Another golf ball diver dead - Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

[tarponchik]

No, they are as safe as any other valve. A J valve is far safer than some electronic gizmo that may or may not work. I used Jvalves for many years, never a problem. They let you know when you are down to about 600 PSI. Professional divers in murky near zero visibility conditions use them still.

I did not imagine an electronic device because pressure valves are known since steam engine times. But, since you touched the subject, so many people rely on dive computers.

 

[Angelo Farina]

So it already exists!

Sure... See it here:

Internally it is a MK5, so no problem finding parts such as seat and O-rings, even nowadays.
But it has three problems:
1) you cannot install the Scubapro universal DIN Conversion kit
2) The yoke is "thin"; rated for old tanks at 2500 PSI. It is not rated for modern tanks at 3000 PSI or 232 bars.
3) It only has one LP port with no sound: so you need a "multi-swivel" for attaching to this port both the hose for the BCD and the octopus (at the time this unit was being manufactured, in the seventies, no one was using an octopus on their twin tanks, we used to employ two fully independent regs, and the BCD was attached to the "other" first stage).
Here the multiport swivel:

 

[Johnoly]

The diver presses the "snooze" button and ends his dive.

Commercial 'harvesters' (I used to be one) like to push the limits on bottom time and we know we're low or out of air/time. But that's dollars you are leaving on the bottom and if you personally saw a $5 bill blowing across a street intersection you'd probably look, then run after it too. I'm back to recreational harvesting and the bottom decisions are much easier to make >> Leave it for next time.

 

[Marie13]

Commercial 'harvesters' (I used to be one) like to push the limits on bottom time and we know we're low or out of air/time. But that's dollars you are leaving on the bottom and if you personally saw a $5 bill blowing across a street intersection you'd probably look, then run after it too. I'm back to recreational harvesting and the bottom decisions are much easier to make >> Leave it for next time.

How deep are the ponds/water hazards? Just curious.

 

[Angelo Farina]

No, they are as safe as any other valve. A J valve is far safer than some electronic gizmo that may or may not work. I used Jvalves for many years, never a problem. They let you know when you are down to about 600 PSI. Professional divers in murky near zero visibility conditions use them still.

Most J-valves are not really safe, as they can be opened accidentally without knowledge of the diver, and when the air starts to be hard to breath, you pull the rod and you suddenly discover it had already been pulled...
However, a special type of J-valve was invented (and patented) by Luigi Ferraro, and became widespread being sold by Technisub and La Spirotechnique. You see it here. It has a spring-loaded mechanism, which impedes to lower the rod until the pressure is below the limit where the valve start throttling down the air flow: See here:

https://blutimescubahistory.com/sites/default/files/cataloghi-completi/TECHNISUB%20Catalogo%201973%20-%2036.jpg

 

[agilis]

Most J-valves are not really safe, as they can be opened accidentally without knowledge of the diver, and when the air starts to be hard to breath, you pull the rod and you suddenly discover it had already been pulled...
However, a special type of J-valve was invented (and patented) by Luigi Ferraro, and became widespread being sold by Technisub and La Spirotechnique. You see it here. It has a spring-loaded mechanism, which impedes to lower the rod until the pressure is below the limit where the valve start throttling down the air flow: See here:

https://blutimescubahistory.com/sites/default/files/cataloghi-completi/TECHNISUB%20Catalogo%201973%20-%2036.jpg

My point was that the valves themselves are perfectly safe if used properly. This is true for most scuba equipment. A properly secured and frequently rechecked actuator rod is an obviously vital element in J valve use. Not checking the position of the actuator rod/valve position is the equivalent of not checking the reading on one's SPG. Terminal carelessness. There are vast numbers of fools who do not check their SPG, engrossed in things like picture taking, but this is no reflection on the SPG. Similarly, not checking the J valve position frequently during the dive is not the fault of the valve. It's the bonehead diver who is unsafe, not the valve. I like the Ferraro J valve modification. Had it been available back in the 60s and early 70s when I relied on J valves I'd certainly have gotten one. Anyone who does not make safety their #1 priority and activity should not be scuba diving.

 

[agilis]

I did not imagine an electronic device because pressure valves are known since steam engine times. But, since you touched the subject, so many people rely on dive computers.

Relying on a computer without being conscious of the rough outlines of the tables is very careless. It's like relying on a 'buddy' instead of yourself to get you out of possible trouble.

 

[Johnoly]

How deep are the ponds/water hazards? Just curious.

In general 10-20ft deep in the center, but remember it's the viz. So even walking around in 4ft deep you can't see the 'White spots". You gotta crawl. People have asked "could you go barefoot and feel for them?". It's soft mud and you sink to your shins, you really want them laying on top. Also golfers like to drink on the course, so chucking a glass bottle happens alot. Golf ball recovery is a brutal job.

 

[Marie13]

Ugh.

 

[Ken Kurtis]

Or buy a j valve off ebay for $10

All a J-valve does is start your out-of-air crisis 300-600psi sooner than it would have happened without it.