BCD inflator button stuck

[SOUTH DEVON]

oleras once bubbled...
when i read the original post i asked myself, what would i have done ?....(as, to the best of my knowledge, was not shown a drill in case of such a scenario)......my first reaction was no biggie....you were in the water maybe 1 min, why not go with the flow(no pun intended)....and do an emergency ascent, breathing out at all times of course......(the dump valves would have popped as the gas expands, no crushed chest !) and on the surface try and fix the problem, and hopefully continue with the dive (and the fact u break the surface like a guided missile would make a cool story !!!!):wacko:

Yes but your ears don't have time to readjust to the different pressure , and it's quite painful !!!!!!!

 

[Diver0001]

oleras once bubbled...
when i read the original post i asked myself, what would i have done ?....(as, to the best of my knowledge, was not shown a drill in case of such a scenario)......my first reaction was no biggie....you were in the water maybe 1 min, why not go with the flow(no pun intended)....and do an emergency ascent, breathing out at all times of course......(the dump valves would have popped as the gas expands, no crushed chest !) and on the surface try and fix the problem, and hopefully continue with the dive (and the fact u break the surface like a guided missile would make a cool story !!!!):wacko:

Personally I think a sticking inflator is a serious matter and it requires solving without a guided missile ascent.

On the one hand you're probably right about this case. Maybe this time you would be ok.....

But what about next time?

Maybe next time you're at 100 ft and nearing your NDL--Then you'll be bent or perhaps worse.

A BSAC diver died a couple of years ago when his drysuit inflator stuck open and he failed to control it. He made a "guided missile" ascent from 50 metres (165 ft) with a deco obligation. His buddy found him dead on the surface, IIRC.

Just something to consider.

R..

 

[jlkline]

I'll be thinking about this thread the next time I need a bit of air in my BC.........

 

[Charlie99]

jlkline once bubbled...
I'll be thinking about this thread the next time I need a bit of air in my BC.........

Better yet, think about it during your predive checks. My last 3 checks are 1) breathe the octo, 2) quick breath on primary while looking at spg, then finally 3) a short burst of air into the BC while listening for the hiss, and making sure the button action is normal.

 

[cobaltbabe]

DeepScuba once bubbled...
Work FAST, unhook the hose and dump dump dump

I had my inflator come off and my bc filled with water. I hit the bottom like a rock and it took all my power to get to the surface. This is with 20 lbs integrated. Would it not be better to hold the purge and make for the surface with enough air for any stops needed?

 

[Charlie99]

cobaltbabe once bubbled...
I had my inflator come off and my bc filled with water. I hit the bottom like a rock and it took all my power to get to the surface. This is with 20 lbs integrated. Would it not be better to hold the purge and make for the surface with enough air for any stops needed?

Which hose are you referring to?

The various posters that recommend removing the inflator hose are referring to the approximately 140psi hose going from the reg to the power inflator. If you remove this hose and the button is stuck on, on the BCs I've looked at, you will have just a very small trickle of bubbles ---- it would take several minutes before you noticed the change in buoyancy.

OTOH, if you pull hard on the pull dump and the corrugated hose leading up to the shoulder dump comes off, then you will fill the BC with water as you describe.

Different hoses, although sometimes the same name used for them.

 

[Kettle]

Hmmm some interesting things to ponder, firstly, why on earth (or in the water) wasn't I taught this? It was a NAUI course, but I assume all courses are virtually the same. NAUI has apparently pulled out of Australia since then and all instructors have to do a change over course or something, so hopefully this guy incoprorates this skill into his class.
I did think of just letting myself go and rocket to the surface, but with the anchor within reach and the prospect of such an uncontrolled ascent, I decided to stay put.

 

[cobaltbabe]

I dive a zeagle tech. The inflator hose goes directly into a bladder. Two little buttons, one inflates, one deflates with a mouth piece for manually inflatting. Once it is taken off there is no little trickle. Just blupp. Yes it is an older bc.

 

[SOUTH DEVON]

Charlie99 once bubbled...
Better yet, think about it during your predive checks. My last 3 checks are 1) breathe the octo, 2) quick breath on primary while looking at spg, then finally 3) a short burst of air into the BC while listening for the hiss, and making sure the button action is normal.

Quote No 2, I know that you are supposed to breathe on your primary and make sure the needle on your gauge doesn't move , but I'm not quite sure why? Or what you are supposed to do if the needle does move?
:goofy:

 

[Charlie99]

SOUTH DEVON once bubbled...
I know that you are supposed to breathe on your primary and make sure the needle on your gauge doesn't move , but I'm not quite sure why? Or what you are supposed to do if the needle does move? :goofy:

If the system is "charged" but tank valve completely closed, the SPG needle will go decrease and stay there. If the valve is just cracked open slightly, you will see a blip and then it quickly goes back up. In both cases, simply open the valve fully.

Another possibility is that the inlet filter of your reg is blocked. It happened to me one time after a dive operator in Cancun gave me a tank that left a bunch of white gunk (aluminum oxide??) or paste that blocked the sintered metal filter at the yoke connection of my reg.