So What’s Wrong…?

Is there anything wrong with an out-of-air diver simply coming up to you and taking your extra second stage without either signalling or waiting for it to be passed? Of course not. If you could count on out-of-air divers doing this all the time, it would be great.

• The out-of-air diver would have the benefit of getting a second stage with a slightly longer hose, making sharing air easier.
• The diver with air would not have to remove his regulator from his mouth in order to donate air.

It is a procedure so simple and so obvious, it requires little in the way of practice. The problem is, you can’t count on out-of-air divers doing this all the time.

• As often as not, out-of-air divers will simply come up to you, give the “I need air” signal and wait for you to respond.
• Sometimes, an out-of-air diver won’t even bother to signal or wait for you to pass a second stage. He will simply take the one second stage he knows is working: The one in your mouth. It happens.

You need to be ready for either occurrence. You need to be ready for the fact that, while you can most likely go without air long enough to locate an extra second stage and begin breathing from it, the out-of-air diver may need air right now, and can’t afford to wait.

The benefits »