Do You Test Your Regs? Both? Every Dive?

[MXGratefulDiver]

Please note that breathing your regs "on the boat" is a good thing, but you must test them as soon as you hit the water. You can have a tear in your second stage diaphragm large enough that will allow water to pour into the second stage, but small enough that breathing will still actuate the demand valve, giving that satisfying Darth Vader-like noise. So everything seems fine above water breathing off the reg, but it's unusable under water.

This is another advantage of the bungee backup vs. the octo in that the backup is YOUR air in case you have to donate, so you have a tendency to test it at the start of every dive...

The bungee backup also encourages testing because it's not stored in some claptrap device that discourages testing (because it's a PITA to re-stow).

Roak

I test both second stages when I initially put the kit together. I breathe off my bungeed second while putting my fins on ... mainly as a way to assure my air is still turned on. If I'm boat diving, I'll do the giant stride breathing off my bungeed second, then switch over after I've given the OK to the boat crew. If I'm shore diving, I'll start the descent on the bungeed second, and switch over as I'm descending.

That way I know both are working before I'm at depth ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks to every one for the great tips but I was curious as to what exactly are "inleaks" and "outleaks". I have an idea but would like to make sure as I haven't heard those terms yet.

Inleaks happen when your 2nd stage lets air in on a suck with the air tank turned off, although they will let just a little in on such a test - as someone mentioned above, even though they won't let water in.

Outleaks happen when air leaks out of a regualtor - from bad o-ring, or a leak in the reg that will let pressure out. Common on rental regs. If it happens on my reg, my service tech and I are gonna' talk ASAP.

 

[CBulla]

How's this for a test... I actually alternate and use my backup reg on some dives. For instance, yesterday while fossiling, I used my backup reg only. My primary was strapped up and put aside incase my back up failed

 

[The Fresh Prince]

How's this for a test... I actually alternate and use my backup reg on some dives. For instance, yesterday while fossiling, I used my backup reg only. My primary was strapped up and put aside incase my back up failed

I bet your dive buddy loved that in case of OOA.

 

[AtomicWalrus]

In addition to checking regs & SPG on the surface, I like to do a bubble check where I lean backwards in the water on the surface to immerse my primary & tank valve. Then I get my buddy to check for any bubbles to make sure the seals are good.

 

[Wreck]

Something you might add to your routine is a look at the SPG while you take a quick breath --- any fluctuation of the SPG needle indicates a partially closed valve or a clogged reg inlet filter.

The valve may not be fully open and you still won't see the guage move until you get some depth and suck more air per breath. But it's still a good check for valve that are close to off.

 

[Wreck]

Inleaks happen when your 2nd stage lets air in on a suck with the air tank turned off, although they will let just a little in on such a test - as someone mentioned above, even though they won't let water in.

A guy on recent dive trip made a b-line right for the ladder right after he jumped in. We could hear the water gurgling in his reg. The exhaust valve had somehow folded over and dried in place. With the valve off, he was sucking in a lot of air testing that out.

I personally have yet to use a reg that didn't have a perfect vacuum seal with the air turned off. If air is leaking in, then so can water, as far as I can tell. A little water may not be that bad, but I don't like it when looking upwards and have salt water dribbling into my mouth.

 

[Wreck]

I'll do the giant stride breathing off my bungeed second, then switch over after I've given the OK to the boat crew.

Call me a wimp but I loathe having to take my regulator out of my mouth in salt water... then I have that salty flavor in my mouth for the rest of the dive.

 

[grazie42]

Yes, to all your questions...
I make sure that I also breath both uw at the beggining of the dive as my second is bungeed to so, as someone said, thats MY airsource if my buddy needs some "extra" air...I make sure that I´ll be able to keep breathing even after donating...

 

[String]

Set kit up in car park, turn air on, breathe through both regs (this checks the regs work and the air tastes ok and tank is actually full). Turn air off, leave system pressurised.

Go to prep and fuel boat, come back after 30 mins, check SPG - it should still read full assuming no leaks.

Leave system pressurised (but air turned off) while kit is loaded on boat and boat moving to prevent water getting into the system.

On kitting up, quick check of octopus and then sitting on tubes waiting to go breathing from main for 10-20 secs, making sure no SPG deviations then do the dive.

Doesnt take any time at all and tends to avoid people turning up with leaky seals, tanks they thought were full that werent, oil etc in the air and so on.