Regulator bungie for recreational diver

[MaxBottomtime]

I've had my backup reg bungeed this way for more than ten years. It has never come loose, nor has the mouthpiece been compromised in any way.

 

[Peter Guy]

a. Two different systems -- primary donate (where you donate the reg you are breathing and then YOU, the donating diver, use a "bungied backup" or and inline inflator/octo as YOUR secondary); or secondary donate, where you keep what you are breathing and donate the octo (typically on one's side, in the "triangle" of chin - sides of body).

b. IF you use a primary donate system, you need to have the hose on what you are breathing (your primary regulator) to be at least 36 inches (standard octo length). I've found that the 40 inch hose is the minimum you need with an angled connector to the regulator which allows you to run the hose under your right arm and up to the reg in your mouth. The secondary is bungied under your mouth.

c. Whether you use the slip knot system or zip tie or whatever, it needs to be able to come off without too much difficulty. My wife uses the slip knot system, I use the zip tie system (but it is NOT the zip tie that hold the mouthpiece). Both work when done properly.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Whether you use the slip knot system or zip tie or whatever, it needs to be able to come off without too much difficulty.

Why would you want it to come off?

 

[TSandM]

Because if something gets caught on it, you want it to release rather than spring back and clonk you in the teeth. And if you manage, as I all too often do, to take all your gear off in the water without remembering to remove the bungied backup, it's a lot easier if the mouthpiece comes out of the loop than it is to try to release the tension on the bungie so you can get it off over your head.

 

[DaleC]

I'm with max on this one. My bungee has been ziptied on with my mouthpiece zip since day one. I don't want the reg to come out easily as I figure that will be exactly the time I reach for it and find it's not there. I do occasionally forget to take it off when removing my rig (which is always good for a laugh) but slipping the bungee up over my fat head has never been a problem.

That's just my personal preference and it has worked reliably for me so far.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

This thread is not what I expected. I'm a little shocked that a) it's so controversial and b) that there is so much mis understanding of the bungeed backup reg as part of a larger system.

Donating the primary has a lot to be said for it, primarily in that it is consistent with what tends to really happen in an OOA situation, it's just "different" from the perspective of prior generation of OW instructors and cert agencies teaching donation of the octo on a 36" hose.

I think part of the reason it is so controversial is that people can get de-railed by only understanding part of a larger system.

The long hose can be 5', 6' or 7'. A seven foot hose will require the diver to stow the extra hose somewhere, and that generally requires a BC with a waistband where the hose can be tucked near the right hip. Most jacket style BCs don't accommodate that well, but most back inflates do and a BP/wing is perfect. A five foot hose routes under the arm like a seven foot hose but with out excess length that needs to be stowed. Six foot works well for larger chested or shouldered people who find a five foot hose to be just a bit short.

Using the bungee necklace without a long hose however is potentially problematic.

Any of the above hose lengths are easy to deploy by just grasping the reg by the hose/inlet fitting and taking the reg out of your mouth with your right hand, tilting the head forward, pulling the hose over your head and presenting the reg to the OOA diver with the mouthpiece facing the diver. You still control the reg, the purge is free for their use, it's facing them, and it's on a long hose and won't feel like it's about to be pulled out. Once squared away you can swim normally and make a normal ascent side by side.

One possible concern is that the hose could snag on the snorkel. But in practice, the hose is large enough and the snorkel mobile enough that it won't stay hung up long, and keeping the snorkel in a pocket when it's not in use eliminates the problem.

The purpose of the bungee is to make the back up reg easy to find and with practice and a proper length bungee, you can access it without the use of your hands.

However, it needs to be able to be pulled free in the event it is snagged on something or in the event an OOA diver grabs it instead. I prefer tying two slip knots in the bungee to create the loop for the mouthpiece, making it adjustable for both size and tension required to pull it free. You can get rubber bungees, but the length and the size of the loop are not adjustable. I'm not a bog fan of zip ties, but under no circumstances would I secure the bungee under the mouthpiece zip tie.

 

[idive2]

I've done the long hose thing and returned to the more standard configuration. Even the six foot hose was more than
I cared to deal with for my non-overhead recreational diving. I have a standard octo to donate and have my primary
bungied for my convenience. No sweep if I need to recover and no reg swinging randomly when exiting from a shore
or bridge dive. The bungied primary is bungied in such a way that it would pull loose if it was grabbed and my octo
is always there for me.

