1st stage of regulator failed in close position - new diver freaking out a bit :)

[dumpsterDiver]

As discussed, if the valve is partially open it is not going to stop the gas flow at depth. Rather it will begin to gradually restrict flow and as the tank pressure drops the restriction will become impossible to overlook. It will be like sucking air through a straw. As you ascend, the required flow rate is decreased and the restriction should lessen on the ascent.

The OP indicated the air stopped and the pressure gauge read zero - that is not consistent with a partially open valve. It sounds like something in the tank temporarily blocked the valve from the inside

 

[Nemrod]

I have not fully read all the BS. Did the shop remove the valve and see if the dip tube was in position and not clogged?

N

 

[david gutkin]

I have not fully read all the BS. Did the shop remove the valve and see if the dip tube was in position and not clogged?

N

Not sure. They didnt say and I didnt think of asking that question. They said they were "sending the regulator to aqualung for evaluation"

 

[tursiops]

I have not fully read all the BS. Did the shop remove the valve and see if the dip tube was in position and not clogged?

N

No. The shop was confident the problem was the regulator. Right.

 

[tursiops]

Given the lack of response, I can only assume the OP did NOT check that his valve was open before the dive. There are some good ways to do this, and some poor ways. Not-at-all is worse than poor.

 

[redacted]

just gave it a twist; though, I was just checking for a binary on/off. Not sure I was vigilant enough to notice partially open/closed. i was still in a state of shock.

It was so sudden. I didn't feel a hard breath pull preceding it. I had thought that breath pull above water before the dive would reveal a partially closed valve with a pressure drop.

Are you saying you did breath your reg before the dive while observing your SPG? If so, exactly when did you do it. The fact that your SPG also showed zero suggest supply to the HP section of your reg had no gas supply to work with. Could be caused by a clogged filter except that should not clear on its own.

That leaves the tank and tank valve. But buying your own regulator is not a bad idea.

 

[david gutkin]

Are you saying you did breath your reg before the dive while observing your SPG? If so, exactly when did you do it. The fact that your SPG also showed zero suggest supply to the HP section of your reg had no gas supply to work with. Could be caused by a clogged filter except that should not clear on its own.

That leaves the tank and tank valve. But buying your own regulator is not a bad idea.

Never saw my gauge change when pulling air on surface before dive. Yeah, I was thinking a clogged filter would not self-clear too. Also, I was not upside down --not sure where filter is, but getting clogged suddenly 100% seems odd to me. Hate to think it was tank valve --this is not something a person can check before a dive!

Regarding emergency bouyant ascent --could this be safely done after an exhale from 25 meters? I know people have been saying free-divers do this sort of thing; but most of us cannot tolerate the body's drive to inhale with raising co2 levels the way a trained swimmer does. When I practice now on land it seems that after normal exhale, i have maybe 20 seconds before the drive to inhale overcomes me. Also, exhaling with ascent from 25 meters --when starting on exhaled breath-- seems like a challenge. Thoughts? We practiced at much lower depths in training and (i think) with a starting on inhalation (vs exhalation).

 

[redacted]

Never saw my gauge change when pulling air on surface before dive. Yeah, I was thinking a clogged filter would not self-clear too. Also, I was not upside down --not sure where filter is, but getting clogged suddenly 100% seems odd to me. Hate to think it was tank valve --this is not something a person can check before a dive!

Regarding emergency bouyant ascent --could this be safely done after an exhale from 25 meters? I know people have been saying free-divers do this sort of thing; but most of us cannot tolerate the body's drive to inhale with raising co2 levels the way a trained swimmer does. When I practice now on land it seems that after normal exhale, i have maybe 20 seconds before the drive to inhale overcomes me. Also, exhaling with ascent from 25 meters --when starting on exhaled breath-- seems like a challenge. Thoughts? We practiced at much lower depths in training and (i think) with a starting on inhalation (vs exhalation).

Are you sure someone did not touch your valve after you checked?

Your lungs were not empty. Our lung volume is about 6 liters but we normally only use less than 1 liter of that to breath. So, when you were OOA, you still had a bit over 2 liters to expand as you ascended

 

[frndrfoe]

it does sound like your tank got turned off and back a quarter turn on accident.

 

[KevinNM]

Regarding emergency bouyant ascent --could this be safely done after an exhale from 25 meters?

If you are roughly neutral (after exhaling) and drop your weights you'll start up and eventually reach the surface. How fast depends on how much air was in your BC, how much weight you dropped and what your exposure suit is. If you are slightly negative after exhaling (which is typical) then it depends on whether you dropped enough weight on to overcome this. I think 5 pounds would almost always do this. If you start to swim up and have air in your BC and/or a decently thick wetsuit you will become positively buoyant eventually,

How fast you will reach the surface I have no idea. You might do a Polaris missile imitation (probably not ideal) or you might be able to control the ascent. If you have enough awareness to vent the BC to slow yourself it might be fine. Drowning is a totally bad outcome, so if you don't think you can swim up then drop your weights. But the remaining air in your lungs will expand, so keep the reg in your mouth and keep trying to exhale.