Big scare Lesson learned

[Allen42]

I don't believe PADI does teach this practice any more, but can't talk to the other agencies. The idea is that valves can get "stuck" when they're locked against open or closed, thus preventing an easy shutdown of the valve. In the case of a single cylinder, I can't think of a reason you'd want to shut it down. In doubles, I'd still back the valves off of "full lock" just a bit in case I'd need to isolate, etc.

Other's thoughts?

 

[Longhorn]

Has anyone ever hd a valve get suck in the open position?

 

[Zagnut]

Illegal?... maybe jami59 should have gotten a few more dives in the old log book before a night dive but...let's put this in perspective. A night dive in Cozumel...most likely at Paradise reef. This was a 40' dive in crystal clear water with little if any current at all and if there was any moon at all, then it most likely wasn't even complety dark underwater. The last night dive I did at Paradise, I turned my light off for much of the dive because it was too bright. I could have read a book sitting on the bottom without a light. Like Zen squirrell said, there are alot of daytime dives that are more hairy than this one. Being 40' feet from the surface Jami59 could have most likely gotten to the surface without the DM's help and without any problems. With that said I will agree that you should probably get some more experience before pushing on to new diving frontiers, but I don't think a night dive is out of the question just because you haven't taken AOW. Especially this dive. 40' of clear water with a DM an arms reach away.

I'm glad everything worked out and Jami59 is OK. It sounds like Jami kept a cool head in a crisis situation and that's what's important. Chalk it up as a lesson learned and use the experience to make yourself a better diver. These lessons that you learn from experience tend to stick with you more so than something you may or may not have read in a book somewhere (case in point: folks getting through OW and thinking it is illegal to do a night dive without an AOW c-card)

The good thing about that analog pressure guage is that when this situation occurs, you can look at it and when you take a breath, the needle will probably dip or something to that effect. That will let you know to try checking the valve before you panic and bolt for the surface.

I assume that the first stage had already been set up by diver or buddy, and the diver came back and turned the valve to close position by accident. This just doesn't make good logical sense

Most likely the boat crew set the gear up. They can be awfully stealthy when switching gear out..a lot of times they can have your gear on a new tank before you've even gotten out of the water from your dive and gotten to your seat on the boat, or they can turn your air on without you even seeing them do it.

This is why you should always go over your gear before getting in the water. These boat crews are used to handling all the gear for alot of their customers and when a customer does something for themselves this kind of thing can happen. If you want to let them do it for you, fine. If you want to do it all yourself, fine, but either way, ALWAYS check it over good before you get in to make sure the BC placed on the tank where you like it, that the first stage is on correctly and the power inflator hose is connected, the valve is on, etc... if a DM sets my gear up for me, I always sort of treat it like they are the student and I'm the instructor, and they are trying to pass their "gear setup " exam. I check it over to make sure it was done to my liking.

You can bet in the future that Jami59 will be checking and double checking that valve before getting tin the water.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Longhorn once bubbled...
Has anyone ever hd a valve get suck in the open position?

Not stuck as in can't move it but stuck as in it takes a little effort to start it moving, yes.

I still teach students that we use only two vave positions, full open and full closed.

 

[Whirling Girl]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...


Not stuck as in can't move it but stuck as in it takes a little effort to start it moving, yes.

I still teach students that we use only two vave positions, full open and full closed.

Good. Just one more reason I wish I had taken my openwater from you, Mike.

I don't like the 1/2 turn stuff either. I'm dyslexic, so "righty tighty lefty loosy' means little. Besides, those rubber PST valve knobs are really nice and easy to grab hold of and turn during a dive. I dig them.

Margaret

 

[Atticus]

Longhorn once bubbled...
Has anyone ever hd a valve get suck in the open position?

On doubles I've had a valve get stuck open hard enough that I could not close it without removing the rig. Since then I have become very careful about opening all the way, but with no extra force. Fortunately I learned this during a drill.

With respect to the illegal issue above, I was responding to PhishSchticks comment. I should have been more clear that I think it's silly to even talk about a diving activity being legal/illegal (other than hunting in the wrong area, planting mines on a ship, etc. etc.).

- Atticus

 

[Toro Tuna]

What is the worst thing that can happen with a stuck valve? Really you just lose the air in your tank- right? I got my OW about 2yrs ago and was taught to open and then turn back a 1/2 turn. I like the idea of all the way open or all the way shut better.

 

[Otter]

I agree with 99% of what has been said about about turning back (I still teach it, but at 1/8 of turn max) and while I know of no situations of where a C-card is required for diving, I would strongly urge that the first dive into a new environment (in this case) NIGHT be with an Instructor (official position) or at least an experienced BUDDY (unofficial position, but thats how I did MY 1st Night Dive).

The part I thought was interesting was that a newly certified student had a Vytec. I am wondering if during his certification, he was taught win an analog guage and if so, did his Instructor / salesperson show him how to use the Vytec? He mentioned changing channels, so presumably he also understood the various other alarms, including low-air.

Just hit me as peculiar....perhaps he just has more $$ and is willing to commit it EARLY in his diving career to purchase a $1000 computer (retail) and presumably other equipment.

 

[Windwalker]

Sometimes, Your Buddy might make a mistake and turn the valve off, when it was previously turned on. We were taught to Take a Deep breath while watching the guage. If the Guage Fluctuates then the valve is just cracked open. In all honesty, I have (only once) turned OFF my buddies Air supply, during the buddy check. He was able to get down to about 60 feet before the restriction was a limiting factor, But the trusty Scubapro Regulator still gave him all the air he needed.

Of course, We learned the Gauge Trick after we got back on the boat and he informed me that I turned his tank off. At which point one of the people who have been diving since Noah's Ark was sailing, told us the trick.

 

[Diver0001]

jami59 once bubbled...
<snip>

What a scare! It turned out that by being dislexic I had turned the tank valve the wrong way and cracked it open instead. The tank being full at 3000 PSI would breath easy but after the pressure drop it got harder to breathe. Being a novice I did not have the smarts to figure the problem out before I got to deep into trouble.

<snip>

Hmmmm..... the buddy check is made to catch these kinds of things. What went wrong?

R..