mikerault
Contributor
We were doing a simple "let's get wet" dive at the local lake this weekend, I rigged up, turned on the air valve and popped the octo and main regulator to check for function. I was a bit upset to set dirt and grass shoot out of the main regulator and have it stick open a little. On the last trip I had to carry the rig back up to the car and It may have drug a little, but I didn't expect that! I got a gauze pad and some tweezers and cleaned up what I could see. Then I banged it a couple of time with my hand and popped it and a good bit of debris came out. I shudder to think what might have happened had I taken a deep breath at depth and got a mouth and lungs full of dirt and sand and dried grass.
It took five or six shakings to get everything out, then when we entered the water I thoroughly rinsed it and checked it again before using it.
Had I just assembled the gear and jumped in with it I might have gotten by ok with just a little coughing and hacking, but trying to clear dirt and debris from your mouth at 50 feet and breath doesn't sound like much fun.
So...
Always check your regs with a full function test before use and look them over carefully.
Never drag the regs, if they accidentally get drug through dirt, sand or even dry grass, make sure to clean them inside and out.
Mike
It took five or six shakings to get everything out, then when we entered the water I thoroughly rinsed it and checked it again before using it.
Had I just assembled the gear and jumped in with it I might have gotten by ok with just a little coughing and hacking, but trying to clear dirt and debris from your mouth at 50 feet and breath doesn't sound like much fun.
So...
Always check your regs with a full function test before use and look them over carefully.
Never drag the regs, if they accidentally get drug through dirt, sand or even dry grass, make sure to clean them inside and out.
Mike