SI Tech Recalls Diving Suit Hoses Due to Drowning Hazard

[ScubaSam]

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2009
Release # 10-010

Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 348-3529
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

SI Tech Recalls Diving Suit Hoses Due to Drowning Hazard; One Death Reported

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Diving Air Hose for Dry Suits

Units: About 65,000

Manufacturer: SI Tech AB, of Brastad, Sweden

Hazard: The hose contains an insert that can dislodge during diving and restrict air flow to the diver, posing a drowning hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: SI Tech has received six reports of hose inserts dislodging, including one that was involved in the death of a diver in Los Angeles, Calif.

Description: This recall involves a dry suit inflation hose that connects a diver's dry suit to the air supply and allows for the pumping of air into the suit to set up a positive pressure arrangement to help keep it watertight. The hose contains an air flow restricting insert that may be either black, blue or green in color. The batch code is stamped on the threaded metal end of the hose. They were sold with dry suits and also sold separately. Contact SI Tech for a list of batch codes included in this recall or visit the firm's Web site, SI TECH AB

Sold at: Diving equipment retailers and distributors nationwide from July 2006 through February 2009 for about $45.

Manufactured in: Sweden

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using diving equipment that contains the recalled low pressure inflation hoses and contact SI Tech for the location of an authorized dealer for a free repair which involves removal of the hose insert, or to receive instructions on how to repair the hose.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact SI Tech at (877) 348-3529 anytime, visit SI TECH AB, or email the firm at recall@sitech.se

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to:
SI Tech Recalls Diving Suit Hoses Due to Drowning Hazard; One Death Reported

 

[luckydays]

Thanks for posting this Sam, i just saw the release and was going to post it but you beat me to it. Now I just need to get home to check my drysuit hose.

 

[ScubaSam]

Just trying to keep all the members safe so that I can dive with them!!!

 

[Gombessa]

I thought I saw this recall a year or two ago. Something about the colored restrictor pills falling into the first stage and jamming up the works. They initially said to replace the pill with one of another color, but eventually decided that none of them were safe.

Does anyone else remember this?

 

[parzdiver]

Thanks Sam.

While I understand why a government recall would indicate a "drowning hazard" but the inability to inflate your drysuit shouldn't be more than a problem forcing a diver to call the dive. While the failure of any equipment can contribute to dive accidents, the only direct results of a failed inflator hose would seem to be suit squeeze and being cold. A diver should have enough buoyancy in the BCD to float themselves with no air in their drysuit. Barring that, they should be able to drop some weights.

Or am I out of my mind?

 

[JeffG]

Or am I out of my mind?

Read the post above yours.

 

[luckydays]

Thanks Sam.

While I understand why a government recall would indicate a "drowning hazard" but the inability to inflate your drysuit shouldn't be more than a problem forcing a diver to call the dive. While the failure of any equipment can contribute to dive accidents, the only direct results of a failed inflator hose would seem to be suit squeeze and being cold. A diver should have enough buoyancy in the BCD to float themselves with no air in their drysuit. Barring that, they should be able to drop some weights.

Or am I out of my mind?

You are right on about it should not be a catastrophic failure. I use my BC for buoyancy and put air in the drysuit to relieve the squeeze (and sometimes I don't put any air in, when the dive is shallow). However, if you are deep enough and cant put air in the suit, and the squeeze is bad, you can restrict blood flow to veins which could cause serious health issues. I imagine this could be fatal to someone who is deep enough and passes out from lack of blood flow because of the squeeze at depth.

 

[parzdiver]

Read the post above yours.

Ah, yes. THAT would be a bit more serious. Thanks JeffG.

 

[muddiver]

Kirby Morgan actually sells a restrictor/adaptor for dry suit hose connections. I believe it ia just a spool with a small opening like the plastic insert in the SI Tech hose. It is a smatr feature, but I suspect that most people never think about using a restriced orifice dry suit inflator hose. The intent is to reduce the loss of breathing gas if the hose fails.

Considering some of the other posts on "how fast will a cylinder empty when a hose breaks" these inserts are probably not necessary. I know I just use a standard low pressure hose to connect my dry suit inflator to my first stage.

 

[BladesRobinson]

From the SAR-DIVER Forum at: SAR-Diver : Water Rescue & Recovery and PSD Forum



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2009
Release # 10-010 Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 348-3529
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
SI Tech Recalls Diving Suit Hoses Due to Drowning Hazard; One Death Reported

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Diving Air Hose for Dry Suits
Units: About 65,000
Manufacturer: SI Tech AB, of Brastad, Sweden
Hazard: The hose contains an insert that can dislodge during diving and restrict air flow to the diver, posing a drowning hazard.
Incidents/Injuries: SI Tech has received six reports of hose inserts dislodging, including one that was involved in the death of a diver in Los Angeles, Calif.
Description: This recall involves a dry suit inflation hose that connects a diver’s dry suit to the air supply and allows for the pumping of air into the suit to set up a positive pressure arrangement to help keep it watertight. The hose contains an air flow restricting insert that may be either black, blue or green in color. The batch code is stamped on the threaded metal end of the hose. They were sold with dry suits and also sold separately. Contact SI Tech for a list of batch codes included in this recall or visit the firm’s Web site, SI TECH AB
Sold at: Diving equipment retailers and distributors nationwide from July 2006 through February 2009 for about $45.
Manufactured in: Sweden
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using diving equipment that contains the recalled low pressure inflation hoses and contact SI Tech for the location of an authorized dealer for a free repair which involves removal of the hose insert, or to receive instructions on how to repair the hose.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact SI Tech at (877) 348-3529 anytime, visit www.sitech.se, or email the firm at recall@sitech.se

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CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx
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