I've been known to inflate from one of my rich bailout on deep dives. One less regulator and tank to keep track of and if you won't miss the suit gas in your ascent plan, I've never seen any harm in it.
Sidemount trimix (normoxic) & EAN50 suit gas?
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Wookie
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Of course you are. Unless you're doing European expedition diving, you're carrying all of your gas, including deep deco gas, shallow deco gas, bailout for rebreathers, etc. If you get blown off the deco line by the current, it's best to have all of your gas with you, you'll likely need it. Having it a mile or 2 up current doesn't do anyone much good.
Although I would never wear one just for that reason, an awful lot of folks are wearing electric heated vests in their drysuit. I'm sure that they are safe. I'm sure nothing would ever short, because electrical stuff should go underwater, right?
I'd be concerned in a wet drysuit (leaky neck seal?) and turning on my heated vest and having an electrical fire bark like a dog. (go woof) Besides, I dive in Florida or south. I don't need a drysuit heater.
PfcAJ
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Frank, it's having the bottle ON that's the issue. Of course you've got to carry it, but having the gun loaded with the hammer down is one thing. Having the bottle turned on while deep is like having it loaded with the hammer back.
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Ah. Thanks for that. I dive Atomics, so of course I have all of my bottles on at all times. I just have to take an extra little bit of time to make damn sure I'm rich on the right, lean on the left. Or, treat the weapon as if it's loaded and ready to fire, and point it away from you at all times.
PfcAJ
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Ah. Thanks for that. I dive Atomics, so of course I have all of my bottles on at all times. I just have to take an extra little bit of time to make damn sure I'm rich on the right, lean on the left. Or, treat the weapon as if it's loaded and ready to fire, and point it away from you at all times.
I don't use Atomics. Why do you keep them on all the time? I dive SP pistons (mostly) which I believe to be similar and I shut my bottles off when I'm not using them.
Wookie
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Atomic second stages have a "seat saver" which keeps the second stage open unless it's charged. As long as it stays charged, you will never get water in the down stream of the first stage, but if the pressure should leak off, the second stage opens and water goes up the hose as you descend. In the flurry of gas when a diver carrying multiple cylinders jumps off of a boat, it may be overlooked if you "charge and off" that you don't have any pressure on one of your deco regs, and you'll fill the first stage full of the finest O2 clean seawater on the planet when you go to the wreck. One way of avoiding this is to charge and off your regs every 50 or so feet on your way down. I just leave my gas turned on (since it's near me) I'll know if I have a freeflow and work to remedy the problem.
It's a quirk with us Atomic divers. I understand completely the things you do and why you do them.
PfcAJ
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I did not know that. TIL, thanks!
OP
At my favorite dive site I will be descending a vertical shaft with sometimes negative walls. Hence, I have to carry my deco gas quite deep (at least to 30m/100ft to a steep muddy slope or to 45m/150ft to almost zero viz). Staging is not a convenient option here. Keeping the tank valve open could in some scenarios (eg. staged bottom gas) lead to fatal mistakes. A separate suit gas would be safer indeed.
The water is two to four degrees above freezing (+2c..+4c) so I will get an electrically heated vest as soon as I can afford one. Sometimes those develop a problem, but the battery is disconnectable. I also have a surfers heat belt and the manufacturer promised me that their warranty guarantees me a new one in case it would explode and kill me :/
Maybe, if I top mount one deco cylinder then I have some space for the suit gas... but for now I am considering my options.
The water is two to four degrees above freezing (+2c..+4c) so I will get an electrically heated vest as soon as I can afford one. Sometimes those develop a problem, but the battery is disconnectable. I also have a surfers heat belt and the manufacturer promised me that their warranty guarantees me a new one in case it would explode and kill me :/
Maybe, if I top mount one deco cylinder then I have some space for the suit gas... but for now I am considering my options.
ScubaInChicago
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Oxygen, heat, & fuel....I'm pretty sure the OP is concerned with ignition caused by either a faulty heated undergarment, electrical connection, or static electricity. I doubt available oxygen would exist for a prolonged fire, but I wouldn't want to find out the hard way either. While I don't own a heated undergarment, I am guilty of transfilling my AL6 with 50% for a 200'+ dive here and there.
Unless the dive is far beyond OC depths, the partial pressure of O2 won't be that high. For the same reason 2nd stages need not be pristine/clean the suit, valve, etc is probably fine.
It will not be 50% in his suit regardless, possibly <40% (hey why not just use 39%, problem solved right?)
"Heat" how hot does that suit heater get? Any hotter than about 102F and he'll be burnt anyway.
Re: Ignition source, a short is a really big deal regardless of the suit gas. It will burn you pretty bad, been there done that. But in either case I don't see any mention of electricity or suit heat in the OP's post anyway.
The original question was about spontaneous combustion which I find rather fanciful but if you all think its a risk knock yourselves out.
But as AJ said, leaving the wrong gas turned on at depth in a sidemount configuration where he's switching regs throughout the dive? <<---- This seems like a far far greater risk of disaster.
Seriously all this to avoid putting an AL6 on your butt? It fits fine underneath the light canister, I've done it dozens of times.
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