Free flow bodge good or not?

[northernone]

I was solo.

No issues! I cried a little at the potential hose damage though.

What concerns you've read or your local divers expressed seem the most relevant to your situation?

A possible side note: a question regarding solo multi tank diving might be better suited for the advanced forum.

If it's a basic question, my answer would be the dive would be best called. In the case of equipment failure the dive is over unless returned to 100% functional.

Cheers.
Cameron

 

[soggybadger]

No issues! I cried a little at the potential hose damage though.

What concerns you've read or your local divers expressed seem the most relevant to your situation?

Cheers.
Cameron

That I wasn't following correct procedure for the situation by not ending the dive. They completely missed the more serious concern. The problem I now have is being seen as a liability more than an asset as a buddy. I don't really lose any sleep over it. I am confident in what I am doing and prefer when possible to dive solo and rely on me. On deeper or more demanding dives i buddy up and would have called the dive.... probably. It seems as though you will be ostracised if you do not follow the rules rigidly. Are we not allowed to adapt and overcome problems in a safe manner?

 

[TMHeimer]

While I agree with those that the absolutely safest thing to do was switch to your pony and end the dive, you were at 20'. That's the sort of diving I mostly do--rarely below 30', solo. Basically glorified snorkeling. You had the pony. I assume you are capable of numerous other things, like controlled ascent, dropping weights (you probably have nowhere near enough nitrogen in your tissues to worry about a slightly too fast ascent from 20').
I put my console hose under my tank bottom by mistake a while back while gearing up on a picnic table and the hose cracked, ending my day. Whilst the hose was in the city being replaced, I continued diving the next week or two by using my pony's reg. Now I keep the pony reg in the car always, in case my "reg reg" ever becomes unusable again.
Why do you bother with a pony at all for 20'?
Oh, thanks. I looked up "bodge" and learned a new word.

 

[soggybadger]

While I agree with those that the absolutely safest thing to do was switch to your pony and end the dive, you were at 20'. That's the sort of diving I mostly do--rarely below 30', solo. Basically glorified snorkeling. You had the pony. I assume you are capable of numerous other things, like controlled ascent, dropping weights (you probably have nowhere near enough nitrogen in your tissues to worry about a slightly too fast ascent from 20').
I put my console hose under my tank bottom by mistake a while back while gearing up on a picnic table and the hose cracked, ending my day. Whilst the hose was in the city being replaced, I continued diving the next week or two by using my pony's reg. Now I keep the pony reg in the car always, in case my "reg reg" ever becomes unusable again.
Why do you bother with a pony at all for 20'?
Oh, thanks. I looked up "bodge" and learned a new word.

Skills practice session. I like to keep it as realistic as possible so I practice my skills in the gear i dive. I like a spare bottle of air with me when I shore dive as you never know when an old fishing net is going to come on by and try to ruin your day. Some may think I am over cautious but I ain't dead yet and intend to keep it that way. Most of my shore diving is shallow enough for a cesa but I'd rather not unless I need to practice. Iain

 

[TMHeimer]

Understood. I didn't think of the fishing net as there is pretty much nothing man made in the waters around here.

 

[soggybadger]

This way we have nets and pot lines to keep an eye out for close to shore. My biggest worry in bad viz close in is roving snags of mono. I have managed to stay clear but have pulled out some whoppers with a grapple and a 4×4 from a popular local wreck site nearby. The wreck is only about 150 yards offshore and popular with shore fishermen who then lose lots of terminal tackle between the entry point and the wreck. I don't buy fishing weights anymore as I pull more than I need out of the sea.

 

[Neilwood]

My thoughts on this - you actually dived with enough redundancy to allow the bodge to work.

You actually had three regs with plentiful air when you started the dive. You took one out of commission with the free flow & blocked hose but that still left you with two working regs and two independent air sources (with a large contingency with regards to your "horse"*).

For a new diver (being basic scuba here), your actions might seem to be less than careful but they certainly appear to have been well thought out.

You did the right thing as far as I am concerned - you "fixed" the freeflow (great so long as the hose doesn't fail but I am guessing you would probably have bailed at that point if the hose had burst), you switched reg allowing you to finish the tank, and still had your back up pony in reserve.

*pony (albeit a damn large one)