Power inflator technique (on a short corrugated hose)

[scubafanatic]

A picture says a thousand words; thank you so much for that one.



I'm not visualizing this. Are we all talking about using the left hand on the inflator slung over the left shoulder? With the "mouth" of the inflator mechanism pointing to the right, as well as the inflator button, and the deflator/dump button pointing downwards?

...a word of caution, that 'picture' is great to show you the basic 'concept', the tricky bit is knowing where/how 'high' to position the bungie/surgical tubing 'loop'......position the 'loop' too low and you won't be able to raise the exhaust 'end' high enough to vent the air in the wing...position the 'loop' too high and either of these 2 bad things happen : the corrugated hose will be too floaty/loose and will drift behind you or smack you in the face during entry.... OR .....when you're in a horizontal position in the water, the corrugated hose will be hanging down perpendicular to your body, thus dragging the reef/snagging or catching stuff (which can be a problem if you're in a wreck/cave/hugging the reef.) Also, you need to experiment with the 'diameter' of the 'loop' and make sure the 'loop' is small enough to contain the corrugated hose, keeping it tidy/streamlined...yet at the same time, make sure the 'loop' is loose enough/stretchy enough that it has enough 'give' to allow you to elevate the corrugated hose sufficiently to easily vent air as needed.

....it is best if you are actually wearing the BC and have access to a mirror while installing/adjusting your 'loops' so you can actually confirm you've set it up correctly prior to diving....you can't throughly do this without actually wearing the BC and seeing how it does 'for real'.

 

[rollerboi]

I just wanted to follow up and mention that I've now found it much easier to dump through my rear dump valve instead of the inflator hose during a dive, since I'm already horizontal. I've become more comfortable with the equipment simply by modifying my technique some.

 

[DivingFirefighter]

Ok so this issue/topic seams like tying your shoes, easy to do, really hard to tell someone how to do it. Here is how I do it (the only reason I know is cause sometimes I have to actively think about it still) I place my hand over the inflator with my index finger over the top of the release and my thumb over the power inflator with my middle, ring and pinkie finger resting on the opposite side from my thumb. If you can't visualize that I'll be glad to take a picture. Its great that you are comfortable using your dump valve but you should get comfortable using all the features, because there may arise a situation when you need to use the inflator hose.

 

[redacted]

I just wanted to follow up and mention that I've now found it much easier to dump through my rear dump valve instead of the inflator hose during a dive, since I'm already horizontal. I've become more comfortable with the equipment simply by modifying my technique some.

Ahh, the youthful advantage of not having to deal with the Itis triples (arthra, bursa, and tendon). There are some days when that rear dump is difficult to reach.