Is is possible to breathe from your BCD?

[oldschool]

I first learned to scuba in the late 70's in Germany. We used horsecollar BCs with a small bottle attached directly to the BC. The bottle was filled from the main tank prior to the dive. One of the skills we learned was popping a bit of air from the bottle into the bc and breathing out of the inflator. It actually worked extremely well. The trick was only putting a little air at a time into the bc so as not to become too bouyant.

 

[DevonDiver]

A.P.Valves still make the Buddy Commando BCD - that features a mini-cylinder for "emergency breathing and buoyancy". You would access the air via the LPI. I owned two of those BCDs when I first started diving - they're synonymous with UK diving, you see them everywhere.. a nice piece of kit. I always used to remove the mini-cylinder though, as it added bulk.

 

[RonFrank]

Rather than discussing this absurd idea let's take a survey.

Have you ever breathed from your BC?

For me the answer is..... NO.

You have to be rather foolish to:

• run out of air
• be unable to share air/buddy breath
• loose your buddy
• have no redundancy if diving solo
• be unable to breath off the reg (primary or octo), but the inflater has air?
• be unable to perform a CESA

Just because you can light a fire with dynamite does not make it a good idea.

No training agency advocates this that I am aware.

This entire discussion is rather foolish. Lets not bring Cave into the mix as this is the Basic Forum.

 

[supergaijin]

A summation then:

Yes, it is possible.
No, it is not advisable.

Diver Magazine? UK Diver Magazine? ran a story 2 years or so back with a diver who did this, survived but spent months in hospital battling a fungal infection. It took a while for them to realise where the fungus had come from, but finally cut his BCD up, and found the origin. The diver died about a year ago from the lung infection.

 

[DevonDiver]

Diver Magazine? UK Diver Magazine? ran a story 2 years or so back with a diver who did this, survived but spent months in hospital battling a fungal infection. It took a while for them to realise where the fungus had come from, but finally cut his BCD up, and found the origin. The diver died about a year ago from the lung infection.

I remember reading a similar report (the same?) that provided the results of a bacteria test on the inside of the BCD bladder. In a nutshell - it'd be more healthy to lick your toilet clean.

 

[idive2]

I remember reading a similar report (the same?) that provided the results of a bacteria test on the inside of the BCD bladder. In a nutshell - it'd be more healthy to lick your toilet clean.

If my first stage locked up ( I know how rare but just for an example) at 120 feet and I found myself without a buddy and without a pony (would not happen with me but just an example) I would certainly be entertaining the idea of sucking whatever breathable air is left in bc on the way up. This might only be maybe one or two breathes but maybe just enough to head off the state of panic that would certainly set in with no air to breathe at 120 feet. The best advice is don't get yourself in this situation but nice to know every last option one has if they find themselves there.

 

[flots am]

If my first stage locked up ( I know how rare but just for an example) at 120 feet and I found myself without a buddy and without a pony (would not happen with me but just an example) I would certainly be entertaining the idea of sucking whatever breathable air is left in bc on the way up.

So what you're saying is that you would rather perform a non-recommended procedure that's known dangerous and possibly fatal, instead of a recommended procedure that's been tested by thousands of divers and found to be safe?

flots.

 

[divin'dog]

If for some strange reason I needed a couple breaths of air to survive, I'm sure I would opt for taking a puff or two off the ol' BC. I think the will to survive trumps fear of fungus!

As to being in a situation where you would need to do that... Who knows? Life is stranger than fiction but it would be an absolute last resort. I just think it would be a really bad situation...

 

[Tjack]

I have often wondered about breathing from your BC in an emergency. I like the idea of using the BC as a re-breather, maintains buoyancy as opposed to just taking air from the BC and exhaling it. I might just go and disinfect my BC right now. Good discussion.

 

[windapp]

Even if I didn't have airtrim (The air only goes one way through the inflator hose), I think I would spend my time and energy trying to surface rather than trying to get the one or two breaths I could out of my BCD. Also, given that I might have one breath left in my tank as the ambient pressure drops, I would want to keep my regulator in my mouth.

Edit- Just re-read the original post again.

You are talking about a situation where the first stage is still working, and the second stage and octo are both not delivering any air. The lever arm would essentially have to break on both for this to happen.