Is a long hose cumbersome on dive boats?

[Fastmarc]

... and I've switched my 2nd stage covers around so my primary has a yellow cover

I've been considering doing this. Is this the normal recommended practice with primary donate?

 

[Storker]

I've been considering doing this. Is this the normal recommended practice with primary donate?

I have no idea. But since PADI teaches their students to look for the yellow reg I figured it couldn't hurt

 

[markmud]

Cool - but this was in a teaching environment with two divers at the same level. Moving on from this and in the real world , how might you react when diving on a vacation with a strange diver. Great you have them on your long hose, now what?

Same question I asked to Storker? about control of a less experienced diver?

Hi DD,

I am not an instructor or a DM, nor would I ever be one. I am glad for those who are (you). It is not for me.

I try very hard to avoid diving with newbs. Newbs are your business, not mine.

When newbs are present, I allow the pros to help them as I am not a pro and not trained to teach people how to dive.

I dive with experienced divers or I go solo.

My diving avocation is for me and my wife mainly, and my experienced diver friends.

thanks,
markm

 

[markmud]

In any case, I always make sure during the pre-dive chat that my buddy knows which reg I'll donate, and I've switched my 2nd stage covers around so my primary has a yellow cover

Hi Storker,

Your quoted text above is also part of my routine. I don't have color coded second stages though. Mine are black.

markm

 

[markmud]

Just curious, have any of you more experienced diver actually experienced or seen this happen?
I've often seen this said, but wonder if it is the most common reaction of an OOA diver.

Hi fastmarc,

I have not witnessed an OOA situation. I try to dive with experienced people.

My instructor told me that that is what happens usually. He is not an IDC instructor-mill guy. He is the real deal. My OW instructor was a commercial diver before becoming a PADI instructor. He said the same thing. I am taking their word for it.

cheers,
markm

 

[Ayisha]

I'd ascribe that to operator error, AKA Id-10-T error. For any gear configuration, the diver should familiarize themself with their gear and run enough drills that operating the gear becomes second nature.

Absolutely agree. Divers should train with the gear they're using and practice drills regularly. The training should preferably include task-loading, such as doing an s-drill while maintaining depth or while ascending at a safe rate completing all stops and deploying a dSMB. That is how I and many divers trained and practicing is necessary to not have skills fade.

Grabbing someone's bungied second is like grabbing someone's reg from their mouth. It can happen. If it's short, it will be more of an inconvenience to the grabber. We teach/learn primary donate with a long hose, not primary take.

 

[Diving Dubai]

My diving avocation is for me and my wife mainly, and my experienced diver friends.

As it should be, but my question is still valid as a thought process for you and discussion. What if you were diving in a group and you were the nearest diver to an inexperienced OOA?

What I'm really interested in is the fact that the chances of having to assist an OOA diver are incredibly small and yet you're choosing to use a long hose on Rec dives (I know you're tec trained but don't do tec diving with any regularity so am ignoring that fact)

Cheers as always DD

 

[Ayisha]

...I would suggest that my choice of 2 x 40" hoses is over complicated for most. I use it because it allows me to position a diver on either my left or my right depending on the site. So it's optimized to my actual environment and needs rather than just adopting a solution I've read about

That s-curve formed with a standard hose length octopus when donating to a low- or OOG diver is quite a nuisance. The only way that works well is during a face-to-face ascent. I donated several times back in the day, sometimes to someone who wasn't even my buddy. We had to make our way back to an ascent line with them on my octopus with my reg feeling like it would pull out of my mouth any second, so I held it in my mouth and the other hand on the OOG diver. It made it so clear to me that a long hose was the way to go.

You're also using longer hoses, you're just making them your own length.

 

[Ayisha]

...If you are with someone of less experience who's reactions to an incident are less predictable, then what? Can you maintain direct control of them when they're at the end of a 60' hose. Can you be close enough to provide reassuring contact and where necessary take physical control...

In training with a long hose, you still start out face to face. You then make your way while making contact with the receiver toward your exit, whether that's a direct ascent or to and up an ascent line. So yes, you are close to provide reassuring contact and be able to take physical control.

The only time that a receiver would be at any distance is if there is somewhere you would have to go single file, which implies that both divers should be trained and comfortable in that environment.

 

[Diving Dubai]

That s-curve formed with a standard hose length octopus when donating to a low- or OOG diver is quite a nuisance. The only way that works well is during a face-to-face ascent. I donated several times back in the day, sometimes to someone who wasn't even my buddy. We had to make our way back to an ascent line with them on my octopus with the octopus feeling like it would pull out of my mouth any second, so I held it in my mouth and the other hand on the OOG diver. It made it so clear to me that a long hose was the way to go.

I entirely agree. Although in my opinion the standard hose length is a decent compromise for the new diver, offering usability without having to deal with a longer hose on their rigs, when generally they are overwhelmed by all the new equipment as it is. If of course you're able to give a longer and more in depth introductory training then you are able to overcome both of these issues.

You're also using longer hoses, you're just making them your own length.

Yup you got me. In my case I do use long hose in the tradition sense on my SM - because that rig is configured for the overheads I partake in. Similarly for teaching OW I use a BCD with standard hose, and for other diving I'm at 40".

What I wanted to do is get people to consider that there isn't a perfect rig for all types of diving. Each has its own pro's and cons, and before embarking down a route one should fully consider the implications of that decision., rather than just blindly adopting a configuration.