Surgical tubing

[Al]

I like the idea of having my safety second stage hanging around my neck by a piece of surgical tubing but I have some questions about how to do it right.

1. Where can I get the surgical tubing, what type and size?
2. How far from my mouth should the second stage be when put on?
3. How should I secure the tubing to my “hockey puck” second stage? (bowline, square knot, tie wraps etc.)

Thanks for helping me ditch my "scum ball"!

[LKunze]

I prefer 1/8" bungee cord over surgical tubing for my backup reg. I attach the bungee via a fisherman's knot around the mouthpiece as shown in the link below. It stays on secure but can be removed without removing the zip tie on the mouthpiece.

[DRE]

Instead of surgical tubing I'd recommend bungee cord: it won't rot or break and is easier to knot.
There are a few different ways as to how to knot it - I personally put a knot at each end of the piece of cord and put it underneath the mouthpiece ziptie. As far as length is concerned, you should be able to grab the mouthpiece with your teeth without using your hands, which means it should hang closely around the neck. Avoid too long a cord, otherwise your backup reg will start interfering with your drysuit inflator and other equipment.

Hope this helps...

[Al]

I’d never heard of using a bungee cord - it sounds like an easy upgrade. Thanks for the great ideas!

I love the animated knots - I'm practicing with my mouse cord...
:

[tcjtn0]

Agreed on the bungie. After I stated using this setup , I found it so easy to switch from pri to sec and back again...
And I thought I would be bothered by having my "Hockey Puck(!!!???)" right under my chin. But it has turned out to be no bother at all !!!!

HOCKEY PUCK??? Now thats a new one !!!
I think I know what the "Scum Ball" is...(Secondary reg keeper , is it not???)

Thanks...Jean ;D

[Al]

I guess I read too much online jabber and don't do enough real diving!

Yeah I thought the ball type secondary reg keeper would be great but I had a real hard time shoving my mouth piece into it while the ball was frozen (ice diving).

The bungee idea seems so much simpler...

However now with the mouth piece exposed and facing up, do you get more free flows?

[jasondbaker]

My first couple years diving I was always annoyed by my backup reg placement. I tried scum balls, clippes, retractors, you name it. None of them worked well. I was really happy after switching to the bungee neck mount. At first it seems a little strange because it is so close. But once you get in the water the reg stays out of the way.

I don't know of anyone experiencing freeflow problems with a properly tuned, sealed reg in this position. That being said I think my mouthpiece is usually pointed down anyway.

One thing to consider is that you will want to replace your backup hose with a shorter length hose. I think mine is around 22". The "standard" octo hose length is way too long for this mount.

The next step is to replace your primary hose with a 5-7' hose so you can share it with your buddy easier.

[beeger]

Ditto on the bungee cord. Surgical tubing would work in a pinch, but go for the bungee cord. Remember to burn the ends of the cord after you cut it.

Make sure you have that backup reg tuned "properly." Adjustable second stages are a beautiful thing, but are not necessarily needed. You might have to back it off a little to get it to behave, but it won't be a big deal. With an adjustable second stage, you can just tune it down on the fly. If you are comfortable with these types of things, maybe your friendly neighborhood technician can show you how to adjust it yourself so you can experiment a bit and get it just where you want.

[rudolph_medic]

Where would I find this elusive bungee cord that you speak of- I am not sure where you find the small bungee cord. I want to use it for my dive computer!

[JoelW]

REI sells it.

Joel