Hi Mark:

Bungee cord and cable ties are about the cheapest pieces of dive gear you
can ever buy.  Do what the rest of us do.  Get some extra material and fool
around with it until you find what fits for you and your diving style.

I like my backup regulator tighter around my neck so that it doesn't fall
across my face when I dive inverted or end up tangled up with my BC inflator
or something.  I like it to stay under my chin.  My buddies and I also like
them tighter so that we can use the necklace around the back of the neck to
actually hold the regulator firmly in place if you have a toxing or
convulsing diver that won't hold onto his regulator.  Mine is just right so
that if I pull the necklace up around the back of my head it will stay in
place.  This sort of thing isn't really a concern in recreational diving.

I don't worry about what's comfortable against my neck because I always wear
a drysuit and hood.  I never notice the backup reg when I'm diving.

-Kent-

> -----Original Message-----
> From: SouthEast US Scuba Diving Travel list
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Mark Goldsmith
> Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 6:29 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [SCUBA-SE] Octo Necklace
>
>
> Thanks Kent...I think I'll go with the method in the photo it is
> as you say
> elegant.  You haven't had any problems with the octo getting in your way
> while bending your neck, or obstructing your vision.  I will be at REI on
> Monday and will check out the shock cord vs surgical tubing...thanks again
> Mark
>
> In a message dated 7/25/2002 6:20:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> > First, the necklace material.  I've seen people use both heavy and light
> > gauge surgical tubing and nylon shock cord.  Surgical tubing is used up
> > here
> > in Alaska for making halibut jigs so all the sporting goods stores have
> > rolls of it in different gauges that you can buy by the foot.
> I like the
> > heavier gauge tubing as it is less prone to tearing.  But it is
> also harder
> > to fasten to the regulator so that's the trade off.  Either
> seems to work.
> > Another alternative is nylon shock cord.  Backpacking stores
> like REI have
> > this stuff in different colors and gauges. The size of shock
> cord that is
> > used inside backpacking tent poles to hold the poles together is about
> > right
> > for diving.  You want the shock cord to be stretchy enough that you can
> > easily pull it over your head but you don't want it so flimsy
> that it will
> > break.
> >
> > As for the tubing length.  It should be just long enough so that you can
> > comfortably pull the necklace over your head without stretching it too
> > much.
> > Any longer and the regulator will dangle down farther than it
> needs to.  If
> > you have the necklace sized perfectly and positioned perfectly on the
> > mouthpiece you can reach down and grab the regulator with your teeth so
> > that
> > you can go to your backup regulator without using any hands.  But that's
> > not
> > something you really need to worry about unless you are doing
> cave diving
> > through restrictions or something like that.
> >