Considering our own regs

[TMHeimer]

you're not going to save any money by having your primary and not the whole thing because you still have to rent a set. If you're going to do it, just get the whole reg set and be done with it. More importantly, you don't actually know if your regulator is going to behave on their first stage. While most all regs are in the same general IP range and will perform OK, you may be tuned on the low side of IP and theirs is on the high side which will lead to slight freeflows. If it's the other way around, it will be hard to breathe. Not worth the hassle. Used regs are cheap, hell Deep6 makes top end regs that are still cheap. Just grab a set of those and be done with it. Every other year you send it in and it's done

Yeah, I was wondering about that--mixing any parts of any regulators. Easier to just bring your whole thing. Especially if you have and are used to a molded mouthpiece.

 

[Coztick]

Sure, I bring two sets (regs) in my carry on along with my PDC and mask. The PDC has lithium batteries in it so most airlines don't want lithium batts in checked luggage.

Since we almost always dive with aluminum tanks when traveling, I usually bring my heaviest, most robust reg which is the Poseidon Jetstream - every extra ounce of static weight helps to offset the less than optimum buoyancy characteristics of the aluminum. IMO

And by the way - I've never seen a dive op when traveling that questioned me about not having an octo (safe second) attached to my first stage. I bring one, just in case but I've never been stopped from diving because I don't use a safe second. My primary is on a 29 inch hose and we will buddy breathe to the surface old school - sharing one reg.

I have a second stage, spg and LP inflator hose and that's it.

Dive ops allow you to buddy dive with 1 second stage?
And your buddies are cool with that?
No criticism. Just surprised!

 

[doctormike]

I've never seen a dive op when traveling that questioned me about not having an octo (safe second) attached to my first stage. I bring one, just in case but I've never been stopped from diving because I don't use a safe second. My primary is on a 29 inch hose and we will buddy breathe to the surface old school - sharing one reg.

Admittedly not a very common occurrence, but it is possible for a second stage to fail and not free-flow. The most common version of that would be losing the mouthpiece (happened to my buddy). While you can still breathe off a reg without a mouthpiece, a backup second stage may be helpful even in situations that don't involve sharing air.

And by having your alternate bungeed around your neck, you have quick access to gas if you lose your primary. Yeah, all OW divers should be able to recover a lost reg, but sometimes it's not so easy when you are doing it for real, and could be enough to start a panic spiral.

Just saying that a backup 2nd stage is a pretty good idea.

 

[JohnnyC]

Curious why one would want to bring a second stage and a hose, but not bring a whole reg set.

 

[KentB]

. My primary is on a 29 inch hose and we will buddy breathe to the surface old school - sharing one reg.

I have a second stage, spg and LP inflator hose and that's it.

What possible reasoning do you have for this except being “old school”

As your “buddy” I’d share my reg with you and save your life and then kick your ass to within an inch of it at the surface for putting me In that position for your stubbornness and ignorance for not carrying a 2nd second stage.

If you can explain why my thinking is unreasonable I’ll fully apologize


I never understood “old school” thinking at all.

 

[TMHeimer]

Admittedly not a very common occurrence, but it is possible for a second stage to fail and not free-flow. The most common version of that would be losing the mouthpiece (happened to my buddy). While you can still breathe off a reg without a mouthpiece, a backup second stage may be helpful even in situations that don't involve sharing air.

And by having your alternate bungeed around your neck, you have quick access to gas if you lose your primary. Yeah, all OW divers should be able to recover a lost reg, but sometimes it's not so easy when you are doing it for real, and could be enough to start a panic spiral.

Just saying that a backup 2nd stage is a pretty good idea.

The rare time I carry the pony I bungee the 2nd stage around my neck (not sure where else to put it). I guess putting your regular octo 2nd stage there is also a good idea, though I don't do it. When solo diving I have it under another "chest" bungee so it gets nowhere near sand/silty bottom. When with a buddy, it's just on a normal octo holder for the buddy to grab. I agree that the neck bungee is closer and in some cases, having it further away could lead someone to a panic spiral. That would indicate very inexperienced diver or possibly vacation diver. That's the way it is.

 

[doctormike]

The rare time I carry the pony I bungee the 2nd stage around my neck (not sure where else to put it). I guess putting your regular octo 2nd stage there is also a good idea, though I don't do it. When solo diving I have it under another "chest" bungee so it gets nowhere near sand/silty bottom. When with a buddy, it's just on a normal octo holder for the buddy to grab. I agree that the neck bungee is closer and in some cases, having it further away could lead someone to a panic spiral. That would indicate very inexperienced diver or possibly vacation diver. That's the way it is.

Don't really want this thread to morph into the primary donate / bungeed backup debate, but I wouldn't assume that the only way a panic spiral can happen is with a very inexperienced or vacation diver.

With solo diving using a single tank and a pony, I think that it's fine to have the pony second stage bungeed to a slung tank. People who use tank brackets are more likely to have that second stage on a bungee necklace. In either of those configurations, you don't need a backup second stage on your primary gas supply.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

Thanks for the replies, I guess it doesn't make sense to just buy the primary. So you guys typically bring your entire reg set-up and hoses on dive trips?

Yes.

We dive with a great operator, but there is certain piece of mind that comes from having your own gear. Even if we did not take our own wetsuits, BCD's, fins etc, I would still take our reg sets. I know they work flawlessly and are in top condition. They are also top of the line regs. Dragging 2 full sets of gear through airports and Mexican streets sucks at times, but it's a burden I'm willing to bear to make sure our dives go as planned.

Regs and air integrated computers go in reg bags and in a carryon. The rest of the gear goes into an airline approved large rolling hard side suitcase and weighs 47#. I have never regretted owning my own gear.

Safe travels!
Jay

 

[Snoweman]

Sorry for the confusion. I was thinking about bringing as little as possible, so it would have been just the Second Stage Primary and a hose to attach to the rest of the octo.

Everyone's replies have been very helpful and answered my question, thanks again to the community!

Buy the whole thing, and wrap it around the edge of your carry-on suitcase like you would a belt.

 

[stuartv]

And by the way - I've never seen a dive op when traveling that questioned me about not having an octo (safe second) attached to my first stage. I bring one, just in case but I've never been stopped from diving because I don't use a safe second. My primary is on a 29 inch hose and we will buddy breathe to the surface old school - sharing one reg.

I have a second stage, spg and LP inflator hose and that's it.

That's fine for you. You have the experience to know what you're doing. But, I absolutely would not post that in the Basic Scuba forum, to be taken as a model of what really experienced divers do. Some newbie somewhere is too likely to feel like "old school" is synonymous with "best" - which it is decidedly not.

My dad dives double steels, in a wetsuit, with no BCD, and no SPG. That's old school, too. That doesn't make it a good idea.