I PMed Mike about his post with suggestions, but he asked me to go ahead and post:
We were discussing Mike joining SBoard to learn more on the way back to the airport after diving the wrecks off of Morehead City, and some were suggesting names like "SmallEngine" (afraid of social ramifications) and others, when I gave him this one - except there was supposed to be a question mark:
Got Air? 
The reg was a rental he didn't understand. I came upon Mike on the DeCo stop where he'd been passed from the first air donor to a second, and I stoodby on the line to assist if needed. I watched the donor's SPG while they finished the donor's DeCo. Mike was flying blind during much of this as his mask had fogged terribly, and when he tried to flood and clear - he'd lose the second stage from his mouth, so he concentrated on breathing, which was a good call.
The thought on the boat was that he had the VENTURI switch turned to as closed as possible With the V-switch tightened down, at that depth, he finally hit gas resistance, then tried harder - overbreathing the second stage.
The biggest risk of the incident was that he held his breath as he ascended a few feet to catch up with the next diver on the line. At that depth, the gas expansion in his lungs was not noticeable at the moment. Had this happened and he'd done this all at a shallower depth, the expansion would have been much greater - rupturing his lungs, leading to pulmonary embolism, perhaps complications, Coast Guard helicopter ride to Duke Univ, and a real bummer. But then, the second stage problem wouldn't have happened in the shallows.
He was entirely too polite with the first diver, swimming up and initiating a polite handsignal conversation about the possibility of perhaps borrowing some air. "Next time," I screamed later, "pull your hand across your throat once singaling out of air, then grab the alternate second stage off of the diver!" :drown:
Mike is both an irritating* as well as endearing fellow for a roommate, as well as for a greenhorn diver who'd talked his way onto a boat he didn't belong on. He apparently will not listen readily, though, unless he asks, so I was glad to see his post. He is now accumulating his own equipment, new reg, new BC, etc., and practicing - as indicated on his Athens Scuba Park thread in North America.
*Irritating: Argues when listening would be more profitable, borrows personal items like toenail clippers and hairbrush, and takes your last sixpack of beer while you're napping.
don
