Streamlined OW Regulator Setup

[Smiling Armina]

I'm buying a new reg, and in doing some research, I found this DGX Streamlined OW Reg Setup that I'm trying to replicate: DGX Custom - Deep Six DGX Streamlined OW Reg Package | Dive Gear Express®

Does anyone have any additional resourses regarding the "Streamlined OW Setup?" For years I've dived the PADI way with primary over your shoulder, and octo under your arm inside the triangle. Why the changes? Are these generally accepted changes in the community? Before I buy - I'd like to understand it more.

Also - this system introduces a swivel into the reg. I've heard conflicting information regarding swivels (prone to failure, reduces flow).

Considering I am 100% a holiday diver (30 dives/year, twice a year in the Caribbean), will it matter all that much?

 

[KenGordon]

There will be a bunch of people come along and say that this setup is wonderful.

I would ask:

What problem are you trying to solve?
Why do you think this solves it?
How will your buddies deal with this setup?
What were you trained for, and how does this setup relate to that?

 

[MichaelMc]

Are these generally accepted changes in the community?

In which community? On scubaboard, I'd say yes, very much so. In the wider dive community, it is newer, so not all embrace it, or think it is such a great idea.....

Look at the various threads on 'primary donate', 'necklaced secondary'. There are advantages to each of those aspects of it. The long hose setup is a version of this suited for diving in restrictions, or where more length after donating might make life a bit easier.

As Ken alludes to, how well your buddies can respond to a change in which reg you might give them plays into it.

The most recent debate on this is likely this thread:
Alec Pierce Scuba - Long Hose Good or Bad
If you separate out the long hose bit from the 'primary donate' 'necklace secondary' parts. It is worth a read, as it seemed to go over the typical talking points from the various sides.

 

[Manatee Diver]

The swivel in this case is a right angle adapter that brings just a single additional oring, it isn't the more complicated swivels with multiple orings that most consider failure prone. And even those swivels are becoming more accepted.

 

[Divectionist]

Are you diving with a known buddy or insta-buddies?

If you are going for a primary donate setup, you will need to make sure that each and every buddy understands what the OOA protocol is with you.

This generally works very well among divers who know and train with this configuration, however, it will not be known to the average diver out there in the world.

This specific setup has no colour coded octo, and you would not want people to pull on your necklaced backup reg. One option is to change the cap on your primary to yellow as a reminder to what you specify in your buddy briefing.

This has little to do with 'streamlined' by the way. You can dive pretty much any configuration streamlined by taking good care of hose routing and adjusting it with custom length hoses.

 

[KenGordon]

The long hose setup is a version of this suited

I would say that this is a version of the hog loop which has the disadvantages - primary donate, so no regulator in the mouth of the donating diver and the OOG diver cannot reasonably take a regulator - without the advantages of plenty of hose to be comfortable whatever is going on.

A lot of what I consider nonsense is done in the name of streamlining. In the end you have to drag round a bunch of bailout or deco gas. If on the way there you think that one or two hoses more or less is the secret to scuba happiness than I think you are being sold a tall tale.

 

[drjtprice]

I always ask anyone I am diving with who they were trained with? Are they used to primary donate or secondary donate? This differs between agencies. A panicked diver is likely to grab your primary anyway, regardless fo how they were trained.

 

[Caveeagle]

What is starting to be commonly referred to as an open water “streamlined” rig has very little to do with using a long hose. Sure you can adapt a 5 or 7’ primary hose, but I am pretty sure most of the setups I have seen use a 40” primary hose that goes under the right arm and up the chest, using a 90* elbow/swivel to put the primary second stage in the proper orientation.

Are you diving with a known buddy or insta-buddies?

If you are going for a primary donate setup, you will need to make sure that each and every buddy understands what the OOA protocol is with you.

This generally works very well among divers who know and train with this configuration, however, it will not be known to the average diver out there in the world.

This specific setup has no colour coded octo, and you would not want people to pull on your necklaced backup reg. One option is to change the cap on your primary to yellow as a reminder to what you specify in your buddy briefing.

Ok., of course it’s always good to cover this stuff with any new buddy on a pre dive briefing, but I really just don’t see the risk. My experience interacting with open water divers is a very mixed bag. From divers using Air2s, to Octos stuffed in pockets. And there is absolutely NO consistency on color coding, so I place no value in that either.

When I dive, breathing from my primary... it won’t really matter if a panicked diver grabbed the reg from my neck bungee. If that were to happen, first order of business is to let them get some air the fastest way possible and to get a calm place. Sure it would be better if they grab the intended reg that I prefer to donate, but that’s not the time to start a fight over it. And I seriously doubt a panicking insta buddy will remember the pre splash talk.

 

[Nemrod]

That set of regs will do fine. The swivel is a fixed 90 degree, the additional "failure" poit is negligible to the point of nonexistent. It seems the set is tech oriented in that it is set up for primary under the arm on the longer hose and back up over the shoulder short hose, donate long hose primary. You could switch that up easy enough if you prefer the traditional donate the octopus rig. Not sure what makes it streamlined (other than the 40 inch hose), I think they mean simplified in that it is ready to go. This is a pretty basic set up to grow with. I also like the braided Miflex type hoses (contrary to many) and the thin SPG.

The only thing I see wrong with it is that it is not ScubaPro or AL! Go buy it and be happy.

N

 

[Centrals]

Perhaps the OP should contact DGX and ask if they could sell him/her a more conventional set up based on Deep Six?
Bungee, long hose, swivel etc etc is NOT everyone cup of tea.