Can't reliably reach doubles valves....Help!

[boulderjohn]

There are a number of videos of people doing a valve drill easily. Take a look at some of them, then ask yourself this question: are your valves in the same place theirs are?

For me, the answer was a resounding "NO!"

What I am going to say will contradict what some others have said.

For me, my valves were too high! They were in a place behind my head that I had trouble reaching. When I manipulated my harness and tank bands to actually lower them, I found them much easier to reach.

I, too, was positively influenced by the link Lynne (TS&M) provided, the one that I believe others have mentioned already. Unfortunately, I lost the link, and the last time I mentioned it Lynne had no idea what I was talking about. Now I am older than she is (not by all that much), so I am not going to accuse her of a senior moment, but I wish she could come up with it.

 

[Scott L]

I, too, was positively influenced by the link Lynne (TS&M) provided, the one that I believe others have mentioned already. Unfortunately, I lost the link, and the last time I mentioned it Lynne had no idea what I was talking about. Now I am older than she is (not by all that much), so I am not going to accuse her of a senior moment, but I wish she could come up with it.

She posted the peice in question in the past 10 days I believe. I also seem to have on the onset of whatchamacallit disease or else I would recall...

 

[AndyNZ]

Any idea on where to get the book? (Cameron Martz's wonderful book "Fitness for Divers") Amazon says they don't have it and can't get it.

If Bob's link doesn't work, it's also advertised on the GUE website - Welcome | Global Underwater Explorers.

 

[TSandM]

The long writeup on shutdowns is HERE. I didn't post this earlier because the OP said he had already read it and the other things I have written about reaching valves, like the recommendation for Cameron's articles.

 

[Chief Dave L]

Thanks Andy. It's on it's way.

Dave

 

[Scott L]

The long writeup on shutdowns is HERE. I didn't post this earlier because the OP said he had already read it and the other things I have written about reaching valves, like the recommendation for Cameron's articles.

Thanks for posting as I will now bookmark for my personal reading. The OP's mention of having read the two resources must have been made via PM I guess hence the confusion here. Thanks again!

 

[AfterDark]

This is one of those SB discussions that awes me. I've never found the need to touch my valve(s) once the reg is mounted. I turn them on all the way on, back off 1/4 turn and that's it! They don't get touched again until I take the reg off. Presently I'm using a tank mounted pony that I treat the same way. I can't reach my valves after 2 rotator ops. Some time this year I'll be using independent doubles which will be two single tanks banded together. Once them valves are on they'll stay on. I guess I don't get it all the valves and isolation and such. Two tanks two regs no muss no fuss throw the pony on and make it threesome. I want to dive not turn valves!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

This is one of those SB discussions that awes me. I've never found the need to touch my valve(s) once the reg is mounted. I turn them on all the way on, back off 1/4 turn and that's it! They don't get touched again until I take the reg off. Presently I'm using a tank mounted pony that I treat the same way. I can't reach my valves after 2 rotator ops. Some time this year I'll be using independent doubles which will be two single tanks banded together. Once them valves are on they'll stay on. I guess I don't get it all the valves and isolation and such. Two tanks two regs no muss no fuss throw the pony on and make it threesome. I want to dive not turn valves!

I take it you don't dive overheads ... if you do, there's gonna come a day when you're either gonna reach your valves or seriously wish you could ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[AfterDark]

I take it you don't dive overheads ... if you do, there's gonna come a day when you're either gonna reach your valves or seriously wish you could ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Correct, wrecks are about as much overhead as I want. I don't like to have to back out of places in or out of the water, not quite a phobia just something I'd like to avoid.
Comes from years of working inside new construction submarines, lots of tight places. Part of what I love about diving is the freedom of movement.

Unless someone turns my valve(s) off, them babies are on full blast long before they get on my back, every regulator has at least 3 breaths and a purge button push taken from it before its on my back. I've had to go back for my weight belt, knife, my other fin....., but my gas is not overlooked. I've done it so many times for so long its just second nature. One of the 1st things a new buddy notices after a while is my regulator ritual. Maybe I should make it part of my pool PT to try and reach my valves.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Correct, wrecks are about as much overhead as I want. I don't like to have to back out of places in or out of the water, not quite a phobia just something I'd like to avoid.
Comes from years of working inside new construction submarines, lots of tight places. Part of what I love about diving is the freedom of movement.

Unless someone turns my valve(s) off, them babies are on full blast long before they get on my back, every regulator has at least 3 breaths and a purge button push taken from it before its on my back. I've had to go back for my weight belt, knife, my other fin....., but my gas is not overlooked. I've done it so many times for so long its just second nature. One of the 1st things a new buddy notices after a while is my regulator ritual. Maybe I should make it part of my pool PT to try and reach my valves.

I also have a similar ritual ... but I would never consider doing a dive that involved any kind of overhead (real or virtual) without the ability to manipulate my valves.

You mentioned wrecks ... do you go inside of them? If so, please consider that you can bang your valves on stuff in there (easily) ... and sometimes never know it. Because of the way your valves rotate, some possibilities present themselves ...

- You bang your right post and damage it. Now it's leaking ... maybe not catastrponically, but enough to be a concern. You decide to go ahead and breathe it down, then switch to your backup. But you need to be able to reach your isolator valve to close it, to prevent gas from your left cylinder from leaking out through the manifold and the damaged right post valve ... you're gonna need that gas once your right tank empties.

- You roll off your left post. It closes, and you don't even know it. No problem at all ... unless for some reason you need to pass your primary reg to a buddy. You pop your backup reg in your mouth, take a breath ... take another breath and halfway thru that second breath you're suddenly OOA. Now what? Your buddy has the other one. You can (if you're not in a restriction) get his attention and buddy breathe while he turns your left post back on. But if you're in a tight spot ... one of you is gonna be pretty well hosed, depending on who wins the battle for the working reg.

Of course, it's always possible that when you need it most, you'll discover that ... in fact ... you CAN reach your valves. Needing to breathe is a powerful motivator. But wouldn't it be nice to know beforehand that you could if you needed to?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)