Use a gag strap?

Do you use a gag strap on your CCR?

  • Always

    Votes: 26 31.3%
  • Never

    Votes: 42 50.6%
  • Sometimes

    Votes: 6 7.2%
  • Used to, but don't anymore

    Votes: 3 3.6%
  • Carrots/Other/Meh

    Votes: 6 7.2%

  • Total voters
    83

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got it..

Situation 1 - Diver coming up from a 300' dive. Bailed out to BOV at about 180', but then switched to other OC gases as we got shallower (deco gases/etc). His BOV was plumbed into a 3L cylinder so it wouldn't have lasted too long anyway (we had about an hour of deco).

Situation 2 - Diver on a cave dive. Bailed out on BOV and stayed on BOV for the 200' travel to the exit. For those of you familiar with the cave, he was at the Park Bench in Ginnie. His BOV was plumbed into off-board gas and he had all the gas in the world; it was literally the start of a cave dive and he CO2'd himself by swimming too hard in the flow.

BTW now that I'm thinking about it, there's two more events I can think of. Both involved debris in mushroom valves (duckweed). Both cases divers stayed on the BOV, both cases the BOV was plumbed into off-board gas.

Thanks for the detailed info, yes BOV should always be plumbed into BO gas, not small cylinder back gas. A lesson to anybody considering adding a BOV.

Duckweed in the mushroom valves, something that could only happen in a freshwater spring, never thought of that one. I’m generally in favor of staying on the loop once I splash but stuff happens. I guess a BOV can also help with surface swimming, even if you just switch to OC and let the loop dangle, at least you won’t flood the unit. Of course it depends on how well tuned the BOV 2nd stage is and whether it is prone free flow.

Out of curiosity, was the cave diver who over breathed into a CO2 hit using a cartridge scrubber?
 
Out of curiosity, how would you know during the dive if your mushroom valve is being affected by debris? We talked alot about the mushroom valves in class, sepcifically with checks during setup and what would happen if there's an issue. What would be the symptom to watch for if when getting in at Orange Grove you get duckweed into a mushroom valve?

Failed or blocked flappers are the same symptoms as any other type of CO2 hit.
rapid breathing
narcosis
shortness of breathe
fatigue
headache
dizziness
confusion
panic
seizures
would be the biggest ones.

At Orange grove and manatee I have tried to put my BOV/DSV in my mouth on the steps then never take it out on the surface.
 
Failed or blocked flappers are the same symptoms as any other type of CO2 hit.
rapid breathing
narcosis
shortness of breathe
fatigue
headache
dizziness
confusion
panic
seizures
would be the biggest ones.

At Orange grove and manatee I have tried to put my BOV/DSV in my mouth on the steps then never take it out on the surface.

Sorry, I may not have worded that well. I know it will lead to CO2 symptoms, but would there be anything noteable with the unit itself. Would it breathe different or gurgle, or is it really not something you can't notice once the unit's put together and passed tests prior to the start of the dive.

Good point on OG and Manatee. We haven't dove either yet in our units and would have had to have that discussion prior to hopping in.
 
Sorry, I may not have worded that well. I know it will lead to CO2 symptoms, but would there be anything noteable with the unit itself. Would it breathe different or gurgle, or is it really not something you can't notice once the unit's put together and passed tests prior to the start of the dive.

Good point on OG and Manatee. We haven't dove either yet in our units and would have had to have that discussion prior to hopping in.
I don't think there's anyway to notice but I have thankfully avoided the problem so far.
Once I did have to remove my BOV and I cleared a spot of duckweed with my arms then repeatably dunked the BOV and blew the water out the exhaust diaphragm. The flappers are not exposed when its in OC mode. On my DSV I left it closed and cleaned out the mouthpiece area and inspected carefully (its easy to see) before opening it.

But I do that everywhere in FL not just those caves. There's goobers floating on the millpond at twin and hole in the wall too. Not so much at JB but I think that is an exception.
 
Is Diver 1 reconsidering being plumbed into a 3L after that?

Out of curiosity, how would you know during the dive if your mushroom valve is being affected by debris? We talked alot about the mushroom valves in class, sepcifically with checks during setup and what would happen if there's an issue. What would be the symptom to watch for if when getting in at Orange Grove you get duckweed into a mushroom valve?

The diver told me he had feelings of impending doom and gloom. Nothing otherwise overt.
 
FWIW on preventing stuff getting into my DSV/2nd stages - I stretch a piece of material from a pair of tights across the 'mouth hole' before pushing the rubber mouthpiece on and fixing with a cable tie. For me this makes no noticeable difference to WOB and stops crap getting into the DSV.
 
FWIW on preventing stuff getting into my DSV/2nd stages - I stretch a piece of material from a pair of tights across the 'mouth hole' before pushing the rubber mouthpiece on and fixing with a cable tie. For me this makes no noticeable difference to WOB and stops crap getting into the DSV.

Do you use a piece from some fishnet stockings? Ha ahahahaha!! :wink:
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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