Question about removing first stage underwater

[Doof]

I was just reading the thread in which SeaJay reported on his DIR-F class, and I read this:

The next day in class we got a real lesson in valve drills from Andrew. We were at 20 feet getting ready to practice s-drills when Jack's second stage on his primary started to leak air from the connection between the regulator and the hose. He went to his backup, then fiddled with his primary's second stage, giving it a twist to tighten it up. Well, as we learned later that was a mistake. The connection leaks that way if the o-ring is not seated correctly, and tightening the connection just makes the o-ring break completely. Which is exactly what happened. Bubbles everywhere. Jack shut down the valve to his primary, thereby demonstrating the utility of his newly-perfected valve manipulation skills. While he was doing that, I'm thinking our dive is toasted, because now we've only got three functioning second stages between us, and we're not going to be doing any conventional s-drills that way.

Andrew was watching over us, and took the situation in hand in a way I couldn't believe. I watched him shut down the valve to his own primary and isolator, while I'm wondering what's going on. Then he reached back a little further, and calmly removed his primary first stage from the manifold! He then went over to Jack, and replaced Jack's first stage with his. On we went with our dive. I couldn't believe it.

Wouldn't water get trapped in the connection between the valve and first stage? Or no? If so, wouldn't that cause problems with the regulator? I was under the impression that water in the first stage was a Bad Thing (tm). I guess I'm wrong?

 

[WreckWriter]

Its certainly not good for the reg but the point is that in an emergency it will work. Not something you want to practice, just something to file away just in case...

WW

 

[ericfine50]

fresh and salt also make a difference.
Eric

 

[Lead_carrier]

Absolute emergency... Yes I might try it, but I would not recommend it. It will contaminate the filter,possibly stopping it up, and internal parts of the first stage. Whether I was in fresh or salt water I would definitely rebuild mine as soon as possible. I've had to rebuild too many regs with internal corrison to trust one to work correctly for very long after that.

 

[Diver0001]

Doof once bubbled...
I was just reading the thread in which SeaJay reported on his DIR-F class, and I read this:



Wouldn't water get trapped in the connection between the valve and first stage? Or no? If so, wouldn't that cause problems with the regulator? I was under the impression that water in the first stage was a Bad Thing (tm). I guess I'm wrong?

On the one hand it's just water. It will blow through the reg. Cleaning it properly after the fact might involve stripping it depending on the salt content in the water. Seems to me that it's a good idea to purge as you open the pillar valve if you were to do this.

On the other hand I'm not the least bit fond of "Indiana Jones" manoeuvres in normal diving. The "need" for this skill presumes that you're stuck in an overhead with a buddy whose regs are both broken and your air supply is too small to get you both out. Under any other circumstances you'd call the dive.

R..

 

[runvus4]

Not to speak for any DIR peeps, but from the first DIR book, GUE/DIR also prefers piston 1st stages because they feel that piston first stages are better at passing the slug of water without locking up then a diaphram first stage.

As others have stated, it is an emergency procedure only, and a very good to at least know about in case you ever have to get at the gas inside a particular tank (only tank left/only tank with gas useable at that depth/etc.) and the regulator attached to it is blown. Again, as mentioned before, you would want to get your regulator cleaned/serviced soon after such an event.

 

[scubaredneck]

I would be quite hesitant to pull off my 1st stage underwater, even in fresh water. There may not be any salt to mess it up but pond/lake muck will mess it up also.

 

[dc4bs]

I've seen it done once in salt water.

During my TDI-Deco course, another student had his deco bottle reg leak from the DIN fitting when he turned it on at the 1st deco stop. I don't know why it didn't leak during the openings to keep the pressure up in the 2nd stage hose on the way down...

He wasn't in danger as we had more than enough gas to share among the other students and the instructors (or he could have simply done a longer hang on his remaining 1/3 of back gas) but after fiddling with it a bit, the regulator was removed and the O-ring reseated. It worked just fine for the deco hang after that.

The reg was dropped off at the LDS for service on the way home from the trip the next day.

 

[Amphibious]

I'll chime in and say "ONLY" as a last resort. It can be done quite easily, but I don't want to put my regs through that kind of hell.

you'll fry your SPG or any air-integrated computer if you shoot water down the HP hose. Fix = $$$

Willer

 

[detroit diver]

Just for clarification:

I was the "Jack" in that post. It was made by my dive buddy WJL.

We were in a class at about 20ffw. It was easier for Andrew to do what he did than it was for all of us to surface, swim to the platform, get out, do the fix, and then return.

If this had been a "regular" dive, we would have called it immediately.

That said, it sure was interesting to be a part of!! That guy has spider arms....