 

[oldflounder]

Do I put the bungie back on and enjoy the convenience, or leave it off?

I didn't want to reply to this but I can't resist. I think it depends upon the type of diving you usually do. Personally, I dive only recreational and, because of my local shore dive terrain, I am usually above 40'. For the convenience of it I use a surgical cord loop [from Lowe's] around my neck attached to a simple 2 hole snorkel keeper attached to primary [have air2]. It yanks off very easily and the surgical cord has a lot of stretch and would cut quickly if necessary. Depth and Tec are another story and I would probably have a secondary and/or pony as the Air2 would probably be hard to deal with for a prolonged period.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I'm going to take heat for this post, however after positioning a fire extinguisher nearby, I've decided to post and see how you feel about the issue. We have caver's here, DIR, Tek, recreational, etc. lots of divers, lots of opinions, and I welcome it.

I am a recreational diver, started in 1976, climbed out of the water in the 1980's to have a family and jumped back into the water in 2008. I am a drysuit diver in the Pacific Northwest, lots of gear, and I always stay as streamlined as possible.

I caught onto the idea of the regulator bungie after looking at the tek setups, and put about 50 dives on it and loved having it right where I needed it at all times, no arm sweeps. My LDS owner told me in no way could I wear the configuration in a class because it takes precious seconds to remove the reg over my head to donate to a buddy. I seconded his opinion and cut the thing off. I had used the elasticized cord, tied two knots and zip tied it to my reg. I enjoy the convenience, especially when on a long surface swim. I haven't put it back on, and after 30 dives without it, I miss the convenience. I don't have a spare octo for my buddy if I need to share air, I have to donate my primary and use my b/c for my air. When I do a pre dive buddy check, I show my buddy in the water how I remove the reg and donate it to them.

Do I put the bungie back on and enjoy the convenience, or leave it off?

I agree with the dive shop. What benefit are you deriving from having your one and only sharable regulator bungied around your neck? I love my bungied back up, but would not use it for the primary.. If you do want to use a bungi... then just make it so it will slip off the mouh piece with a firm tug, that has near zero chance to dislodge the mouthpiece.

 

[SangP]

This thread is not what I expected. I'm a little shocked that a) it's so controversial and b) that there is so much mis understanding of the bungeed backup reg as part of a larger system.

Donating the primary has a lot to be said for it, primarily in that it is consistent with what tends to really happen in an OOA situation, it's just "different" from the perspective of prior generation of OW instructors and cert agencies teaching donation of the octo on a 36" hose.

I think part of the reason it is so controversial is that people can get de-railed by only understanding part of a larger system.

The long hose can be 5', 6' or 7'. A seven foot hose will require the diver to stow the extra hose somewhere, and that generally requires a BC with a waistband where the hose can be tucked near the right hip. Most jacket style BCs don't accommodate that well, but most back inflates do and a BP/wing is perfect. A five foot hose routes under the arm like a seven foot hose but with out excess length that needs to be stowed. Six foot works well for larger chested or shouldered people who find a five foot hose to be just a bit short.

Using the bungee necklace without a long hose however is potentially problematic.

Any of the above hose lengths are easy to deploy by just grasping the reg by the hose/inlet fitting and taking the reg out of your mouth with your right hand, tilting the head forward, pulling the hose over your head and presenting the reg to the OOA diver with the mouthpiece facing the diver. You still control the reg, the purge is free for their use, it's facing them, and it's on a long hose and won't feel like it's about to be pulled out. Once squared away you can swim normally and make a normal ascent side by side.

One possible concern is that the hose could snag on the snorkel. But in practice, the hose is large enough and the snorkel mobile enough that it won't stay hung up long, and keeping the snorkel in a pocket when it's not in use eliminates the problem.

The purpose of the bungee is to make the back up reg easy to find and with practice and a proper length bungee, you can access it without the use of your hands.

However, it needs to be able to be pulled free in the event it is snagged on something or in the event an OOA diver grabs it instead. I prefer tying two slip knots in the bungee to create the loop for the mouthpiece, making it adjustable for both size and tension required to pull it free. You can get rubber bungees, but the length and the size of the loop are not adjustable. I'm not a bog fan of zip ties, but under no circumstances would I secure the bungee under the mouthpiece zip tie.

LOL a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing!