Practice reg retrievals at safety stop?

[Kevrumbo]

How's that?

I have my backup on a bungee necklace and my primary on a 40" hose. The 40" hose goes from the 1st stage, under my right arm, and to my mouth. It's not long enough to route under my arm and around the back of my neck. If I spit it out, it will be hanging down somewhere just like a "traditional" octo that comes loose.

Are you saying I should be running the 40" hose over my right shoulder and around my neck to my mouth?

Reconsider putting your primary reg back on a 7' hose and route it around the back of your neck. . . As you can see in the video, a properly configured long hose won't be hanging its full length "like a traditional octo that comes loose".

 

[boulderjohn]

I read the start of the thread and title as the "tank lift" and "arm sweep" reg retrievals that are only useful with the golden triangle abomination of a regulator setup.

There are two entirely different sets of recovery methods in play here, and you need to understand the difference before deciding on practicing them.

The first set are the two methods typically taught in the OW class, with the student kneeling on the floor of the pool. With the "lift" or "reach" method, the student learns to reach back with the left hand it lift the tank while reaching for the hose with the right hand. The left hand lift is only needed because the student is upright, and gravity is pulling the tank down and away. It makes the method very hard to do and requires practice. With the "sweep" method, the kneeling student learns to lean the body to the right, nearly falling over, while trying to retrieve a regulator that is dangling behind.

The second set of methods occurs when you are either actually diving or in a class where the instruction is done neutrally buoyant an in horizontal trim. With the reach method, there is no reason to lift the tank at all--gravity puts the hose right behind your ear, where it is easily reached. The recovery is absurdly easy. With the sweep method, leaning to the right is entirely different--it is more like an airplane tilting to make a turn. It really isn't necessary, because the regulator is usually right in front of you the entire time, and if not, that slight lean to the right will put it there. When in a horizontal diving pose, both regulator recovery methods are so easy that there is little point in practicing them.

So the question is, how are you doing your safety stop? If you are doing it in an upright position, then you are practicing silly procedures that you will probably never use on a dive, unless for some reason you plan to spend the dive kneeling on the bottom. If you are doing your safety stop in a diving posture (and most people don't), then you will find the skill so easy it is not worth practicing.

 

[stuartv]

Not "fear of," but rather, why should there be a need to learn the skill in the first place when there is an alternative configuration that obviates the whole issue?

Like using wireless AI and obviating the need to develop that skill of unclipping an SPG from the left waist D-ring, holding it up to read, then clipping it back in place?

 

[stuartv]

Reconsider putting your primary reg back on a 7' hose and route it around the back of your neck. . . As you can see in the video, a properly configured long hose won't be hanging its full length "like a traditional octo that comes loose".

I know. I use a 7' hose on my doubles regs. I was talking about the specific config tbone mentioned - a 40" hose being used for the primary.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Like using wireless AI and obviating the need to develop that skill of unclipping an SPG from the left waist D-ring, holding it up to read, then clipping it back in place?

I believe I smell a

Hey, I downloaded dives to an electronic log for the first time. Progress.

 

[gfaith]

@Lorenzoid you have been yanked into the future. Subsurface?

 

[divad]

I believe I smell a

What is this "stick-poker" you speak of?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Yes, Stuart likes to needle me about being a Luddite. I did indeed use Subsurface. I plan to post something about my experience transitioning to electronic logging in the near future, once I have played around with it some more. Off-topic for this thread.

 

[TMHeimer]

Only once in a while did I hear an instructor mention the (possible) first and easiest option being just use your octo. Though reg retrieval is IMO one of the easiest skills. No reason not to do it during a safety stop, or at any time--it only takes a few seconds. I haven't practiced it since quitting DMing, as I have a bungee cord attached to my PRIMARY and stretched around my head, should I ever go unconscious for any reason on my usual solo dives. Nothing's gunna knock that thing off--nobody ever around me here to fin kick me anyway.

 

[boulderjohn]

Only once in a while did I hear an instructor mention the (possible) first and easiest option being just use your octo. Though reg retrieval is IMO one of the easiest skills. No reason not to do it during a safety stop, or at any time--it only takes a few seconds. I haven't practiced it since quitting DMing, as I have a bungee cord attached to my PRIMARY and stretched around my head, should I ever go unconscious for any reason on my usual solo dives. Nothing's gunna knock that thing off--nobody ever around me here to fin kick me anyway.

I believe the regulator recovery methods that are still taught are holdovers from the pre-octo era. I require students to do them as required, but I also tell them that if I ever lose my primary, my alternate will be in my mouth in couple of seconds. Then I will go in search of the primary.