Surface oxygen / safety oxygen regulator

[rjack321]

if you put a BC LP whip on your 50% bottle you can use it to inflate smbs from the 70ft stop (since the bottle isnt on deeper than that)
its also valuable if you run out of suit gas late in the dive

O2 clean all you regs, there is really no reason not to have any reg go anywhere

 

[1atm]

Fair point ... reg service is coming up soon anyways.

Any pointers as to what to watch out for when buying pocket masks? Overheard a discussion that some models arent good at making full seals, so victim effectively ends up breathing something like 60% (even though you have 100% in the bottle).

 

[tmassey]

How did I miss this?!? I wouldn’t have wasted everyone’s time so much with a parallel thread: Best valve and regulator for emergency O2

I too am intrigued by the EescuEAN to use with the gear I already have. But I too am looking for something better than a SCUBA second stage...

Thanks for the poll!

 

[rjack321]

Fair point ... reg service is coming up soon anyways.

Any pointers as to what to watch out for when buying pocket masks? Overheard a discussion that some models arent good at making full seals, so victim effectively ends up breathing something like 60% (even though you have 100% in the bottle).

Will depend on your reg. Are you using a constant medical reg or the DAN demand valve?

 

[PfcAJ]

Fair point ... reg service is coming up soon anyways.

Any pointers as to what to watch out for when buying pocket masks? Overheard a discussion that some models arent good at making full seals, so victim effectively ends up breathing something like 60% (even though you have 100% in the bottle).

A pocket mask is not designed to deliver high concentrations of oxygen. The only thing that really does that is a demand valve mask or a bag-valve mask that you’d use on an unconscious and non-breathing patient.

Nonrebreather masks are designed to deliver high oxygen concentrations, but in practice they don’t because the one way valves don’t seal and the mask doesn’t fit the face well enough to make a good seal. That’s the 60% stuff you hear about. They also demand constant oxygen flow which can deplete your supply somewhat quickly.

Demand valves do the best job. They deliver pretty close to 100% and since oxygen only flows during inhalation, they make your supply last as long as it can.

A scuba 2nd stage can function like a demand valve BUT you cannot use it to artificially ventilate a patient because of the exhalation valve.

So in order (in my opinion):

Demand valve mask
Scuba 2nd stage
Nonrebreather mask

 

[rjack321]

Nonrebreather masks are designed to deliver high oxygen concentrations, but in practice they don’t because the one way valves don’t seal and the mask doesn’t fit the face well enough to make a good seal. That’s the 60% stuff you hear about. They also demand constant oxygen flow which can deplete your supply somewhat quickly.

This mask that AJ is talking about don't deliver 100% because 1) they don't seal that great and 2) one of the one-way valves on either side of the nose is usually (and should be) missing. That valve is left open so that if a sleeping or less than fully conscious patient runs out of oxygen they are less likely to suffocate.

 

[rjack321]

So in order (in my opinion):

Demand valve mask
Scuba 2nd stage
Nonrebreather mask

4th choice would be nasal cannula but there's little reason to carry one for diving applications

 

[rhwestfall]