Went diving Monday and Tuesday. Buddy had a slight 2nd stage leak from high intermediate pressure. Dumpster that old Dacor first stage, Grab backup. My old Tusa Hyperdry mask felt funny. Adjuster broke. Grabbed identical backup.
Post Your Latest Gear Failure!
- Thread starter Pedro Burrito
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About a week and a half ago, I had a dive where I had concluded, at the end of it, that I had a small leak through my dry suit inflator valve. This was based on having to dump air from my suit a number of times during the dive, despite not having added any manually. So I took took the inflator apart, cleaned and lubricated everything, and reassembled it, and it appeared to work fine. I did a half hour dive with it, during which it appeared to function normally. The next dive, I tried to descend, and could not figure out for the life of me why I couldn't get down and why I felt like a clown -- it rapidly became apparent that, the first time I depressed the button on descent, the valve had stuck open, and I was trying to descend against a constant flow of air into my suit!
My incidents were totally mild compared to most of yours! :shocked2:
When I look back, I don't really see gear failure as much as diver failure. I attribute that to taking good care of and checking out my gear.
First was with my 5 y/o Uwatec Aladin Pro Ultra. It checked out fine in the pool and was at 50% battery. However, at the end of the first dive, it went "Err". I was to find out later that an aged battery will fail at 50% and below. I love Uwatecs because they will fail safe. However, as a computer / electronics engineer, I trust nothing and still had my spg and depth gauge on the rig. Continue to dive!
Some other fun ones - I discovered a leak on one of my sidemount reg-to-first stage, so I grabbed my save-a-dive kit and replaced the #11 o-ring. It failed again and I thought I must have screwed up and replaced it again. It failed again and so I super-carefully replaced it again . . . and a 4th time. I grabbed my spare reg and simply used it. Once I got home, I figured out that the previous weekend, I had offered up my o-rings on the boat. All the #11 rings had apparently been used up -- and I had been putting in #12 which were promptly cut by the fitting because they were just that || too large. :doh:
Another fun one was standing up on the boat and hearing a snap. I looked around but could not see anything, so I thought it must have just been a slight catch. At 60 fsw, I discovered my dump valve was missing. I stuck my thumb in the empty hole.
Since the BC held air when i was vertical, there was not really a problem, just a poor case of trim . . . :blush:
Lastly, I had a spare mask in my X-shorts pocket. I took them off to use the bathroom between dives. I later found out someone had put their tank on them. On the 2nd dive, I decided to practice a mask switch. I clipped off my mask and pulled my second, all the while holding trim and drifting. The mask came out, and as I went to put it on, pieces of frame fell into my hand. I am hanging there, staring at it stupidly, when the Divemaster panics . . . It took me a bit to get through to him that I was okay. I picked up the frame pieces I dropped, and stowed away the mask parts, and wondered what happened. The DM kept staring, and signaled ascend . . . I responded why? He motions to his mask. Oops . . . yeah, I forgot to put the other mask back on. 
When I look back, I don't really see gear failure as much as diver failure. I attribute that to taking good care of and checking out my gear.
First was with my 5 y/o Uwatec Aladin Pro Ultra. It checked out fine in the pool and was at 50% battery. However, at the end of the first dive, it went "Err". I was to find out later that an aged battery will fail at 50% and below. I love Uwatecs because they will fail safe. However, as a computer / electronics engineer, I trust nothing and still had my spg and depth gauge on the rig. Continue to dive!
Some other fun ones - I discovered a leak on one of my sidemount reg-to-first stage, so I grabbed my save-a-dive kit and replaced the #11 o-ring. It failed again and I thought I must have screwed up and replaced it again. It failed again and so I super-carefully replaced it again . . . and a 4th time. I grabbed my spare reg and simply used it. Once I got home, I figured out that the previous weekend, I had offered up my o-rings on the boat. All the #11 rings had apparently been used up -- and I had been putting in #12 which were promptly cut by the fitting because they were just that || too large. :doh:
Another fun one was standing up on the boat and hearing a snap. I looked around but could not see anything, so I thought it must have just been a slight catch. At 60 fsw, I discovered my dump valve was missing. I stuck my thumb in the empty hole.
Since the BC held air when i was vertical, there was not really a problem, just a poor case of trim . . . :blush:Lastly, I had a spare mask in my X-shorts pocket. I took them off to use the bathroom between dives. I later found out someone had put their tank on them. On the 2nd dive, I decided to practice a mask switch. I clipped off my mask and pulled my second, all the while holding trim and drifting. The mask came out, and as I went to put it on, pieces of frame fell into my hand. I am hanging there, staring at it stupidly, when the Divemaster panics . . . It took me a bit to get through to him that I was okay. I picked up the frame pieces I dropped, and stowed away the mask parts, and wondered what happened. The DM kept staring, and signaled ascend . . . I responded why? He motions to his mask. Oops . . . yeah, I forgot to put the other mask back on.
Aladin dead @ 50 % battery, pretty common. The swiss count differently that the rest of the world.
Good laugh with the mask exchange. I realised that, before I do a "safety drill" with my wife, it is not a bad idea to tell the DM beforehand. I made a OOA drill and got a DM around me with wide eyes...........................
Good laugh with the mask exchange. I realised that, before I do a "safety drill" with my wife, it is not a bad idea to tell the DM beforehand. I made a OOA drill and got a DM around me with wide eyes..........................
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Aladin dead @ 50 % battery, pretty common. The swiss count differently that the rest of the world.
Good laugh with the mask exchange. I realised that, before I do a "safety drill" with my wife, it is not a bad idea to tell the DM beforehand. I made a OOA drill and got a DM around me with wide eyes..........................
To be fair! It is a function of the Li batteries. As they get old, the ability to maintain a charge reduces greatly. So, you ought to replace them at five years, with a regular service (which is free, btw, you just pay shipping).
The battery in mine was probably about 7 years old, as the computer sat on the shelf in the Marine base dive shop for at least two years.
kroorda
Contributor
My latest gear failure is my wife's Atomic Cobalt computer. My Cobalt has already been replaced three times. I know 4 other people who have Atomic Cobalt computers, and every persons' computer has had failures. WHEN the computer works, it is great. But, it is very unreliable. That's not an opinion. It's a fact: When every one I know (who has a Cobalt) has had a problem, it a fact.
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TONY CHANEY
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WarrenZ
The Ultimate Bad Example
Was taking off my new to me drysuit and popped one of my wrist seals. Luckily I was able to buy a replacement seal from a bystander.
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