Post Your Latest Gear Failure!

[TN-Steve]

I had my first ever gear failure this weekend. I had noticed in Curacao that the inflate button on my power inflator was feeling a bit "stiff", but it didn't really register. Get home, clean gear, back of mind I'm thinking "There was something I wanted to check out.... ah... I'll remember it sooner or later".

Jump to this weekend at the quarry. About 50 feet or so, went to put just a quick "Pssst" of air into the bc. All of a sudden the button is jammed open. I exhaled all I had in my lungs, held the deflate button down, pulled the hose to activate the dump valve and then disconnected the LP Inflator hose.

Manual inflated it for a while, but since it was just a fun dive I decided that was too much like work, called it a day.

The thing that surprised me was just how fast it drained off about 1000 PSI from the tank.

New LP Inflator assembly is on order.

Steve

 

[Nemrod]

Dumpster, you just convinced me I will not get an air2.

I use my Air Buddy (with out removing the Schrader valve) for inflation duties.

My latest, I am quite certain I am feeling like a traitor to still photography, if that is a stretch for what I try to do at best (photography).

N

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Dumpster, you just convinced me I will not get an air2.

I use my Air Buddy (with out removing the Schrader valve) for inflation duties.

My latest, I am quite certain I am feeling like a traitor to still photography, if that is a stretch for what I try to do at best (photography).



N

Well that little stunt was clearly user error. Not trying too hard to sell you on the Air 2, but it is SAFER than a normal inflator in that it can EASILY be disconnected should the BC start to auto inflate. The normal inflator hose on a standard rig is very hard to unhook, especially if corroded or when wearing coldwater mittens.

In my expereince, auto-inflating BC's are a VERY common failure (relative to other problems). Hope to see some good videos soon.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

Dang DumpsterDiver, that eel sure had your number. I have never had one that aggressive. I do not get your point about the Air2. How is it safer?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

The collar is much larger and easier to disconnect.. Auto inflate of a BC is very common. An auto inflating BC could be a very serious problem if not stopped.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I was at 10' or so an my Xen bottom timer decided to give up the ghost. Luckily I know the site so I dove it tell me air was low. Still waiting for it to ship back from ol Canada.

Side note... My Veo 2 has flooded once or twice or maybe a hair more in the 5 years I have had it and still works like a champ. I have sent the Xen back for repairs... more then once.

 

[RJP]

Two sets of SP Jet Fins cracked within three weeks:

This pair was 7yrs old:

Their replacements were one week old...

 

[ams511]

The collar is much larger and easier to disconnect.. Auto inflate of a BC is very common. An auto inflating BC could be a very serious problem if not stopped.

I thought hose hats are supposed to correct this problem.

---------- Post added April 17th, 2015 at 08:57 AM ----------

Their replacements were one week old...

Out of curiosity, where were they made?

 

[Storker]

So.....
I reached once again into my "Save-The-Dive-Kit" and grabbed a Snickers Bar....

And called it a DAMN DAY!

It's for those occasions one should have a can of decent beer in the save-a-dive kit.

 

[vlyandra]

Between the second and third dives of the day, I switched out my tank and turned the air on. Turned around for a moment and hear a loud "PSSSSSSSHHHHHH" and find that BOTH my reg and octo were free flowing like crazy. Can't get them to stop, turn off the air. Use an intermediate gauge to check the pressure from the hoses, it's so high that the gauge won't register it. Just a total, catastrophic first stage failure. Amusingly, the same thing (first stage failure) had happened for another guy in the group between the first and second dives, earlier in the day. We both had Zeagles, too! I'm convinced his failure was contagious and my reg caught it.

There was a dive shop nearby so I go and rent a reg so I can do the third dive (I was getting my Advanced Open Water and didn't want to go through it again). Finish the dive with no problems. Then, as we were walking out of the water my rental reg free flows. Can't get it to stop, despite doing all the regular things (purge button, adjustment knob, sticking it back in the water, etc...), so I end up having my buddy just turn off my air since I was only knee deep. I ended up getting a SECOND rental reg so I could do the dives on the second day. That one worked fine, thankfully.

And that's how I decided I need to have a backup reg.

Oh, and the week before that my BCD inflator button jammed open. Was able to stop it by popping the button again while dumping all my air. Thankfully this happened just as I was adjusting buoyancy during descent to 30 feet or so, so no harm done. I do a lot of shore diving, so sand gets in everything which I'm guessing is what happened, since the inflator looks fine and has performed fine every other dive since. Still a bit of a freaky experience, though.