Left Routed Secondary

[*dave*]

Primary over the right shoulder and secondary over the left shoulder. I've seen a couple rigs configured this way now. When I've asked the divers using this configuration why, each has told me "that's how they told me to do it". "They" being their original LDS.

In the absence of an acceptable explanation, I can only speculate on the logic being the secondary can be deployed with the left while the primary is being donated with the right. A secondary reason might be consistency with AAS configurations.

Since both divers using this configuration were SSI, I'll call the mother ship at some point and see what they have to say, but thought I'd throw the question out here.

Why route the secondary over the left shoulder?
Is one routing better than another?

 

[rongoodman]

It seems to be a popular thing with the British divers. I thin the reason is to avoid a hose twist when donating an octo mounted on the right.

 

[*dave*]

It seems to be a popular thing with the British divers. I thin the reason is to avoid a hose twist when donating an octo mounted on the right.

Thant makes sense, but I'm wondering how that would work if you had to use your own secondary.

You would also need two different seconds or a reg that can feed from left or right. Some are bi-directional, but most aren't. I'd consider a fixed left handed reg a bit of problem, as I am a firm believer in standardization. My secondary developed a leak at the start of a dive a few weeks ago, but I was able to swap it out with a second from a stage bottle while I was in the water. That wouldn't have worked, were the secondary left routed and left fed.

I've added a second question to the OP, asking if one routing is better than another.

 

[fnfalman]

NASDS also taught this technique.

When you mount your octo on the left side and deploy it to the other dive, there's less kink on the hose.

And no, one routing is neither beter nor worst than the other. Rig your gear up the way you want it to rig up and train with your gear so that you won't have to fumble comes emergency.

 

[*dave*]

NASDS also taught this technique.

I was originally certed NASDS and all secondaries were right routed where I was trained. I'll have to check the Jeppesen(sp?) manual and see if was described as an option. I'd never heard of left routing till I saw a diver rigged this way.

I believe it's not an agency thing, at least not with PADI, SSI, NASDS or NAUI.

 

[Cave Diver]

Primary comes off the right side so that if you're in an overhead environment and contact the ceiling the post wont roll off. In an OOA situation with another diver, if you're exiting in single file, you dont want the diver in front of your getting his air shut off and panicking, blocking your exit.

If your secondary rolls off, you're breathing off it, so you know and it's an easy fix.

IMO, it also makes donating easier and you have less loop from your secondary hose hanging outside the slipstream.

While this may not be important to non-overhead divers, I prefer to keep my configuration the same for OW and OE dives.

 

[*dave*]

Primary comes off the right side so that if you're in an overhead environment and contact the ceiling the post wont roll off. In an OOA situation with another diver, if you're exiting in single file, you dont want the diver in front of your getting his air shut off and panicking, blocking your exit.

If your secondary rolls off, you're breathing off it, so you know and it's an easy fix.

Great logic, but this is the Basic SCUBA section and I don't think it's all that relevant in that context. I'm referring to single tank diving.

 

[Cave Diver]

Great logic, but this is the Basic SCUBA section and I don't think it's all that relevant in that context. I'm referring to single tank diving.

Ooops. I'm too used to thinking in doubles logic and misread how you meant "over the left shoulder." I wondered why you put that in Basic Scuba.

I can't think of any really good reason to do this, is if the ports on the reg dont allow conventional routing.

 

[rcs9250]

Pure and simple it is to avoid the bend that occurs in the hose when deploying from the right side. The left is much smarter but getting the industry to switch will be interesting.
The way they route now is OK if the out of air diver yanks your out of your mouth and you deploy your secondary instead of getting in a fist fight with the other diver.
Some manufacturers make a secondary that is out the back end to make the hose come straight to your face from the front rather than the side.

 

[Lead_carrier]

I was originally certed NASDS and all secondaries were right routed where I was trained. I'll have to check the Jeppesen(sp?) manual and see if was described as an option. I'd never heard of left routing till I saw a diver rigged this way.

I believe it's not an agency thing, at least not with PADI, SSI, NASDS or NAUI.

The only time that I've ever seen that configuration taugh was by a NASDS instructor. The logic is that on a normally configured octo that the octo will be right side up on deployment, as long as the diver is directly in front of you.

Pure and simple it is to avoid the bend that occurs in the hose when deploying from the right side. The left is much smarter but getting the industry to switch will be interesting.
The way they route now is OK if the out of air diver yanks your out of your mouth and you deploy your secondary instead of getting in a fist fight with the other diver.
Some manufacturers make a secondary that is out the back end to make the hose come straight to your face from the front rather than the side.

I don't totally understand why it is smarter to deploy from the left. It might be more convenient for some. With today's low profile octos there is no upside down so either direction from either side is workable. No fist fight required.