American woman dead - Bell Island, Newfoundland

[BlueTrin]

@rx7diver did you have to do it to share a deco gas?

 

[rx7diver]

@rx7diver did you have to do it to share a deco gas?

@BlueTrin,

No. However, if I ever needed to donate gas to a panicking diver, I would initially use the regulator I am breathing, I think, whether it is attached to back gas or deco gas.

rx7diver

 

[rjack321]

I have wondered this...if you pass a regulator to a panicked diver, do/should you purge it for them?

Ideally you
1) remove the reg from your mouth (you know it's working, turned on, and a breathable gas for the depth)
2) your right hand is on the hose, fingers around the hose
3) turn it so the mouthpiece is slightly down
4) tap the purge button as you are donating to the OOA diver

The bubbles can actually be a bit of a primordial lure to the panicked diver's reptilian brain "air is here" - attracting their attention and very limited focus.

 

[rx7diver]

2) your right hand is on the hose, fingers around the hose

I do NOT do this. I actually grab the 2nd stage itself (rather than the IP reg hose), being careful to leave the purge button accessible. Doing this allows you to much more readily and precisely place the 2nd stage in the panicking diver's mouth, and provides you a much more secure grip on the 2nd stage (in case you need to wrest your 2nd stage from the panicking diver).

It's how I was taught. Still makes sense to me. Straightforward with a SP Balanced Adjustable/156, SP G250, SP D400, or Poseidon Odin. Those two IRL incidents I referred to involved a SP BA (first incident) and an Odin 2nd stage (second incident).

rx7diver

 

[Vicko]

I had to shove a reg in a panicked divers mouth three times, first one refused to open his mouth, the second one forgot to purge, in both cases the panicked diver bolted, the third time I purged it for him and conducted a not so c-esa.
I'm not risking a deep water laryngospasm anymore, anyone who asks for gas from me get's a bubbly regulator and no way am I ever donating it while holding the hose, not enough control if the victim is panicked.

 

[rhwestfall]

There is such a difference in "technique" that I learned in open water to accomplish buddy breathing, secondary donate (traditional recreational configuration), and primary donate (gear configuration or technical diving), I'd probably respond in a manner based on what is happening and with whom.

I have had a few air shares I have performed as a donor, each being somewhat different from each other...

 

[rjack321]

I do NOT do this. I actually grab the 2nd stage itself (rather than the IP reg hose), being careful to leave the purge button accessible. Doing this allows you to much more readily and precisely place the 2nd stage in the panicking diver's mouth, and provides you a much more secure grip on the 2nd stage (in case you need to wrest your 2nd stage from the panicking diver).

It's how I was taught. Still makes sense to me. Straightforward with a SP Balanced Adjustable/156, SP G250, SP D400, or Poseidon Odin. Those two IRL incidents I referred to involved a SP BA (first incident) and an Odin 2nd stage (second incident).

rx7diver

I have no idea how you can hold the 2nd stage body and not cover the purge with your palm on something like a G250. Pictures?

My hand is on the rigid parts of the inlet nut and hose furl, leaving the purge button free.

I had to shove a reg in a panicked divers mouth three times, first one refused to open his mouth, the second one forgot to purge, in both cases the panicked diver bolted, the third time I purged it for him and conducted a not so c-esa.
I'm not risking a deep water laryngospasm anymore, anyone who asks for gas from me get's a bubbly regulator and no way am I ever donating it while holding the hose, not enough control if the victim is panicked.

Yep it's often messy. From the immediate aftermath descriptions, I heard Caroline did get the mouthpiece into her lips. Beyond that is unclear. I am not faulting the surviving buddy, I'm not sure it was entirely clear to them what happened in those exact moments either.

 

[Jonn]

There’s arguments in favour of having your pony bottle valve turned off and only twisting it open if and when. I certainly don’t know this surviving divers thoughts on the subject, but I’m pretty content leaving mine fully open the whole time. I loose a few pounds every dive but topping it up every few days is easy enough.

 

[TravelGas]

In the 1990's I gave a Poseidon Odin with a hose no longer than 36" to at least 3 different divers on different occasions. None of the 3 times that I can recall, did I purge the regulator for them. The reg was mounted on a 30 cu ft Pony bottle which was valve open. At least 2 of the 3 divers would not have survived without that pony bottle. That Pony was like life insurance. 1 of the divers was in full on downward spiral panic at 135 FSW none of the other divers nearby wanted anything to do with helping him.

 

[rx7diver]

I have no idea how you can hold the 2nd stage body and not cover the purge with your palm on something like a G250. Pictures?

@rjack321,

It really is straightforward. For example, with a SP Adjustable/Balanced Adjustable (109/156), simply grab the 2nd stage from below, with your fingers and thumb encircling the perimeter, except with your index finger perched to depress the purge button. Move your index finger out of the way as you shove the 2nd stage into the panicking diver's mouth.

We all learned this approach from Day 1, so I never considered it challenging or counterintuitive.

The Poseidon Odin 2nd stage is even easier (since the purge button is on the side)--except you really should make sure your buddy knows how the Odin works before the dive commences. Go through several repetitions beforehand. Don't simply rely on a casual discussion about this.

rx7diver