Recreational OW diving with long hoses (or the 'usual' r/h hose routing) ...

[roydude]

To be honest, fully panicking diver probably won't have the rational thought to swim to you and grab your reg, chances are he'll just bolt.

If a diver isn't panicking he may still just ascend too quickly. I've seen a lot of divers with no problems at all just ascending way too quickly after a dive (which is insane to me, but it's just the reality of diving with basic divers sometimes). I wouldn't want to be dragged up by someone who's otherwise calm, but ascends too quickly with them out of reach.

 

[JohnN]

To be honest, fully panicking diver probably won't have the rational thought to swim to you and grab your reg, chances are he'll just bolt.

If a diver isn't panicking he may still just ascend too quickly. I've seen a lot of divers with no problems at all just ascending way too quickly after a dive (which is insane to me, but it's just the reality of diving with basic divers sometimes). I wouldn't want to be dragged up by someone who's otherwise calm, but ascends too quickly with them out of reach.

Roydude,

So why would you not "reel-in" your runaway diver? It would put you back in close contact and automagically slow the ascent.

IMHO the long hose benefits outweigh the liabilities

John N

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Why would you allow them to ascend to quickly with part of your air supply. Someone bolts and that mouthpiece is going to pop right off before I get dragged up at an unsafe speed.

The other thing a long hose set up, properly donated to an OOA or LOA diver does is calm them. It sends a clear message.

To see a diver remove a working reg from their mouth and confidently hand it to you says the following.

"Here, this is a working regulator. Take it. I am going to help you and everything is ok."

Whereas the BS way I was shown initially in my OW class of opening your arms and allowing the OOA or LOA diver to take a reg that may or may not be easily located in the so-called "golden triangle" says:

"You're out of air? Holy crap. I hope you can find something to breathe on me while I protect my air supply! Good Luck!"

WHich message do you want to convey or be conveyed?

 

[616fun]

To be honest, fully panicking diver probably won't have the rational thought to swim to you and grab your reg, chances are he'll just bolt.

If a diver isn't panicking he may still just ascend too quickly. I've seen a lot of divers with no problems at all just ascending way too quickly after a dive (which is insane to me, but it's just the reality of diving with basic divers sometimes). I wouldn't want to be dragged up by someone who's otherwise calm, but ascends too quickly with them out of reach.

Which is why the donating diver controls and communicates as the ascent occurs. You are right that a panicked diver won't normally go for the buddy, but the surface. I've ridden a panicked diver to the surface. Scary stuff. I used my face to keep her mask and reg in her mouth. One hand to 'hug' her, the other to dump air. I slowed her enough that our ride from 60' was safe.

Your attempt to say a long hose is dangerous really makes no sense. Every point you bring is overcome by understanding of the gear and basic rescue diver procedures. I don't recommend a rec diver buy long hoses and throws them into their rig without proper instruction, but I've yet to read anything that says a typical rec reg setup is any more reliable or more safe.

 

[UWRCN]

Why would you allow them to ascend to quickly with part of your air supply. Someone bolts and that mouthpiece is going to pop right off before I get dragged up at an unsafe speed.

The other thing a long hose set up, properly donated to an OOA or LOA diver does is calm them. It sends a clear message.

To see a diver remove a working reg from their mouth and confidently hand it to you says the following.

"Here, this is a working regulator. Take it. I am going to help you and everything is ok."

Whereas the BS way I was shown initially in my OW class of opening your arms and allowing the OOA or LOA diver to take a reg that may or may not be easily located in the so-called "golden triangle" says:

"You're out of air? Holy crap. I hope you can find something to breathe on me while I protect my air supply! Good Luck!"

WHich message do you want to convey or be conveyed?

+1

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[roydude]

Roydude,

So why would you not "reel-in" your runaway diver?

Pulling a diver towards me by a hose doesn't sound like the best idea to me.

 

[616fun]

Pulling a diver towards me by a hose doesn't sound like the best idea to me.

Neither does being close enough to get the reg in their mouth then letting them swim 5-7' from you....

 

[roydude]

Neither does being close enough to get the reg in their mouth then letting them swim 5-7' from you....

But isn't that what's suggested by the long hose? If they're calm and collected when they come for the donated reg (whichever long hose configuration you go for) you'll let them have the full 7' for comfort. Then you both start your ascent and he starts pulling you up. Not unlikely I wouldn't have thought and your only means of regaining control is to pull the regulator he's breathing from?

I guess all my issue boils down to is the advantage of having an OOA diver a long way away. With stage cylinders / peneration dives etc... I can see the clear advantage, but not in OW.

 

[Tortuga68]

But isn't that what's suggested by the long hose?

No

Long hose gives you more flexibility, not less control

 

[SeaCobra]

By donating my primary, and in my case the one on the long hose, I am ensuring I have given the stressed diver a fine working regulator. I know this because I just took a breath off of it. Also, since I know where it is, in my mouth, I do not have to fumble for it, thus expediting the process. The primary reason for the long hose (7') is so two divers can, while sharing air pass thru a restriction single file. It has the side benefit of giving you a little more elbow room.

Just because you are donating a long hose, it is no reason to get careless or sloppy. The same procedures apply; donate a working air source to the OOA diver while simultaneously switching to your alternate air source. Achieve physical contact, allow OOA diver to get a few breaths and collect themselves, exchange hand signals and begin safe ascent. The only real difference in the tech world is that instead of being face to face, you may be along the OOA diver's side or behind them, but contact is still maintained.