BC inflator failure.

[archer1960]

Tursiops correctly points out that disconnecting the inflator hose is a required skill for the pool sessions in all RSTC agencies.

He did not mention that oral inflation is also a required skill in all WRSTC agencies. In PADI's new standards, it is a point of emphasis and must be done several times in confined water and twice in the open water dives.

Dump valves are supposed to dump air faster than the inflator adds it. If the diver is using a BCD with a pull dump in the shoulder valve, then all that needs to be done is to pull on the corrugated hose with the left hand while disconnected the hose with the right hand.

I don't recall disconnecting and reconnecting the inflator hose *in the water* during my OW training, though we did it on land multiple times. We did use oral inflation several times; the instructor had us use the power inflator once so we knew how it felt, and then had us inflate orally the rest of the time at the surface. We only inflated orally under water once that I recall.

 

[tursiops]

I don't recall disconnecting and reconnecting the inflator hose *in the water* during my OW training, though we did it on land multiple times. We did use oral inflation several times; the instructor had us use the power inflator once so we knew how it felt, and then had us inflate orally the rest of the time at the surface. We only inflated orally under water once that I recall.

The oral inflation sounds about right. The LPI disconnection is to be done at the surface or underwater....not on land. (PADI)

 

[archer1960]

The oral inflation sounds about right. The LPI disconnection is to be done at the surface or underwater....not on land. (PADI)

If we did it, I don't remember doing it, though we did a lot of skills under 30 - 50ft of water in Grand Cayman, so I just may not remember doing them all. I'll be sure to do that on my next few dives so I get a feel for it on my new rig.

 

[tursiops]

If we did it, I don't remember doing it, though we did a lot of skills under 30 - 50ft of water in Grand Cayman, so I just may not remember doing them all. I'll be sure to do that on my next few dives so I get a feel for it on my new rig.

The hose skill is in confined water.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[Bubbles below]

My BC was adding air on my night dive in Kauai and I was at 54ft. I dumped my air and it keeps adding every minutes or so. My guide wonder why my neutral buoyancy was out of whack since I been diving w them all week. I was a newly certified divers and I remember to do a quick dump, but some how I didn't remember to disconnect my LP hose. I remember when I did disconnected during my open water I had a hard time. Also, I almost drown using the rental. I love my Aqua Lung Pearl w my 2nd air source attached. It's really easy to oral inflate w my Atomic 2nd source. Also, during that week I did several beach shore dives so just one piece of grain sand ruins a dive. When I got to shore, I disconnected the LP hose and gave it lots of water. Now, I don't disconnect my regulator when I do a beach/shore dives until my clear away from sand.

 

[drbill]

One thing we never had to worry about in the early days when we dove without BCDs! I was in Palau recently and my inflater hose wouldn't connect properly to my Air2. I just detached it and did the three dives that day without a functioning BCD. Fortunately I had not over-weighted myself that day for filming (as I usually do) so it was easy peasy. I had the inflater working fine the next day.

 

[dberry]

One thing we never had to worry about in the early days when we dove without BCDs! I was in Palau recently and my inflater hose wouldn't connect properly to my Air2. I just detached it and did the three dives that day without a functioning BCD. Fortunately I had not over-weighted myself that day for filming (as I usually do) so it was easy peasy. I had the inflater working fine the next day.

Never having taken apart an inflator valve, I'm curious if there is anything special I should add to my travel tool kit if I ever need to clear some sand out between dives? (besides misc. wrenches, screwdrivers, and assorted O-rings.)

 

[cool_hardware52]

Never having taken apart an inflator valve, I'm curious if there is anything special I should add to my travel tool kit if I ever need to clear some sand out between dives? (besides misc. wrenches, screwdrivers, and assorted O-rings.)

https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=1302

https://www.deepseasupply.com/templates/inflator.html


Many dive shops sell "Air II's" and the all the other combo oct inflators as a dealer add on. That means there is often a box under the counter at the dive shop full of "Take off" inflators.

My advice is to get at least one that uses the same basic cartridge valve found in your inflator. Rebuild it if necessary. Then seal it in a little plastic bag in your save a dive kit. That way if you have a sticky inflator all you have to do is spin out the sticky cartridge valve and swap it. Takes about a minute. Much easier than swapping inflators.

Tobin

 

[Aotus]

---------- Post added May 10th, 2015 at 08:44 AM ----------[/SIZE]

[/COLOR]

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?

No. That's exactly what I'm talking about. If they do this every dive, they're welcoming salt crystals into the system every time. This isn't a hard skill, it can be practiced a few times and then stop doing it to reduce the likelihood that you'll create a problem by constantly allowing debris or salt into the inflator.

---------- Post added May 22nd, 2015 at 11:22 AM ----------

EZ-ON Quick Disconnect Adapter[/URL]" at DGX. I just bought 3. The allow you to just push the LP hose onto the inflator, no weird push-pull two/three handed nonsense. (note: you have to also by a short regulator hose to use for your inflator using this adapter...altogether about $30 and you never have to deal with that pain in the butt struggle again!)

I decided to use an EZ-ON Quick Disconnect Adapter (because it is easy to disconnect with gloves) for my drysuit and a standard QD adapter for the power inflator. I use regulator hose to QD adapters instead of QD swaged to the hose for easier field repairs and reducing my hose inventory. YMMV.

https://www.divegearexpress.com/regulators/adapters/qd.shtml#2113

Upon further testing of these DGX EZ-on quick release adapters, I DO NOT recommend them. They seemed to work very well during setup if the hoses are not pressurized. However, if setting up in the water with pressurized hoses it's more difficult to attach them. So too, if you need to disconnect and reconnect during a dive, it's difficult to reconnect without either turning your tank off or holding the inflator on to reduce the pressure while connecting - neither is a viable option mid-dive. Sometimes they work, but too often they are more difficult to manage than a simple standard coupling. Too bad.

 

[The Chairman]

My advice is to get at least one that uses the same basic cartridge valve found in your inflator. Rebuild it if necessary. Then seal it in a little plastic bag in your save a dive kit.

This is easy enough to do as they are light and pack easily if traveling. Personally, I like the Zeagle inflators. They use a Schraeder valve, which is the core found inside a modern automotive valve stem or most innertubes. Easy, easy fix and even though I carry spare inflators, I also carry a small package of Stainless Steel Schraeder Valves. It's the department of redundancy department, department in me. It also provides an easy method to flush your BC with any garden hose and makes using Tobin's valve flusher that much easier to use. That way, you don't have to worry about salt crystals growing where they shouldn't.