What to do in the event that...

[fuzzybabybunny]

As a new diver I'm hoping to get a comprehesive list of things that I should do in the event that... (this or that goes wrong). We briefly went over things in the OW class, but I know I will encounter other issues. Sure, many can be prevented with proper planning and checks, but what to do when things happen anyway?

1. Your BCD starts inflating on its own - disconnect the low pressure inflator hose underwater and orally inflate / deflate. Flick and fiddle with your inflator button to try to dislodge the piece of sand that may be stuck in it. Re-hook LP hose and check.

2. What to do in the event of a free flow (to stop it)?

etc, etc.

 

[dburg30]

How to deal with those should have been covered enough to allow you to know what to do. If not, I would suggest going back to the place you got certified at and ask for more pool time / explanations...

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

How to deal with those should have been covered enough to allow you to know what to do. If not, I would suggest going back to the place you got certified at and ask for more pool time / explanations...

You are greatly over-simplifying my request.

1. They never covered what to do should you have a runaway BCD inflator button.

2. If you free flow, they taught you how to sip air from it. That's it. They did NOT mention to do things like try dialing down the resistance, try to swish it around in the water, look at the purge button to check that it's not stuck, etc.

I'm specifically asking for other scenarios that are not covered in the class.

I'll add another one: if you're having a really hard time purging the water from your snorkel through blowing upwards, try tipping your head backwards on the surface and then blowing. This in essence dumps out the water in your snorkel.

And another one: if you're going to be picking up something negatively bouyant on the ocean floor, either lift it with a lift bag or, if you must use your BCD to raise both you and the object that's attached to you, be ready to immediately dump the air in your BCD should you drop this object lest you start ascending rapidly. If you drop the object, immediately dump air from your BCD to compensate for the sudden loss of weight.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

He is NOT oversimplifying your request at all. All of these things should have been covered in detail in your OW class. In fact there are a great many what ifs that should have been. I realize they probably were not. It is one of the things that really gets my goat and why, if everything goes well, my book regarding these issues and a lot more will be coming out at the end of February/early March.

A better snorkel solution if you are on scuba is put the reg back in your mouth until you are on the boat. If snorkeling then you did not take in a big enough breath or are using poor technique. And yes these are in my OW class.

Along with if your buddy suddenly goes unconscious get neutral, check to see if they really are unconscious, reach around under the right arm and hold the reg in. Dump air from their BC if necessary and use yours to establish a neutral state. Then begin to swim them up dumping air from yours. Much easier to manage one BC. DO NOT DUMP ANYONE'S WEIGHTS UNTIL YOU HIT THE SURFACE. Then establish positive buoyancy for them then you by dumping them if necessary.

Do not enter the water overweighted. For the first 10 or so dives do a weight check at the beginning of every one and at the end. You should know how to do this as well without guidance. If not go back to the instructor and get what you were not given.

 

[--tom--]

Uhm, in all fairness, the answer that dburg30 was actually pretty good.

Regarding the runaway BCD button, that is the reason for the disconnecting the low pressure hose. That should have been tied to the buoyancy control drills using the oral inflator. Wasn't that covered? I will then rebuild the inflator at my car after the dive.

Re: the free flowing reg, didn't the instructor also cover rolling the reg over? Putting a thumb into the mouthpiece? That should have been covered in the first 15 minutes after putting on the scuba unit. Additionally, the free flowing reg is for a failure in the 1st stage, so both second stages would be free flowing & no amount of resistance dialing or water swishing will help. That is specifically why you weren't taught to switch to your alternate. That would be an unacceptable risk.

Regarding lifting something heavy from the bottom, that isn't normally covered in an open water class, other than to tell you that you don't use your BCD (or drysuit) as a lifting device; the potential for injury is far too great, especially if you are shallow (yes, I said shallow) that is where the injury is likely to happen.

The snorkel is a good technique, it is less effective with a snorkel with a purge valve, especially if you use that clearing method while ascending; but snorkeling instruction has sadly been reduced to a few minute mini-seminar during the confined water instruction.

I hope I didn't come across as harsh. I certainly don't intend to.

 

[Crush]

2. If you free flow, they taught you how to sip air from it. That's it. They did NOT mention to do things like try dialing down the resistance, try to swish it around in the water, look at the purge button to check that it's not stuck, etc.

