Shutting off a single tank diver's air supply in a free-flow?

[george w]

A shut off valve would solve this problem and also easily be able to turn it back on if needed. They are not expensive and work well in this situation.

 

[Nemrod]

Interesting discussion.... I just recalled an incident many years ago, when my buddy's only second stage hose exploded, right at the second stage. It made a huge boom and when I looked over at him, he had a second stage in his mouth and 2 inches of frayed hose...It looked exactly like a cartoon figure with an exploded cigar.

We were diving in about 20-24 feet of water and I immediately jumped on his back, shut his valve down and then waved bye-bye to him as he swam up. I was laughing too hard to even consider offering him any air from my reg. Before the dive, his hose displayed a big anurism and he dove it anyway. Obviously shutting down a tank might also depend on the depth.

One of my stage regs had been bubbling. I had been ignoring it and people kept pestering me that my reg was leaking, yawn. I had some spare time and figured the old clone MkV just needed a turret O ring and rebuild. So, I went through it and cleaned it all up and put in new parts. Turned it on and I could hear a leak--arrrergggghhhhhh. Hmmm, went upstairs, filled my wife's whirl pool tub and submerged tank and reg, turned on air, pulled on hose--kaboom. Water went everywhere. Yep, the hose burst. It had been leaking not from the turret but from the hose. My lack of observational skills cost me a tongue lashing from the boss. I suppose if I had actually put my glasses on and looked I would have seen the failing hose and stream of bubbles but instead I made an assumption that it was the turret--after all--who ever heard of a LP hose bursting .

N

 

[ArcticDiver]

...BTW, I dive with new divers and with experienced divers. I just use a different set of parameters (i.e. more conservative) until I get a chance to see how an unknown diver behaves underwater. ...

HTH

May I suggest that all divers you have not dived with are "new divers"? Until a person has dived with another diver for some time it matters very little what kind of experience each has. It is the time spent understanding each other that develops the communication and confidence that warrants trust. Until then each of you is to a greater or lesser degree and unknown.

As for the regulator free flow question: I've enjoyed reading the different perspectives. It has given me good food for thought.

 

[John_B]

May I suggest that all divers you have not dived with are "new divers"? Until a person has dived with another diver for some time it matters very little what kind of experience each has. It is the time spent understanding each other that develops the communication and confidence that warrants trust. Until then each of you is to a greater or lesser degree and unknown.

Well said, my friend.

 

[marinediva]

See no reason to turn off the Air, diver should go onto buddies occy and surface.
If buddy is not around, I would start sipping air from the free flow and surface immediately.
personally I dont see a reason to turn it off........except to make things SEEM LESS STRESSFUL

 

[String]

personally I dont see a reason to turn it off........except to make things SEEM LESS STRESSFUL

To potentially save a dive if it thaws and not too much gas has been lost.

 

[Web Monkey]

To potentially save a dive if it thaws and not too much gas has been lost.

You're still thinking like a tech diver.

A pair of new OW divers needs to be following training. They haven't even worked out how to handle an emergency using the skills they've been taught. Now is not the time to be playing with valves underwater.

The cost of a couple of air fills isn't worth even the smallest risk of a single or double injury or death.

Terry

 

[String]

You're still thinking like a tech diver.

No, im thinking like any qualified diver would and does. Freeflows happen, a lot. Especially in quarries and in winter. Its common to see divers of all levels do the above to save their dive. A simple freeze doesn't have to mean the entire dive is over.

This really isnt a difficult skill, especially if a buddy helps. Most divers i come across even new ones are aware of the cause and solution.

 

[Web Monkey]

No, im thinking like any qualified diver would and does. Freeflows happen, a lot. Especially in quarries and in winter. Its common to see divers of all levels do the above to save their dive. A simple freeze doesn't have to mean the entire dive is over.

Call me cautious if you want, but when two new OW divers are injured or die because they were underwater playing with valves instead of following their training, it won't be because I told them to do it.

It's just a dive. There's always another one unless this one goes very badly.


Terry

 

[JMcD]

Call me cautious if you want, but when two new OW divers are injured or die because they were underwater playing with valves instead of following their training, it won't be because I told them to do it.

It's just a dive. There's always another one unless this one goes very badly.


Terry

:cheerleader:

While I can agree that some advanced divers, with buddys that they are very familiar with, *may* want to shut off a valve, I wouldn't.

While a free flow may not be uncommon and may simply be a nuisance for some. The decision to shut off or not should not be made "to save a dive". A dive really isn't important - and any thinking that it is may stop someone from taking important, life saving, actions just to "save a dive" - that they can start again in 45 minutes after all are out of the water, equipment is checked and fresh tanks are available. Taking even small risks to "save a dive" is a mistake in my opinion. It is not typically a large problem that causes incidents, but a combination of smaller stressors. This delay and action creates more potential stressors than it helps for the typical recreational diver. No, I don't think the typical recreational diver is an idiot, but neither are they trained to complete valve drills in the water and as has already been identified, they often can't reach them in 7/14MM of neoprene or with tanks too low...

To answer the OP, If the diver were on my AAS, then I'd make sure they were ok, I'd grab my inflator and make the gesture to them to ask them to do the same and start an ascent with them. I'd hold their BC strap and ensure they established posititve buoyancy at the surface and that they put a snorkel in their mouth. (If they are not my buddy, as one scenario described, then I'd signal my budddy to surface with us and we'd need to figure out who the "rescued" diver's buddy is and where they are. Hopefully this buddy would be coming to the surface having been attentive, or after 1 minute of a lost buddy! Remember if you have one diver... there should be a buddy to find out there somewhere.)

My $0.02