BC inflator failure.

[Dhboner]

I know this will sound a little anal retentive but at the end of a lot of my dives I practice a couple of different skills...donating the long hose while it is clipped off (I dive sidemount), emergency disconnect of the LP hose on both the wing and drysuit, mask removal and swim without mask etc. It's a great training habit at the end of a dive. My sons and I always do drills during a dive (OOA, SMB deployment) but you can use the last few minutes of a dive to practice a few self-rescue skills.

 

[The Chairman]

Keep it simple. If you have a runaway inflator, simply disconnect it. You were taught oral inflation as an OW student, so use that skill.

 

[cool_hardware52]

I know this will sound a little anal retentive but at the end of a lot of my dives I practice a couple of different skills...donating the long hose while it is clipped off (I dive sidemount), emergency disconnect of the LP hose on both the wing and drysuit, mask removal and swim without mask etc. It's a great training habit at the end of a dive. My sons and I always do drills during a dive (OOA, SMB deployment) but you can use the last few minutes of a dive to practice a few self-rescue skills.

This is exactly what I do. It not only provides practice for useful skills, it also de-conditions one from associating the loss of a mask etc. from an emergency. If you take my mask away it's just another day at the office…..

Tobin

 

[PeterNBiddle]

...wait...do vest-style BCs have the option to orally inflate?? I think only the fancy new ones with the lever-controlled power inflator don't

No, the fancy new ones with the lever controlled power inflator have oral inflation as well. I know, my buddy dives one. I'm not aware of any modern BC that lacks oral inflation.

---------- Post added May 10th, 2015 at 08:14 AM ----------

If you want to slow the flow rate of an inflator you need to restrict the opening somewhere in the system. Easiest is to drill and tap the Male QD from the inside, and install a brass set screw and then drill it to whatever diameter you want.

10 Minutes work with a reasonably equipped lathe.

I wouldn't bother. There are other ways to handle the problem.

Tobin

You don't need a lathe to do this. You could do it with a hand-drill and the right sized tap.

---------- Post added May 10th, 2015 at 08:19 AM ----------

I know this will sound a little anal retentive but at the end of a lot of my dives I practice a couple of different skills...donating the long hose while it is clipped off (I dive sidemount), emergency disconnect of the LP hose on both the wing and drysuit, mask removal and swim without mask etc. It's a great training habit at the end of a dive. My sons and I always do drills during a dive (OOA, SMB deployment) but you can use the last few minutes of a dive to practice a few self-rescue skills.

Sounds eminently reasonable. I end *every* dive with manual inflation of my BC, occasionally switch regs and regularly flood my mask.

I don't disconnect the LPI though - but I think I will now. Great idea.

Of course I'm occasionally anal as well.

 

[Aotus]

Disconnecting your LP hose from your inflator and reconnection it, during an ocean dive, for practice, sounds to me like a recipe for a self-fulfilling prophecy...this should be practiced when salt crystals cannot enter the inflator assembly.

 

[cool_hardware52]

You don't need a lathe to do this. You could do it with a hand-drill and the right sized tap.

Uh, well maybe, but I never suggested you had to have a lathe.

Given I own a machine shop with that includes 8 lathes it's how I would do it, if I ever felt the need.

As I noted already I find zero need to do so.

BTW, good luck with that hand drill in brass. I'd suggest having a *few* spare QD's handy.

Tobin.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

Uh, well maybe, but I never suggested you had to have a lathe.

Given I own a machine shop with that includes 8 lathes it's how I would do it, if I ever felt the need.

As I noted already I find zero need to do so.

BTW, good luck with that hand drill in brass. I'd suggest having a *few* spare QD's handy.

Tobin.

I don't plan on doing it at all, but there's an mod for the rifle actions I work on that involves a similar operation. It's really not particularly hard. By the time you've got your part indexed I might be done.

Given I own, among other things, a Flow waterjet, I could try to drill it out with that. But that seems like overkill.

---------- Post added May 10th, 2015 at 08:44 AM ----------

Disconnecting your LP hose from your inflator and reconnection it, during an ocean dive, for practice, sounds to me like a recipe for a self-fulfilling prophecy...this should be practiced when salt crystals cannot enter the inflator assembly.

Did you miss the other posts where people talked about doing this EVERY DIVE? Not as practice, but just as part of how they dive?

 

[cool_hardware52]

I don't plan on doing it at all, but there's an mod for the rifle actions I work on that involves a similar operation. It's really not particularly hard. By the time you've got your part indexed I might be done.

Given I own, among other things, a Flow waterjet, I could try to drill it out with that. But that seems like overkill.

I doubt you'd be done before me. I have 2 Hardinge HLV's It takes about 30 seconds to fit the the right (1/4) 5C collet and secure the part dead on…..

I have 100HP Flow Pump (W20X) but I use a Jet Edge Table. Kinda hard to see how one would use a water jet to drill a blind hole…...

Tobin

 

[tursiops]

Disconnecting your LP hose from your inflator and reconnection it, during an ocean dive, for practice, sounds to me like a recipe for a self-fulfilling prophecy...this should be practiced when salt crystals cannot enter the inflator assembly.

Comment #1: the disconnecting/connecting, and why, is part of the first hour of pool training for a scuba cert. It should not be a surprise to anyone, including the OP.
Comment #2: cleaning out the inflator mechanism with fresh water is a best-practice after a dive/dive-day/dive-trip, regardless of whether you have been fiddling with your LPI hose underwater.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

I have the little 30HP with the intensifier on the Mach 2. I could just turn it on for a second. That would work, wouldn't it?

/end_irony