to clip or not to clip?

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Originally Posted by BoneDoc

I think my deco instructor would say that you are preparing for a problem that should never exist in the first place.

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Which is what? Lost gas?

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If you are all using the same gas and doing the same dive, why does it matter which team members bottle you or anyone else in your team picks up?

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Swapping bottles could transmit Cooties.

Assuming everyone used the same bottles, same rigging and same reg, it would make no difference. But add an odd stage rigging, an odd reg or mouthpiece (sea cure, etc) then it starts to become more of a problem.

More practically, if we are moving in line as a team, and we drop as a team, we are all removing tanks at the same time and placing them so we can all pick them back up at the same time - it ends up being a real time saver going in and coming back out.

Finally, to get nit-picky, I have analyzed my gas, and while I assunme you analyzed yours and may have even watched you do it, I'm never 100% sure what is in your tank. Consider it an "O2 Cootie" issue.

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Originally Posted by BoneDoc

If you are all using the same gas and doing the same dive, why does it matter which team members bottle you or anyone else in your team picks up?

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Well...if you can't identify your bottle how would you know if it's a bottle from your team?

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Originally Posted by BoneDoc

I think my deco instructor would say that you are preparing for a problem that should never exist in the first place.

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My deco instructor taught us this stuff. Better to know how to do it and never need it.
It's not that hard to identify your bottle purely by touch.

Get to know your regulator by feel, first and second stage.

Do you double up the 6 or 9-inch HP hose and tie it back to the first stage or do you let it hang straight?

How are your bungees set up, how many bungees? Are they cut out of a big inner tube forming one big fat rubber band or did you use a thinner inner tube and cut it to length. When I lived in cold water wreck country, we left a tail on the bungee so we could stow hoses with dry gloves. Did you use cable ties on the bungees or cave line; maybe just tied a big knot in them, maybe you’re using fabricated bungees like the Dive Rite.

Big bolt snaps on your rigging or small? Maybe you use butterfly clips or sucide clips.

Is it a steel cylinder or aluminum? Boot or no boot...

The list goes on, it's not that hard.

A number of times during our training we had to follow a line back to our stage and or deco bottles blind, identify them blind, but them on and swim on. The instructor actualy mixed them up on us.

I got it right EVERYTIME. Even when another team member grabbed one of my cylinders and clipped it off to his rig, I was able to convice him he had the wrong one and we swithced...all the time blind.

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Originally Posted by BoneDoc

why does it matter which team members bottle you or anyone else in your team picks up?

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I won't breathe off any second stage but a Clear G-250.

Oh, and the cooties answer, too.

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Originally Posted by floridabob

I use an uncommon mouthpiece to keep mine easy to ID in little or no viz. No extra stuff necessary.
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Is this it ??

http://www.newparent.com/wp-content/...er-210x139.jpg

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Originally Posted by DA Aquamaster

Swapping bottles could transmit Cooties.
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Only if you are diving with girls.

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Originally Posted by Line Squirrel

Well...if you can't identify your bottle how would you know if it's a bottle from your team?

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You mean a cave or cavern full of stage bottles or deco tanks is not like the propane tank exchange thing at Walmart?

Crap....I was really wanting a clear G250...