How would you handle a free flowing reg?

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

By how you ask your question I doubt you would care about my response.

I will take your word for it since I don't know you or recall us chatting in any other threads.

Continue to breath fro freeflowing regulator, why waste the air by switching to octo
Swim to surface, resolve problem.
Situation 2
Same as situation 1 except if tank goes empty than share air with buddy or do CESA.

So you would let the tank go totally empty?

However, I maintain that sharing air and shutting down the free-flowing cylinder is the safest course of action. It eliminates a major source of confusion during the ascent, and allows both divers to concentrate on maintaining an appropriate ascent rate and safety stop. And it doesn't require you to do anything you shouldn't have learned how to do in your OW class.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I like your approach Bob. It would seem to calm things down quite a bit.

First off, you don't have a lot of time with a free flow before the tank is empty..so the actions need to be seamless.

How right you are. The tank went from 3000 psi to 1100 psi in under 2 minutes. The dive had just started and we did not get any deeper than 15'

I'm a noob too, but my training (PADI) tells me to either CESA or use the buddy's octo and surface to deal with the problem. I CAN tell you this though, if we've only made it to a dinky 15' I'm just going to surface on my own, CESA

I am not sure why you would do a CESA--controlled emergency swimming ascent. You still have air and your buddy does too. Why would you not use air from your tank for buddy's tank? I would only do a CESA when no air was available.

Also why would you surface on your own? This was listed as a buddy dive not a solo dive.



And if your tank goes totally empty if you decide not to shut down what might happen to your reg and your tank?


FYI once on the surface, I was able to fix the reg. The knobs had been turned and it was too sensitive. I had messed with them underwater, but not enough. I did surface using my own gear and breathing from the freeflow reg. I had to hold my mask on with my other had and the flow was very hard and almost blew my mask off and certainly added a steady stream of water into my mask the whole time. The reg was on a bungie around my neck so even if I had gone to buddy's air, without shutting the tank down I would have had the boiling bubbles around my face the whole time.

Of all the responses, Bob's seems to be the most systemantic as well as the one where things seem to calm down the most and allow for the best controlled effort to get back to the surface.

It was much more stressfull breathing from an actual free flowing reg than it has been to breathe from one where you create a free flow using the purge. The force of a real free flow was much stronger.

[roturner]

Years certified: 25
Certifications held: At least an inch worth
Agency: PADI, IANTD
Number of dives: about 1,250
And if you are an instruc or DM how long have you been one: 6 years active as pro

What I would personally do isn't necessarily the best thing to do so be warned.

* In both situations, remain calm, secure a backup, shut down the valve and flood the 2nd stage that was free-flowing. Inspect the 2nd stage that was giving the problem for obvious signs of damage, push the purge button a few times to move the valve back and forth with the air shut off and open it again to see if it was just frozen of if there was more to it than that... (1/2 of you are already pressing "reply" ... )

* In both situations, if it doesn't stop, dive ends, surface making AAS ascent and sort it out once you're out of the water.

In situation #1 continue the dive if possible but end it at the first sign of additional trouble with the reg.

In situation #2 end the dive either way. It was almost over anyway.

R..

[Ber Rabbit]

Please state the following before your answer:
Years certified: 15
Certifications held: Instructor and the ones leading up to it
Agency: NAUI
Number of dives: almost 500
And if you are an instruc or DM how long have you been one: Active instructor for 6 years, DM for a couple years before that.

I'm with NWGD on the procedures I believe should be followed.

HOWEVER, my own personal reaction to situation #1 would look more like this:
1. Recognize free flow
2. Curse regulator, complete with hand gestures
3. Try to stop free flow
4. Curse regulator again using more elaborate hand gestures
5. Give buddy who is looking at me like I'm crazy but has air ready to share the thumbs up
6. Breathe free flow on ascent while cursing through it so loudly my buddy can understand what I'm saying and the random hand signals start to make sense.
7. Inflate BC and shut tank down on surface griping and cursing to buddy the whole time.


It's 15 feet, at an ascent rate of 30fpm I'm going to be on the surface in 30 seconds, my tank won't empty that fast. Heck that's barely enough time to express how ticked off I am
Ber

[OldNSalty]

enlighten me please.

In situation 1, my buddy is aware of the problem and is close at hand. I am at 15' and my reg is free flowing and I can not correct the problem. Why wouldn't I put the thing in my mouth (if its not already there) and breath off of it while WE make our accent? I don't know if 800 psi is enough to make it but wouldn't I want to use up my resources first?

I suppose an alternate approach would be to shut off the tank and come up so at least I know I have 800 psi in my tank should we need it...

[captain]

I will take your word for it since I don't know you or recall us chatting in any other threads.



So you would let the tank go totally empty?







I am not sure why you would do a CESA--controlled emergency swimming ascent. You still have air and your buddy does too. Why would you not use air from your tank for buddy's tank? I would only do a CESA when no air was available.




Also why would you surface on your own? This was listed as a buddy dive not a solo dive.





And if your tank goes totally empty if you decide not to shut down what might happen to your reg and your tank?

In the order asked.

I have no problem with that.

Because I can.

My buddy is free to follow me.

Not very much unless it sinks..

[siikik]

I'm thinking at 55' with 800psi (assuming AL80) I'd be well on my way to the surface.


Ken

[Dtaine]

I will take your word for it since I don't know you or recall us chatting in any other threads.

I added that because you asked for this:

Please state the following before your answer:
Years certified:
Certifications held:
Agency:
Number of dives:
And if you are an instruc or DM how long have you been one:

You're getting good responses.

[Wetsuit 4 life]

Since this is warm water, change to my Octo, look for sand, damage and adjust my primary, play with the purge and try to remove any sand or other partials that might be in the regulator with a rapid movement. If no luck call the dive.

[rmc77]

Same for both situations: call the dive, ascent with your buddy, continue to breath from the free-flowing regulator, share air if needed (very unlikely on situation #1).
IMVHO the key point here is: deal with the issue out of the water, this is not a situation were you are diving on doubles and you're at 260' with a deco ceiling... your redundancy is already gone (you had two tanks for the two of you and now you’re down to just one reliable source) and you can surface anytime you want. So why add more trouble dealing with the issue underwater?
As someone already pointed, surface, change the regulator, go back to the water and be happy!


Cheers

[HowardE]

I put my answers in red.

I have been chatting with someone about how to handle a free flowing reg.

Please state the following before your answer:
Years certified: 6
Certifications held:Deco, Extended Range, CCR
Agency: PADI, TDI
Number of dives: 600
And if you are an instruc or DM how long have you been one:

Situation 1: A buddy team of 2 divers begin a dive. A minute or so into the dive one diver has a free flow. After several attempts to stop it, the reg continues to free flow. Divers are about 15' deep. It is a one tank dive and each diver only has one tank. It will be the only dive of the day. How should each member of the buddy team respond to this situation? Please outline a step by step response for each member

Donate long hose to free flow victim. Turn off tank that is free-flowing... turn back on... If this doesn't solve freeflow... abort dive.

Situation 2: A buddy team of two divers are on a dive and 30 minutes into the dive at 55' one diver begins to have a free flow and after several attemps it will not stop. Both divers have 800 psi. It is a one tank dive and each diver only has one tank. It will be the only dive of the day. How should each member of the buddy team respond to this situation? Please outline a step by step response for each member.

Same as 1. 800 PSI (in an aluminum 80 I assume, although you're not specifying what size the tank is) is more than enough for 2 people to begin an ascent and make a safety stop and get to the surface safely.