for some time, may be on the verge of panic, or you, if you train to donate your primary. Having a regulator that delivers enough gas, and is reliable enough to know it will work when needed is paramount. A regulator that has a hard work of breathing could cause further problems during emergency gas sharing. Technical diver or not, technical profile or not, emergency equipment is not the place to try to save a few dollars.

 

[chrpai]

This is the information I was seeking. The yellow Mares Octo reg I see almost everyone with is used due to cost savings rather than use a more $ reg. Still I wonder why the tech divers use a full size reg instead of the smaller Mares type as a second? Is there any reason one should consider the more expensive option?

I'm going to guess that "almost everyone" is basically all the instructors and students at ONE dive shop. Dive shops equip all of their instructors one way to 1) pitch what they sell and 2) simplify training. It does not in anyway represent the diversity of solutions that exist in the real world. Solutions that are typically better.

BTW, I doubt if that Mares octo is really "cheaper". My 2nd stage sells for $119 typically and on Black Friday for much less. Pretty much the same price as the Mares octo.