Can't find BCD inflator

I have the devil of a time finding my BCD inflator. Half the time I reach for it and find my snorkel instead. I asked an instructor, and he told me you eventually learn where it is.

We have this specific technique for finding a dropped second stage, it seems to me we need a foolproof way to find the BCD inflator.

Because when you're in an uncontrolled ascent or descent, you need to find that darn thing right now.

Well most bcds have a strap on the shoulder to hold down the inflator hose, otherwise the hose usually roams freely above your head.
Most bc's I've seen have a strap.
So then the inflator is always on your shoulder and tied down.

Nitro91:

Well most bcds have a strap on the shoulder to hold down the inflator hose, otherwise the hose usually roams freely above your head.
Most bc's I've seen have a strap.
So then the inflator is always on your shoulder and tied down.

Click to expand...

So the technique would be to reach over to your left shoulder, find the hose, and follow it down to the end...? I'll try that.

This is one of those things that experienced divers mean when they say 'familiarity'. The more time you spend in the gear, the more dives you do - the more instinctive it is that you find stuff immediately and without thought or conscious effort.

IMHO, most BCD LPIs are far longer than they need to be. That doesn't help things (even if you do stow it in the velcro holder on the top of your shoulder). Look at something like a Halcyon Eclipse (designed with a great deal of thought to practicality) and you'll see that the LPI is substantially shorter. You can always swap out for a shorter LPI hose.

Another solution that can be 'borrowed' from BP&W users is to put a bungee loop on the shoulder harness to help further retain the LPI in position. Use either rubber (a 1" loop cut from an old bike tire) or bungee cord tied in a loop. Put that on the shoulder harness and tuck the LPI into it. Much neater.

.... or get a BP&W BCD.

Maybe use a fold- up snorkel that you can tuck away (as long as you are not in a class) in your BC pocket, but can deploy any time you need it. Then there is much less chance of a mix- up.

DevonDiver:

This is one of those things that experienced divers mean when they say 'familiarity'. The more time you spend in the gear, the more dives you do - the more instinctive it is that you find stuff immediately and without thought or conscious effort.

IMHO, most BCD LPIs are far longer than they need to be. That doesn't help things (even if you do stow it in the velcro holder on the top of your shoulder). Look at something like a Halcyon Eclipse (designed with a great deal of thought to practicality) and you'll see that the LPI is substantially shorter. You can always swap out for a shorter LPI hose.

Another solution that can be 'borrowed' from BP&W users is to put a bungee loop on the shoulder harness to help further retain the LPI in position. Use either rubber (a 1" loop cut from an old bike tire) or bungee cord tied in a loop. Put that on the shoulder harness and tuck the LPI into it. Much neater.

.... or get a BP&W BCD.

Click to expand...

Exactly, you need to have the inflator hose constrained by some mechanism, on the upper portion of your shoulder so that you can reach over and touch it and then slide your hand down the hose to the inflator. You need to be able to do this every time, by touch. You can practice it 40 times on a dive while swimming around. In fact, you should be doing these sorts of drills constantly when diving and swimming.

Reach down and touch your weight release mechanisms, reach out and touch the octopus, reach down and touch the BC waist strap release, reach over and secure the pressure guage, reach and touch your knife or cutters or what ever you use and of course the pull dump if you use that. These are all the basic skills that get rusty but are necessary to be able to perform instinctively. You just gotta be able to do it all by touch.

The problem with trying to reach out and grab the inflator mechansim itself is that it flops around. when you are horizontal it may be in one location, when verical and head down in another etc...however, if you have the hose restrained way up on your shoulder, THAT location will never change and it just takes a moment to slide your hand down to locate the inflator.

Due to the fact that your training probably taught you to hold the inflator over your head to vwent it during ascents, having it too securely tied down might case a problem for venting.

You can always attach it to your BCD with velcro. It will stay in exactly the location that you want and is easy to pull free (and put back) if needed.

Dsix36:

Due to the fact that your training probably taught you to hold the inflator over your head to vwent it during ascents, having it too securely tied down might case a problem for venting.

You can always attach it to your BCD with velcro. It will stay in exactly the location that you want and is easy to pull free (and put back) if needed.

Click to expand...

He was directed to secure the hose at the shoulder, not the inflator itself. However, it is a good point to make that the inflator should not be constrained so as to inhibit rainsing it up and dumping air.

As mentioned, every BC is sold with an adjustable velcro-sealed 'loop' for the inlfator hose mechanism. Additionally, you can use a strategically-placed loop of either bungie cord or surgical tubing (I use black surgical tubing on mine). Surgical tubing is VERY stretchy, so if you make the loop the right size, (not too big, not too small) the loop will 'contain' the inflator mechanism, yet allow you to easily stretch the loop so you can easily raise the inflator to vent air from the bladder. I get my surgical tubing here: Surgical Tubing Latex Surgical Tubing reefscuba.com

scubafanatic:

As mentioned, every BC is sold with an adjustable velcro-sealed 'loop' for the inlfator hose mechanism. Additionally, you can use a strategically-placed loop of either bungie cord or surgical tubing (I use black surgical tubing on mine). Surgical tubing is VERY stretchy, so if you make the loop the right size, (not too big, not too small) the loop will 'contain' the inflator mechanism, yet allow you to easily stretch the loop so you can easily raise the inflator to vent air from the bladder. I get my surgical tubing here: Surgical Tubing Latex Surgical Tubing reefscuba.com

Click to expand...

Along this line, my recommendation would be to only secure the lp hose behind the loop. It is much more flexible than having the corrugated hose behind it too. I also prefer bungee to surgical tubing. To me it seems the rubber lp hose seems to "roll" more efficiently with the bungee.