![]() By this time some of the other divers in the group had noticed the situation and had come over. I was thankful to discover that my octopus was working. I asked her to stay put while I checked my octopus - I wanted to avoid abandoning the dive for both of us if I could help it. Once I was able to stabilise my breathing, Brook asked if I wanted to surface. She gave me her primary regulator because her octopus was integrated with her BC inflator. I rushed to her while giving the out-of-air signal. I noticed Brook, a senior instructor and underwater photographer, about 15 feet away. “Look for the nearest person,” the voice said. If I had tried to inhale again, I could have sucked water, and as I was nearing panic, I could have drowned. Next I heard, “Hold your breath, and do not inhale,” which was a crucial piece of advice at that precise moment. “Look for your buddy,” a voice said, and I realised I was far from my buddy. My training kicked in, and I started to hear instructions in my mind in what felt like slow motion. I had always advocated to not trust the octopus (spare regulator) in case of a regulator failure because I would not know if it was the first or the second stage that had failed, so I followed my own advice. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, and panic crept in. I was more than 60 feet down and had no air, having just exhaled. I tried again and still couldn’t breathe. The conditions were so comfortable that we felt we could enjoy the scenery and stay close enough to occasionally check on each other.Ībout 10 minutes into the dive, my regulator completely cut out as I tried to inhale. Since people in the group had met for the first time on the boat, we had not yet developed buddy relationships. I reached the bottom within minutes, performed my routine checks, turned on my GoPro camera and continued my dive. Our group of eight experienced divers was looking forward to a site full of swim-throughs, with a maximum depth of 60 feet to 75 feet and pinnacles rising about 20 feet from the bottom. ![]() We started our afternoon dive in warm Fiji waters on a pleasant September day. The advice to not trust your alternate second stage if you are unable to breathe from your primary is not supported by DAN® or dive training agencies breathing from your octopus is the proper first step in this situation. Divers should establish relationships with their buddies, perform thorough predive safety checks and stay close to their buddies while underwater. Editor’s Note: This article includes actions and recommendations that are contrary to training agency standards and may be dangerous.
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