No formal safety check

[Edward3c]

During the pre-entry check I’ve often untangled crocheted hoses, connected drysuit or BCD hoses, spotted missing weight-belts. Sometimes it’s my kit that needs sorting.

One that often gets missed is the time delay of air integrated computers, people take a breath or two, but don’t wait for the transmitter to update the pressure reading. The main reason I still have a SPG.

 

[Jafo19D]

That's why I always pre-breathe my reg before splashing (or wading out). If it's below freezing, just make sure to exhale outside the reg, so it doesn't freeze from the frost forming from your breath

Me too but my C370 makes a horrible sound out of the water

 

[johndiver999]

This is very important. When diving from a dive operator's boat I'm in the habit of assembling my equipment as soon as I get on the boat. More often than not I'm done before the boat even leaves the dock. The last thing I do is breathe from both regulators and watch the SPG. Then, I leave the air on, sit down, and relax for the trip out. I remember on one trip, just prior to the dive briefing, the DM was going around turning on, or making sure, that everyone's air was on. I usually always breathe from the regs again while watching my SPG and discovered that my air was off! So, yes, breathing from the regs should be the last thing you do before entering the water.

Turning on the tank and checking the regulator is a good idea before leaving the dock.

On the other hand, leaving the tank on for the ride out is not something I do. Gear can shift, buttons can get pressed etc. during a rough ride. Depending on conditions, you might not hear or notice a slow freeflow and arrive at the dive site with a low tank.

I much prefer to check the tank early, turn it off, vent it and then try to remember to turn it on right before diving. The benefit of venting the regulator prior to the ride out is that you will eliminate the possibility of having the spg show full and the tank valve off.

Some people think it is a good idea to leave the tank on for an extended period because it will "show" a slowly bleeding/filling BC inflator and it gives the hoses a good chance to blow on the boat rather than underwater. You can probably accomplish most of that by leaving the tank on for a few minutes after the initial check.

 

[The Chairman]

What I learned to do was to start setting up immediately upon boarding the boat.

Don't be a chatty Cathy until after your kit is set up is the best piece of advice you can get.

Then, learn to spot a diver on the fly. I don't go through a formal check on every dive. Rather, I give a once over and if I haven't heard them breathe yet, I ask them to do that for me. I mean, spotting fins, mask, weights and so forth are pretty easy. AND, if they can breathe, then we're done.

 

[David Novo]

Isn’t that what a dive knife is for?

No, it is to stab your buddy just if a shark attacks.

 

[Storker]

my C370 makes a horrible sound out of the water

My Apeks XTX bleats like a sheep out of the water. I still prefer to pre-breathe it, just to make sure it's delivering gas as it's supposed to do.

Finding out that it doesn't when I'm two meters below is a mite late.

 

[Marie13]

My Apeks XTX bleats like a sheep out of the water. I still prefer to pre-breathe it, just to make sure it's delivering gas as it's supposed to do.

Finding out that it doesn't when I'm two meters below is a mite late.

My single tank AL Legend LX Supreme honks like a goose out of the water.

 

[TMHeimer]

Turning on the tank and checking the regulator is a good idea before leaving the dock.

On the other hand, leaving the tank on for the ride out is not something I do. Gear can shift, buttons can get pressed etc. during a rough ride. Depending on conditions, you might not hear or notice a slow freeflow and arrive at the dive site with a low tank.

I much prefer to check the tank early, turn it off, vent it and then try to remember to turn it on right before diving. The benefit of venting the regulator prior to the ride out is that you will eliminate the possibility of having the spg show full and the tank valve off.

Some people think it is a good idea to leave the tank on for an extended period because it will "show" a slowly bleeding/filling BC inflator and it gives the hoses a good chance to blow on the boat rather than underwater. You can probably accomplish most of that by leaving the tank on for a few minutes after the initial check.

Good points. Early on I had everything together and even the air turned on. You only do that once when you hit the brakes and something pushes the reg purge.... Since then I assemble it all, but only attach the reg at the dive site.
I even check the pressure right after picking up my tanks at the shop. One time I found that I only had 1,400 PSI, so went back to the shop. There was no leak, I guess someone just made a mistake filling it.

 

[Bob DBF]

I much prefer to check the tank early, turn it off, vent it and then try to remember to turn it on right before diving. The benefit of venting the regulator prior to the ride out is that you will eliminate the possibility of having the spg show full and the tank valve off.

I turn mine off because I don't like my HP air charged when Im not around, and the dry bleed in a Sherwood will bleed air as long as its pressurized, depending on the length of the ride it adds up.

When I vent the reg, I do it into the BC, since the procedure is to wait on the surface for your buddy after the stride, I'll need a bit of air in it anyway.

 

[The Chairman]

One time I found that I only had 1,400 PSI, so went back to the shop. There was no leak, I guess someone just made a mistake filling it.

If it was NitrOx, they possibly put in oxygen but no air. That actually happened to me. Your safety is entirely up to you. Depending on others is a bad plan.