Complete first stage failure?
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ScubaVideo
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We need a like, share and LMAO button.
R
redacted
Guest
If you are solo and have not planned an adequate redundant gas supply then you may be done diving. Of course, if you are buddy diving but do not practice good buddy diving techniques then you may also be done diving. For some dives, the surface is not an unreasonable redundant air supply if that is your plan. You may be very surprised at the depth you can successfully make a CESA. If not, then you should not be disappointed for long (and you will be done diving).
If the bare valve technique sounds like a good plan to you, you may want to practice it a bit more, at least until it begins to sound like a bad plan.
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If you are solo without redundancy, the failure occurred before you got in the water. On ANY dive, under any conditions, you should mentally review the most likely and the most disastrous failures, and make sure you are equipped and trained to cope with both.
In the emergency room, I look at each patient's symptoms and ask myself, "What is the most likely thing this could be? And what is the most deadly thing this could be?" Before they leave the ER, I have to be absolutely certain I have excluded the latter, and done a good workup for the former. Similarly, divers should include in their "what-ifs" the common and normal problems one might encounter on this type of dive, and the most dangerous or deadly ones, and make sure they are prepared for either.
In the emergency room, I look at each patient's symptoms and ask myself, "What is the most likely thing this could be? And what is the most deadly thing this could be?" Before they leave the ER, I have to be absolutely certain I have excluded the latter, and done a good workup for the former. Similarly, divers should include in their "what-ifs" the common and normal problems one might encounter on this type of dive, and the most dangerous or deadly ones, and make sure they are prepared for either.
Listen to the Doctor, lads.
She is dead on target here.
Not to shave a point too thinly, but "redundancy" may be the surface or a reliable buddy on a shallow open water dive. If you're below your comfortable CESA depth, however, you need a very reliable buddy or an independent redundant gas supply. Or both.
Rick
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The closest equivalent I can recall from my own experience was back in 1991 when I was working as a DM, we had a spare parts box cannibalised from old regulators. I took it upon myself to build a regulator from the various different spares parts in the box which I duly did. Tested it in the workshop and it appeared to be fine. However the boss said (wisely) that no one else was allowed to use that regulator except me until he was sure it was safe. So the next day I am on the dive boat (unusually for a young DM....) and I put my Franken-regulator on a tank and turn the gas on, and it literally explodes... showering regulator parts over everyone aboard. The laughter of all the instructors aboard still rings in my ears.
I appreciate that isn't desperately relevant to the OP's question, but I just like telling that story.
I appreciate that isn't desperately relevant to the OP's question, but I just like telling that story.
Paladin
Contributor
First off, I've never had a regulator failure. This may have something to do with the fact that I am anal about gear maintenance. I take my regulators apart, clean them and check them after every day of diving. I know if something is going to fail before it has a chance to.
Most of my diving over the years (until recently) has been solo. I have not carried a redundant air supply (unless you count a J-valve) on any of my dives. However, when diving solo, I limit my dives to depths and conditions where I know for a fact that I can do a blow-and-go if I have to. While I have never experienced an actual reg failure, the possibility is always there and is ever present somewhere in the back of my mind where I keep my repertoire of "what if" scenarios and solutions.
Most of my diving over the years (until recently) has been solo. I have not carried a redundant air supply (unless you count a J-valve) on any of my dives. However, when diving solo, I limit my dives to depths and conditions where I know for a fact that I can do a blow-and-go if I have to. While I have never experienced an actual reg failure, the possibility is always there and is ever present somewhere in the back of my mind where I keep my repertoire of "what if" scenarios and solutions.
That's a very thorough and knowledgeable response. Shouldn't you also mention the possibility of a 1st stage "freeflow" that will/could blow out the second stage? This is theoretically possible. My only other comment is that sometimes a tank valve failure is confused with a 1st stage failure. In any event, it is not a good thing to have happen. Keep your gear in good repair and have it inspected/tested annually, or more often if you dive alot.
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
It would be faster and better to ascend to the surface, than to try unscrewing the first stage and breathing out of a tank. Honestly, if you have the presence of mind and ability to take off your BC and tank, unscrew your first stage, and breathe directly off a freeflowing tank valve (???) while maintaining an appropriate rate of ascent then you are way too accomplished a diver to be making a rookie mistake like diving solo with no bailout / redundant gas source.
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