Gas failure kills local diver - Washington state

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Wow. I've never heard of a reg failing due to a part upside down.

I have had it done to me - however it was my Air3 - took it back to the shop it was last serviced at and they could not believe it. I had to show them and they denied it was from their end... go figure...
Only being my alternate source I found out by testing my Air3 at depth - of course I chose my primary as soon as I realized I was sucking water... It was not an emergency but I was not happy - finished my dive and got the Air3 serviced and I checked it at the shop before I paid or took it home...

 

[redacted]

what is an air3? what part was upside down/

 

[Wookie]

what is an air3? what part was upside down/

Weren't you on the boat the time we had a regulator fail? I think it was a Mk 10B. I think it was you who told me how to fix it. But that guy was plumb out of air at depth with most of a tank of gas.

 

[Skeptic14]

Sad. No buddy?

Maybe more info will come out, but I would be curious too about if there was a buddy or other divers in the proximity.

The idea of a sudden 1st stage failure (or partially open valve that stops supply air at depth) definitely is a reminder of good buddy proximity or carrying a pony.

 

[Freewillow]

I thought that regulators would - sort of - always fail by freeflowing, instead of shut down. Can somebody explain?

 

[redacted]

Weren't you on the boat the time we had a regulator fail? I think it was a Mk 10B. I think it was you who told me how to fix it. But that guy was plumb out of air at depth with most of a tank of gas.

not that i recall.

I thought that regulators would - sort of - always fail by freeflowing, instead of shut down. Can somebody explain?

"Sort of" is the key. Yes they usually fail open. But there are parts that can fail that result in no air or more water than air.

 

[Steve_C]

In the situation I talking about. DM 1 went down to set the hook. Within a couple minutes he came to the surface on a CESA from 60-70 ft. It had suddenly stopped. They put him on O2 and he was done diving for the day. No harm done. DM2 then went to set the hook available equipment was the previous reg. Reg seemed to now be working. I offered him my Al19 pony and he happily took it. He set hook and came up and gave me my now almost empty pony. Reg had again shut down at 70 ft. Shop refilled pony. To remove the hook he borrowed somebody else's reg. When they examined the reg later they found out that DM 1 had been doing his own reg servicing without proper training and there is a part that he had put in upside down.

 

[redacted]

In the situation I talking about. DM 1 went down to set the hook. Within a couple minutes he came to the surface on a CESA from 60-70 ft. It had suddenly stopped. They put him on O2 and he was done diving for the day. No harm done. DM2 then went to set the hook available equipment was the previous reg. Reg seemed to now be working. I offered him my Al19 pony and he happily took it. He set hook and came up and gave me my now almost empty pony. Reg had again shut down at 70 ft. Shop refilled pony. To remove the hook he borrowed somebody else's reg. When they examined the reg later they found out that DM 1 had been doing his own reg servicing without proper training and there is a part that he had put in upside down.

I find that very hard to believe. Any idea on the make and model?

 

[Steve_C]

The cause was relayed to me on a later dive by the shop owner/captain. Reg had been taken apart and examined by a trained technician after the trip. This is now a paraphrase but one part can be put in correctly or upside down. The two sides are only slightly different. But if in incorrectly under higher pressure it can cause a jam in the closed position. Another buddy of mine who is tech for a number of kinds of regs seemed to know the part of which we were speaking and was aware of the potential.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

what is an air3? what part was upside down/

Air2 / Air3 is the BCD regulator and inflator - it was a one way valve that was installed - upside down / backwards...
I dont use an Octo - I use a primary and my Air3.