Does anyone push their purge button on OOG drills?

[Cave Diver]

I have never purged while donating, but reading that thread made me think about it more. In regards to getting through class, panic can be blind. especially if dive no 5 is 1 year after dive no 4. (I am not wanting to open the refresher discussion).

I try to prevent someone in distress/panic from going to the surface. However, I know when to let someone go and not hurt myself.

The other diver initially panicked due to flooding mask. For all we know, they could have snorted water and been choking. If this was the case, purging the reg could have forced more water down.

I'll stick to handing off a reg like crd_kats described. They can purge it themselves unless they're unconscious.

 

[ScubaInChicago]

Another issue (speculation) could be that the diver had his mask completely flooded, couldn't see, lost his reg and now was being force fed a flooded reg all while being forced to stay at depth. In a moment of panic I can see how this could end tragically.

 

[Cave Diver]

Another issue (speculation) could be that the diver had his mask completely flooded, couldn't see, lost his reg and now was being force fed a flooded reg all while being forced to stay at depth. In a moment of panic I can see how this could end tragically.

Possible:

Two divers, where one of them was an instructor, where diving private. The second diver was still unexperienced. It seems that he was in panic when his mask had a serious leak. He made a rapid ascend. The experienced diver hold him back. During that action the panicked diver lost his regulator. The instructor pushed him his octopus in his mouth. He refused to take it and apparently wanted again to ascend rapidly. The instructor forced the reserve regulator in his mouth but he spit it out again. Finally the diver lost his life.

 

[ScubaInChicago]

I think my version flows better...(speculation)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I learned a hard lesson about purging a regulator this past August, when I was taking my cave training. While diving in a cave with a fair bit of flow, and breathing hard due to exertion, I donated my primary to my dive buddy and put my backup in my own mouth. Without purging, I inhaled ... and a tiny amount of water went down my windpipe, causing my larynx to spasm shut.

I spent a very uncomfortable minute or so on the cave floor, forcing myself to concentrate on relaxing so the spasm would pass. I will (hopefully) never make that mistake again.

Under any circumstance where a diver is able to, I don't think their buddy should be purging the donated regulator ... I think the receiving diver needs to do that. But I do think it's important for every diver to learn that anytime they are putting a regulator in their mouth that's been exposed to the water, this is something they need to do ... either by exhalation or by using the purge button.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Blackwood]

No, I don't purge the reg on OOG drills. It's a drill, my buddy just saw me breathing off of it, and knows its working. In real life would I? Depends on who is OOG and what the situation is.


However, I was taught to slightly purge the regulator I'm holding in an "unconscious" buddy's mouth (idea being to maintain positive pressure in there to keep the water out).

 

[bamamedic]

Was practicing OOA drills with a friend, and he insisted on holding the purge while donating. Turns out, that's a great way to shoot a combination of water/air down someone's throat. Not particularly fun....

 

[hobodiver]

Was practicing OOA drills with a friend, and he insisted on holding the purge while donating. Turns out, that's a great way to shoot a combination of water/air down someone's throat. Not particularly fun....

Did he hit the purge before you had the regulator in your mouth, or afterwards?

 

[fisheater]

There is a recent Lessons for Life on this.

Lessons for Life: All Choked Up :: Seaduction ®

A dive instructor doing an OOA drill had the student hit the purge and drive water into his lungs, causing a spasm and inability to breath.

 

[bamamedic]

Did he hit the purge before you had the regulator in your mouth, or afterwards?

He was hitting the purge as I was trying to take the regulator from him, and continuing to hit it while I was attempting to insert it into my mouth.