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Question about air sharing (slrpnk.net)

submitted 1 month ago by The_Terrible_Humbaba@slrpnk.net to c/scuba@mander.xyz

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Would you share the main stage, or the secondary stage?

I just got my open water certification from SSI, and I think I remember my manual saying you should share the main stage, and use the secondary yourself - also called the octo, I think? But when I dived with my instructor, she taught me to share the secondary.

My instructor is certified under both SSI and PADI (maybe others), and when I looked it up I did see some people mention that sharing the secondary/octo is the PADI way, and sharing the main is the SSI way. Is that true?

Which way were you taught? Which would you do? If you're an instructor, which way do you teach? And more importantly, why?

To me, how my instructor taught me makes the most sense, because what you hear in most rescue situations is that you have to make sure you are safe first so you can be in a position to help; so it follows that you should keep breathing out of your main and share the secondary (instead of interrupting your breathing to switch).

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[–] elucubra@piefed.social 1 points 2 days ago

Primary is the stage attached to the tank, HP (high pressure) Secondary, LP (low pressure) the one(s) you put in your mouth. The octopus is an extra secondary, as backup, or to share.

The octopus should have a plug or shroud, to keep it free of debris.

It's a good idea to give it a short purge before diving, to test.

The octopus (usually but not always) yellow is the one to share 1st, and if that fails, buddy breathe with your own.

The octopus should be held by a clip on your BCD, or in the absence of a hose clip, tucked in a shoulder strap making a loop. Free octopuses are not a good idea for several reasons, like debris, you can't see if it's open or bubbling, it can snag, etc.