You're doing Adv Nitrox/Deco Proc in a single tank?
Valve shutdown cycle in a freakin' Bare CD4
- Thread starter MarcelT
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OP
Yes a 12l 300bar + 7l 200 bar stage
OP
Hi,
Just back from our local training lake and tried your suggestions:
I tried having more air in my dry suit but no luck. Still not enough space to move my arms all the way back.
I wore a T-shirt and jogging pants under my dry suit to have no restriction from that.
I even installed an OMS slob knob but that was impossible to turn because the bend in the cable was too sharp (not intended for a single tank). Also tried to follow the cable back to the valve with my hand but could not reach it all the way.
I did not get enough space from Lifting the tank with my other hand either, but did not loosen the bcd strap yet. Will try that too next time...
Only thing left to try now is wearing the tank a lot higher. But then I definitely am going to bump my head into it. Or buying a different dry suit, but let's call that option B
Any tips from (former) CD4 users or other cold water valve shutdown guru's are welcome!
Regards Marcel
Just back from our local training lake and tried your suggestions:
I tried having more air in my dry suit but no luck. Still not enough space to move my arms all the way back.
I wore a T-shirt and jogging pants under my dry suit to have no restriction from that.
I even installed an OMS slob knob but that was impossible to turn because the bend in the cable was too sharp (not intended for a single tank). Also tried to follow the cable back to the valve with my hand but could not reach it all the way.
I did not get enough space from Lifting the tank with my other hand either, but did not loosen the bcd strap yet. Will try that too next time...
Only thing left to try now is wearing the tank a lot higher. But then I definitely am going to bump my head into it. Or buying a different dry suit, but let's call that option B
Any tips from (former) CD4 users or other cold water valve shutdown guru's are welcome!
Regards Marcel
Marcel,
I struggled similarly when using my custom DUI CF200SP (crushed neoprene) with manifolded PST HP100's (about 24 inches long). When I raised my tanks high enough to comfortably reach my valves, I became unmanageably head heavy. I didn't have this problem with longer tanks. For example, Al 80's (about 26 inches long) work fine for me. Ultimately, I replaced the HP100's with HP120's (about 28 inches long), which work extremely well for me--except for the fact that these longer tanks are both significantly heavier out of the water and more difficult to schelp. Hope this helps.
Safe Diving,
Ronald
Hey Marcel, I have no experience in a drysuit. But here goes my 2 cents anyways.
Have you tried doing this skill horizontal? For me, before I broke in my wetsuit I always had trouble reaching my valve unless I was completely horizontal in the water. It also helped when I needed to hoist my tank up for a reg recovery.
And just going out on a limb here, but I think the main purpose of doing a valve shut off on a single tank would be if you have a massive freeflow during a deco stop. You would then flutter your valve open and closed to get your next breath to compensate for this.
Have you tried doing this skill horizontal? For me, before I broke in my wetsuit I always had trouble reaching my valve unless I was completely horizontal in the water. It also helped when I needed to hoist my tank up for a reg recovery.
And just going out on a limb here, but I think the main purpose of doing a valve shut off on a single tank would be if you have a massive freeflow during a deco stop. You would then flutter your valve open and closed to get your next breath to compensate for this.
my dive buddy is struggling in her cd4. We have spend hours in 20 feet of water practicing lately. She can not reach double 100's, the exhaust valve IS in the way, and her left arms appears to be 2-3" too short regardless of valve placement. She's moved the tanks, relaxed the harness straps, wiggled, shimmied, shuffled, upside down, right side up, horizontal, verticle. She is going for it for dive 1000 this weekend FWIW, once you get it, you get it, I can easily reach the valve on my single tank now. I do the inflate and stretch when I get in the water now, it really does work, and i'm reaching valves in a cranky 7mm neoprene, with man sized cuff rings and drygloves. Left side is not super pretty, but I can finally trust in my abilty to do it when I count on diving redundant.
ianr33
Contributor
Sidemount.
OP
OP
So has your buddy given up...?
I guess the best options for my next attempts are:
- have the tank WAY higher
- rent a different type of dry suit to see if that is the root cause (in the pool I can reach the valve in a shorty when I lift the tank with my left hand)
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