Minimum Gas & Lost Deco Gas

[Ricky Cantley]

You might.

[The Duck]

Ok, just throwing a semi-random thought into the mix:

I've just dug out my old PADI Open Water manual (it may well be out of date since it was some time since I did it ), and it shows the nice triangle for where to look for an occi, to quote "... the triangle formed between your chin and the lower corners of your rib cage." This is accompanied by a nice little picture of a triangle superimposed on a dive in a near vertical attitude.

Now I'm not sure about anyone else, but unless the OOG dive in approaching me from underneath then most of this area is not going to be visible to them as I'll be horizontal (ish! ). Therefore the only regs that they will see are the one in my gob, or if they approach from the left side and I've got a stage(s) on, one of my stage regs. However as my stages are switched off unless they are in use (when the reg will be in my mouth - hey see a pattern emerging )they aren't going to get a lot of gas out of this/those.

If they are reasonably calm and signal for gas (as is the case when it happened to me [1]) they can get given the gas source they can see [2]. If not and they take the one gas source they can see, well it's not an issue as I've got my back up under my chin.

Make of those thought what you will, but I personally think it's a good idea to primary donate.

If you don't, no problem, I'll still dive with you

[1] somewhat bazaar incident in which an OOG diver swam up to me while on deco, literally out of the blue (well, murky green) and signaled OOG. It turned out his buddy had a rapid and he'd incurred much more deco than planned - mainly due to being narked and hunting for a shot that was not there.

[2] this is assuming that it's clipped where it should be and not trailing loosely behind, along with the contents gauge, as if forgotten about (and it probably has been) - which I have seen numerous times.

[Mark Chase]

Terry - there is little point you and I disagreeing over primary donate being taught - we've done it all before. However, bearing in mind that my students each do a minimum of four donations on each class (normally more) and the fact that I have now taught around 100 fundamentals students, I've seen 4 - 500 s drills as an instructor plus another 1,000 or so as intern and GUE diver.

Now - we are talking about GUE teaching new divers here so my experience as a GUE instructor is valid. Not once in that time has any student had to take the regulator from his buddies mouth. If there is a delay in donation for any reason then I donate - I assure you I'm a quicker option than taking a reg from anyone and I'm very, very aware of potential issues when teaching donation to any diver - experienced or otherwise.

To be honest what actually happens is that if a student is not offered a reg he returns to his own gas supply. that is the point of training is it not - there is no gas shortage.

I have been known when unsure as to the reaction, offered myself up as buddy for donations to fine tune the hand over skills. If, after practice, a student is unable to donate gas then they do not pass the class - no discussion.

Personaly I was taught PADI and the Octo system. I have witnessed incidents where the octo system has failed miserably due to stupid clipping systems and badly located regs. This is a training failure IMHO as there is not strict standardisation in the mounting and positioning of the Octo. Obviously this is by necessity as there is also no strict standards covering design of BCD and harness.

Long before I knew DIR existed I adopted the long hose and knecklaced reg aproach. I just copied another diver who i respected.

I found it to be instantly obvious and that it didnt need much in the way of complex mentel retraiing to make it second nature.


My overwhelming opinion of the long hose and knecklaced reg system is that it will work with any rig. Reguardless of the design of the BCD the long hose and knecklace will work.

Long hose will work if the donation is smooth and calm and it will work if the diver in distress rips the reg out of your mouth as well as getting to your secondary is instinctive and easy.

So ironicly it would be much better employed by a diving organisation with no strict standards in other areas related to donation. And it is better suited to divers with low skill levels such as ocasional and holiday divers.


Why are 10,000,000 dives carreid out with an octo system and no drama if the system is wrong? Simple because OOA isnt that comon and the one thing guided dives do quite well is monitor gas.


ATB

Mark