Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
on 6/24/01 6:39 PM, Dogtrner1@ao*.co* at Dogtrner1@ao*.co* wrote: > > It has only one pass around my neck. Just as you describe---only without the > canister light, using a waist pouch on my bc. For whatever reason, it does > tighten up around the right side of my neck, periodically. > Karla, Kudos for starting this thread - great information being shared here:-) During the last few years of putting long hoses on students, i've noticed that many initially have the same objection to "something around their neck" as you do. Routing is key here, down along the BP and across the chest - nowhere near the neck. It also seems that when there's something to anchor it around, like a canister light or even (ugh i hate this one) a knife sheath, the hose seems to stay in place much better. If there's nothing to anchor around, the hose must be long enough to slide down into the front of the cummerbund if the diver is using a recreational BC. If the hose is not strategically placed, it will float up as you mention. Hose length is critical, too. Last week, we took care of the same issues you are having by putting a 7-ft hose on a diver instead of a 5 ft. It was It was just the right length on him then, and stayed in the right place. He was diving a new BP, and just getting him properly routed made him very happy and comfortable. As Mike mentioned, there really is nothing around your neck. Is something tugging the reg from your mouth from behind your head, causing the tight feeling? Could that be from water tugging at the hose as it floats away from your body? Once you get the hose lying close against your chest and on your left shoulder, that will stop. I find this a bit tricker to accomplish with an H-valve setup than with a manifold. You dive a single 120, not? How is it configured? Do you notice a difference with doubles and a manifold? It sounds like you are diving a rec BC? What kind? What options do you see for routing? Is the waist pack rigid and stable enough to hold the hose in place or does it seem to wobble a bit? I watched "stuffing" divers in a class doing OOA drills. It's a proverbial CF. I'm sure there is someone out there who can do it smoothly, but i haven't seen them yet. Re-stuffing as you mention is not an issue if there is an actual OOA situation. But what about doing a drill? It's habit for me on every dive to breathe each reg for a few min. I will enter the water with my primary, then as i descend i will switch to my octo, and once on the bottom go back to my primary. If i have to do a tie-in or other work at the beginning, i will postpone this til i am swimming leisurely at some point. Still, it would necessitate re-stuffing. Doing a drill with a dive partner, which i prefer to do early in the dive, also would require re-stuffing. It's so easy and smooth to switch regs when you are wrapped comfortably. Also, when with students at any level, i must be able to stick a working reg in someones mouth at any given second. A stuffed hose would take a few seconds and that is not acceptable. Both my primary and secondary are the same kind of second stage. Whatever I am breathing, it has to be the best. I know what you mean about the He in your mix, too. I am convinced that people have different tolerance levels and we need to pay attention to how we feel. I asked a few divers about this last week, as well as their perceived tolerance for narcosis. I didn't speak to anyone who dives mix who didn't have a story about the first time they dove their favorite deeper wreck on trimix instead of air - and how clear the dive was...... *, who dove a *new* wreck in Lake Erie last week :-) > << 1. The long hose is the one you donate. If you stuff it somewhere, > when an OOA diver needs it, he's going to have to spend critical time > looking for it; if he panics, he's going for the one *all* divers > always have in the same familiar place, your mouth. Now you're OOA > too.>> > > I still use my long hose, even if stuffing, I have my reg bungied around my > neck. > > << 2. If the stuffed hose deploys somehow (a practice drill or it snags > something) your buddy is unlikely to know how to restuff it properly > and while wearing your gear, it will be difficult for you to restuff > yourself. If this happens inside a wreck, the ensuing silt-out will > further complicate things.>> > > Good point. > > <<3. Ultimately, logic dictates where the noses should be. The backup > short hose should be around your neck on a short bungee. This way, > it's *always* there. That reg is the one that will save your life > someday and you shouldn't compromise on having it unconditionally > always available to you. In order for the regulator you donate to > be quickly and immediately visible and accessible to your OOA buddy, > it has to be someplace that *never* changes, that's your mouth. > Keeping it there allows the OOA diver to find it by just looking at > you and when you donate it (or have it ripped from your mouth) you > simply switch to the bungeed one and life goes on. Any other > arrangement defies logic, IMO.>> > > Again, even if you use your long hose, tho stuffed, and have your other reg > bungied? > > Not trying to be arguementative, just trying to learn. > > I do agree that re-stuffing is a problem. However, it is moot point in an > OOA situation, because your butts should be getting out of the water.Right? > > > > << I see you're in Ft. Lauderdale, as am I. Why don't you check out > the AUE dive calendar and join us for a few local dives. Watch how > we rig our gear and see why it works in the water. Ask questions and > get suggestions from us. We dive *all the time* all over Florida > from easy fun dives on the Hydro Atlantic to demanding very deep ocean > and cave dives and we're very successful at it due in part to the > way we rig our gear.>> > > Once I finish my class, we can talk about it. Right now, I am kinda taking a > break from the deep stuff. > > Change of subject: We did the Lorrance about 3 weeks ago, and I have > absolutely no recollection of the dive once I hit 140 on the line. I got > down to that depth, htought "Shit theres a current down here" and don't > remember anything until I switched over to my travel gas at 120, back on the > line. I was with my instructor. He said that I did fine. Checked all my > gauges, motioned to him that I was iffy on being ok when asked, and motioned > that I was ready to go after about 10 minutes. > But still no memory of the dive. I was on Helium. 21/30. My depth on > that dive was 185. Totally narced out my mind. > > Since then we have upped the helium to 35-40, and no problems, but that was > kinda freaky. We did the Renegade the next weekend---went to 198. No > problems, so that should remedy it. > > But it's time for a break. I had to call the Hydro and the Clinton the other > day. Ripping currents. I ended up doing the Clinton---sort of, the line got > hung up on the Miller, and I drifted into the wrect to retrieve it. That was > a nice dive. Too bad we don't have any 150ft reefs in this area:) > > Anyway, unless something special comes up, I am not doing another tech dive > until probably August. Will do the Miller, or the Guy, but those aren't that > deep. Plus, have done the Miller about 10 times. > > I have been with the Brownies guys on the Tonto many times. I think that > they are amazed that I can do a 20 minute dive on the Miller with a 120 and > pony:) And still have 2000psi in the 120 at the end of the dive:) We > womem...See, I have a philosophy. Those with more brain cells need less > oxygen......Only kidding! VBG > > Later, > Karla > > > -- > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]