Just curious, how many of you, as a solo diver, still tote an octopus/safe second on your main tank regulator? And why if so?
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The Octopus Conundrum
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mick allein III
Contributor
I do only because I dive a BC with and air 2.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tony387
Contributor
I do ...as I don't want to change configuration when diving with my buddy.
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I always have a second secondary bungeed under my chin. Always. I see it as foolhardy to have only one secondary if solo diving.
Stupid things happen that will part you with your source of air. I was doing some advanced training under the ice a while ago and was supposed to move the flag in the little ice hole back and forth so shore support could record it as a find. I decided to be a wisea$$ and gave the flag a heave upward. Yep, it came back down in the hose loop of my secondary. ...I had (and always have) a backup bungeed at my throat. My choice, YMMV.
Solo diving and requesting assistance are two points that can never be on the same line...
Stupid things happen that will part you with your source of air. I was doing some advanced training under the ice a while ago and was supposed to move the flag in the little ice hole back and forth so shore support could record it as a find. I decided to be a wisea$$ and gave the flag a heave upward. Yep, it came back down in the hose loop of my secondary. ...I had (and always have) a backup bungeed at my throat. My choice, YMMV.
Solo diving and requesting assistance are two points that can never be on the same line...
Basking Ridge Diver
Contributor
I have my primary - my Air 2 and my slung pony... I removed my octo because I felt it was overkill for me and I did not want it hanging around. If I have an issue with my primary and my Air 2 or my pony are deployed - I am done and heading up. But that is me.
YMMV
YMMV
Yes...bungied around my neck.
1- Its what I'm used to. Its already setup. No reason to remove it.
2- Solo does not preclude you being able to help someone else that you might run into.
3- Failure of primary (slim as that might be)...there's a secondary right there.
4- I usually switch between them mid dive to make sure the secondary is up to speed (Back to familiarity with gear and assurance it works as expected).
1- Its what I'm used to. Its already setup. No reason to remove it.
2- Solo does not preclude you being able to help someone else that you might run into.
3- Failure of primary (slim as that might be)...there's a secondary right there.
4- I usually switch between them mid dive to make sure the secondary is up to speed (Back to familiarity with gear and assurance it works as expected).
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No diff. It is also a valid second secondary on your main tank/cylinder.
I don't. My pony second stage is where my alternate second stage would otherwise be. Viewed from the front, you can't tell. Viewed from the rear the pony is very evident, or lacking.
OP
Well, it is that time of year that I pile everything in the middle of my "dive shop" and pick out what I will use for the year. Last year I started out with no octopus/second on my main regulator and a slung pony with it's regulator, therefore fully redundant. Then about half way through the season, I went back to my old ways of no pony above 60 feet (arbitrary number that is flexible and dependent upon several factors).
This year I am considering an Air II type device to eliminate a hose for buddy diving and I may as well retain that for solo as it adds no particular clutter (nor redundancy). And this would be with or without my slung pony (depth/condition/whatever dependent). If I had only one set of regs or one SCUBA rig I would do differently but I, unfortunately, have many complete rigs and a huge assortment of gear collected over the years so I am not restricted in any way to a single rig or configuration but rig instead appropriate to the dive and my needs for that dive.
The other consideration is my camera, the pony, frankly, it gets in the way, no way around it. Is it a big deal, not really, but it is there and it can be in the way. Another is weight when walking, when one gets to be 60 plus, it does matter, no way around it. And, my typical cylinder for solo at sport diving depths is a 63 cf. I can have the same or greater bottom time with that size cylinder as do most with an 80 or larger, I simply do not need larger for most diving.
I did not expect a consensus and am not surprised there is not. I am pretty sure the SDI book for solo and the book Solo Diving do not call for an octopus as it does not provide redundancy or at best partial redundancy, that being supplied by an independent gas supply, however rigged (pony, independent doubles, doubles on an isolation manifold etc.).
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This year I am considering an Air II type device to eliminate a hose for buddy diving and I may as well retain that for solo as it adds no particular clutter (nor redundancy). And this would be with or without my slung pony (depth/condition/whatever dependent). If I had only one set of regs or one SCUBA rig I would do differently but I, unfortunately, have many complete rigs and a huge assortment of gear collected over the years so I am not restricted in any way to a single rig or configuration but rig instead appropriate to the dive and my needs for that dive.
The other consideration is my camera, the pony, frankly, it gets in the way, no way around it. Is it a big deal, not really, but it is there and it can be in the way. Another is weight when walking, when one gets to be 60 plus, it does matter, no way around it. And, my typical cylinder for solo at sport diving depths is a 63 cf. I can have the same or greater bottom time with that size cylinder as do most with an 80 or larger, I simply do not need larger for most diving.
I did not expect a consensus and am not surprised there is not. I am pretty sure the SDI book for solo and the book Solo Diving do not call for an octopus as it does not provide redundancy or at best partial redundancy, that being supplied by an independent gas supply, however rigged (pony, independent doubles, doubles on an isolation manifold etc.).
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I do have one rig with just a primary that I use for diving in a fairly shallow river. All the rest are conventional rigs.
I do have one rig with just a primary that I use for diving in a fairly shallow river. All the rest are conventional rigs.
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