A problem of cold but not only!

[alcadhrim]

Last sunday, my instructor had a course for the dys suit splecialty, I've no better to do than diving with them so I dived!

It was a lake dive forme the shore, I dived the previous week and I knew that water was very cold (3°C), all three of us aggred on making the skills dive and going out of water, and of course we planned not to dive too deep (not deeper than 9 meters).

The dive goes perfectly well appart of our fingers . The student says he think more responsible to cancel the second dive scheduled for the afternoon.
We agreed totally. A full group of divers has had frozen regulators during our dive...

During our logging time, the guy who own the dive site call after physician and I go immediately with him (very happy to have my instructor and his husband, all two rescue and Dan instructor).

The problem was two divers distant from the shore but (happily) conscient.

Their story:

They planned a dive on the 40m with two instructors the two instructors was on recyclor (is it the rigth word?) and the two others not. Since the visilbility is about 1 foot they lost themselves on the 35 m at this point a regulator froze. The buddy give an alternate source but...Frozen too. They begun an emergency ascent with very few air left and only one regulator.
But the "rescuer" (if I can say...) could not use the valve of his buddy's dry suit and...Blow up!

When assisting the two guys, waiting medical assistance, the guy talk about this valve and his buddy says: "Well I KNEW IT IS OUT OF ORDER, I ONLY USE THE WRIST VALVE" Oho.

As an information, this dive has not other purpose than going deep, at this depth ther absolutely nothing but mud.

Fortunately they go very well.

Questions:

What about the predive check,
What about diving with a broken purge
What about diving in nearly ice cold water with a not-fully-functionnal stuff
...


Is me or It is a little bit...well, I will stay correct.

Could I have your opinion?

 

[Diver0001]

A full group of divers has had frozen regulators during our dive...

They planned a dive on the 40m with two instructors the two instructors was on recyclor (is it the rigth word?)

You probably mean "rebreather"

at this point a regulator froze. The buddy give an alternate source but...Frozen too.

When assisting the two guys, waiting medical assistance, the guy talk about this valve and his buddy says: "Well I KNEW IT IS OUT OF ORDER, I ONLY USE THE WRIST VALVE" Oho.

Questions:

What about the predive check,

Given the number of free-flowing regulators and valves not working, I'd say that several issues, possibly including using gear that was not suitable for the cold water, and certainly a lack of maintenance on the gear contributed to the issues.

R..

 

[alcadhrim]

You probably mean "rebreather"

yes exactly

A full group of divers has had frozen regulators during our dive...

I meant "...their dive" we're not better than them but our stuff was clearly designed for cold water.

 

[Diver0001]

I see. Well things obviously freeze more easily in cold water so it's really important to make sure you're using the right equipment and it's well maintained. Having a problem with your drysuit at 40m isn't funny!

R..

 

[TSandM]

It sounds as though the diver with the lack of control DID have a functioning dump valve, right? Only it was a wrist valve, and the buddy didn't know that?

It's entirely unclear to me why the buddy would be managing the fellow's buoyancy anyway.

It sounds as though these folks need to practice air-sharing ascents, so that they can control their buoyancy better. This is one of my frequent concerns, people doing deep dives when they are not sure they can handle expected issues, and free flows have to be expected and planned for when diving in water that cold.

 

[alcadhrim]

It's entirely unclear to me why the buddy would be managing the fellow's buoyancy anyway.

Yes, in fact I do not know. I suppose the first one was afraid.

Your concern about deep dives is exactly the mine indeed.

I think you've understand correctly my bad english (apologizes by the way) one dump valve (shoulder) was out of order at the starting (buddy doesn't know) and the wrist valave was ok.