I am a new diver, but owing to where I dive I have experienced three or so free-flows (I don't recall, but it was at least three). I have had the opportunity to put theory into practice several times. Personally I feel that "sipping" off the air is one of the stupidest things that I have ever read. People teach it without explaining why it is suggested. It has become a myth that no one recalls the origin of. I believe that sipping off the air is stupid for two reasons: (1) it is not necessary; and (2) it is potentially dangerous since it increases the likelihood of your aspirating water and it occupies one of your hands unnecessary. The solution is simple: keep breathing off the flowing reg (do not switch to your octo) and call the dive. The free-flow almost always begins slowly. Even if it becomes a raging torrent you can still breathe off it without difficulty. Extra air is not forced into your lungs since it vents. Breathing off a free-flowing reg, even if it is raging like a torrent, is no different from breathing off your reg while you are depressing the purge button - try it, it is not hard. For a more detailed answer, see this post: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/350887-free-flow-what-do.html

 

[Crush]

Along with if your buddy suddenly goes unconscious get neutral, check to see if they really are unconscious, reach around under the right arm and hold the reg in. Dump air from their BC if necessary and use yours to establish a neutral state. Then begin to swim them up dumping air from yours. Much easier to manage one BC. DO NOT DUMP ANYONE'S WEIGHTS UNTIL YOU HIT THE SURFACE. Then establish positive buoyancy for them then you by dumping them if necessary.

Jim, I was taught to dump all or some of my BC air and to use the unconscious diver's BC for lift.

 

[cloudflint]

You are greatly over-simplifying my request.

1. They never covered what to do should you have a runaway BCD inflator button.

2. If you free flow, they taught you how to sip air from it. That's it. They did NOT mention to do things like try dialing down the resistance, try to swish it around in the water, look at the purge button to check that it's not stuck, etc.

I'm specifically asking for other scenarios that are not covered in the class.

I'll add another one: if you're having a really hard time purging the water from your snorkel through blowing upwards, try tipping your head backwards on the surface and then blowing. This in essence dumps out the water in your snorkel.

And another one: if you're going to be picking up something negatively bouyant on the ocean floor, either lift it with a lift bag or, if you must use your BCD to raise both you and the object that's attached to you, be ready to immediately dump the air in your BCD should you drop this object lest you start ascending rapidly. If you drop the object, immediately dump air from your BCD to compensate for the sudden loss of weight.

The thing is the open water course only really qualifies you to start learning. It dosent teach you how to handle everything that might happen to you underwater but it gives you the basics so you can then further your skills. Its up to you to lean more if you want to.

Stuff like lifting objects, rescuing buddies and the real ins and outs of how your regs function and what can go wrong with them are all things you can learn if you want to. For every thing you learn you will find it raises even more questions, but ask questions on these forums, talk to other experienced divers, read lots of learning materials and get in the water and try stuff out and youll be amazed at how much you find you never knew!

And on a related note, lifting stuff with your BC is a big nono, you would be surprised at how fast a diver shoots up once they get going. I know a guy who died doing that, hit the surface like a polaris missle and burst a lung

To treat a stuck bcd you can just unplug the hose and use manual inflation. If that isnt an option you can generally hold the inflator up and dump air faster than it goes in. Ive had to do that when ive been diving in thick gloves and been unable to unplug somones bcd hose.

There are a huge number of outher situations that i have learnt to deal with since i did my open water, the majority of them where learnt through a combination of experience, talking to outher divers and reading stuff online and in books.

 

[ianr33]

How to deal with those should have been covered enough to allow you to know what to do. If not, I would suggest going back to the place you got certified at and ask for more pool time / explanations...

Scubaboard at its very finest.

 

[pafindr]

I don't understand why people get upset when someone says something like

How to deal with those should have been covered enough to allow you to know what to do. If not, I would suggest going back to the place you got certified at and ask for more pool time / explanations...

Simply, it should have been covered in OW.
Granted sometimes there is quite a bit of information being delivered and a student may forget that it was taught (not saying the OP forgot the details but it does happen) and sometimes they just weren't taught these important steps. If they didn't teach you this stuff then they did you a big disservice and they are playing with your life. When I was DMing we had a check list that we carried with us to make sure the students were taught these things.

Now, if the OP is asking what else can be done in a situation then we can run into a lot of scenarios and would need more specifics.
Ask a more specific question to get a more specific answer.