Introduction Which Attachments? Which Buoyancy Compensator? Which Computer/ Dive Timer? Which Compass? Which Contents Gauge? Which Dive Bag? Which Fins? Which Knife? Which Mask? Which Reel? Which Regulator? Which Snorkel? Which Surface Marker Buoy? Which Suit and Options? Which Tanks? Overview - Which Single Cylinders? - Which Pony Cylinders? - Which Twin Sets? - Which Deco/ Stage Tank? - Which Argon System? Which Torch? - Which Back-up Torch? - Which Main Torch? Which Watch? Which Weight System?	Marking Template for EAN50 Marking Template for O2 Modifying AP Valve SMB's Modifying Other Style SMB's What Do I Need to Make My Own B'C'?	Introduction Modified Valve Drill Valve Drill Modified S-Drill S-Drill Switching to Deco Bottle

One area in particular which demands very serious consideration by every diver, is that of which regulator to donate in an Out Of Gas (OOG) scenario - Different schools teach different things for better or for worse, which has resulted in a far from consistent approach and you never really know what is going to happen even if you follow the traditional "buddy check"...you wouldn't be the first person to face a panicked out of gas diver underwater who you have never seen before in your life, particularly on some of the more regularly dived sites where six or more dive boats can congregate at a time.

So what do you do in this situation? Basically there are two schools of thought - Give the Primary Regulator in your mouth OR Give the Back-up Regulator which you bought specially just in case. To compare the two:

Giving the Back-Up Regulator Basic Principle			Giving the Primary Regulator Basic Principle
The theory is that you don't want the "Rescuer" to remove his Regulator when he is going to have enough to deal with, managing an OOG Diver, so instead you give the so-called "octopus".			The basic concept is that you want to get a working gas supply to the OOG Diver as quickly as possible by giving the regulator you are breathing - the first breath being the most important one.
Advantages			Advantages
	Rescuer doesn't have to remove his regulator			It keeps it simple. If the regulator in the mouth is always donated then the OOG diver always knows where it is coming from.
	Appropriate to raw trainees who are unfamiliar with very basic skills			OOG diver and rescuer always knows where to find the regulator quickly and easily
				OOG diver can see it working as he approaches and has confidence that it will deliver gas promptly
				The first breath is the most important one to alleviate any stress and panic so it must work
				The rescuer is the best placed person to retrieve the backup (it's his gear so he should know where it is!)
				Rescuer needs to be prepared to give the regulator in the mouth - a panicking diver may just take it anyway!
				You want to give the best performing regulator, which is generally the one being breathed
Disadvantages			Disadvantages
	The spare regulator may not be immediately to hand - the rescuer may have to take time to find it, particularly if it has become dislodged or is stored in a less than obvious location delaying donation to the OOG Diver			Rescuer may be left with a non-working regulator, but as the least stressed diver he is the best placed to find that the first breath doesn't work and fix it or resort to buddy breathing
	Spare regulators are stored in different locations, so the OOG diver never really knows where it is coming from particularly in a stressful situation when the earlier buddy check may be forgotten			Rescuer must be well versed in regulator removal and replacement - as a basic scuba skill, this should not be an issue
	No surety that it will work - it may have unknowingly become blocked with silt etc if poorly located/not recently checked

In theory an OOG diver should always signal that he needs gas and then be promptly handed a regulator. Unfortunately all too often a distraction, poor buddy skills or a lack of regular training can mean that signals aren't seen or are met with a blank look.

Whichever way you dive - be prepared to lose the regulator in your mouth, whether by choice, if it should be knocked out or even grabbed by an over-enthusiastic OOG diver when his survival instinct kicks in - experience has shown that a panicked or OOG diver will frequently take the most easily obtainable supply of gas, even when that is the one in your mouth, particularly if there is any kind of delay. He is probably already out of breath from swimming to you and you can't always rely on the luxury of a hand signal and them just sitting there waiting for you to pass what he needs to survive! If only life were like all those pool sessions...

Irrespective of which of the above two schools you fall into, it is essential that any spare gas supply/regulator to be breathed (including the back-up/octopus):

• Be easily found and retrieved
• Cannot be at risk of being silted up/dragged in the dirt etc
• Cannot purge away un-noticed
• Be checked regularly both before and during the dive

Afterall, you may be the one who is deprived if it isn't easily to hand, planned or not! Stuffing the regulator in a BCD pocket is not the way to go, whichever way you look at it.

Increasingly back-up regulators are bungied just beneath the chin, this is an easy and cheap option worthy of consideration.

Something which is worth consideringin OOG scenarios is the use of torch signals to indicate a problem at an earlier stage, particularly the newer powerful HID type lights. Wildly flashing it from side to side will indicate a problem and your buddy can then be ready and swimming towards you at a much earlier stage than would otherwise be the case, regulator in hand. Of course you shouldn't be too far from each other anyway...although the time and effort to swim with all that equipment is all too easily under-estimated!

Ideally there would be a consistent approach to this issue across the entire sport, but unfortunately that is very unlikely to happen any time soon. So in the mean time make an informed decision and be prepared in case someone just grabs the one out of your mouth one day whilst you are focussing on that pretty little nudibranch...

There are two drills written up within this site which cover the procedure for donating the regulator you are breathing:

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