Did I Do Right?

[milbournosphere]

My overall concern was the gauge no longer reporting accurate info. I wasn't sure one way or the other when I noticed at depth. Once I got top-side Google and you guys informed me otherwise, so now I know for next time. Thanks for the info and advice.

The gauge was from an old ProSub cluster with a QC date on the SPG of 1986, so it was on the older side; looked just like this one:

Picked up a used one for $25, had my LDS bench test the rig when I filled my tanks, and am off and running again with no issues.

 

[Seaduced]

You made the right call. If it does not feel right, calling a dive is the right thing to do.

I had a gauge flood on a trip a while back. It continued to work accurately for several days of diving until the salt started to crystallize and interfere with the needle movement. Luckily enough, it lasted long enough to finish that trip. I should have kept it in water overnight so it could not dry out between dive days. Lesson learned for austere locations. I replaced it with a good brass and glass gauge when I got home.

Someone mentioned a gauge/hose failure causing a leak, the high pressure port has a very small orifice so the amount of air escaping is pretty small. There is enough time to easily reach the surface from any recreational depth even with a complete hose failure.

 

[NAM001]

I would not be concerned with havng the whole reg checked out or overhauled before using it again as one suggested. So long as you have breathing air and the reg is drawing fine i can think of no reason that contamination could ever get into the primary. A gage swap and your on the road again. Untill this post i never gave much thought about the vulnerability of braaking the gage face cover. I doubt that many carry a spare gage in thier tool kit. I will now. As far as calling the dive, It is only your opinion that counts. If you felt it could compromise your safety. You did the right thing. The surface is where you reevaluate the situation and determine the outcome of the rest of the day.

 

[TSandM]

I actually had this exact failure occur on a trip to Coz . . . where it turns out not to be easy at all to find a simple SPG to buy. I dove the gauge for a couple of days with the face flooded, until algae began to grow in it and I couldn't see the display any more. I finally found a little tiny SPG at a shop that supported technical diving. I had to struggle to read it!

 

[cnar]

I don't think you over reacted. Your life is dependent on this equipment and when something happens that can potentially compromise the accuracy of the equipment it is always the prudent thing to call the dive. The possibility exists that your gauge could be potentially skewed during the dive and could have been showing a few hundred PSI more than it should be. I personally know this is not a good experience.

Now if it was something like a compass I'd continue the dive (admittedly I carry 2) but not if it is something related to my life support system.