BCD wouldn't let air out
- Thread starter Dennisrl84
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Yeah, I was bit surprised to read that in a post from any experienced diver or instructor, much less this one. Happy to let others react first though. I have no idea what all various oceans and quarries have contributed to the ecosystem inside my BCD, and I don't assume that McNett's BC Life hits the reset button every time I flush it out.I for one would NOT want to suck on an inflator hose from ANY rental place!
On the other side of the pond, there are BC inflators that serve as a secondary air source using either the cylinder (octopus) OR the air within the bladder (emergency jacket breathing valve). Maybe we could call this an AIR-3.
APV200 Inflator (post 2007) | AP Diving
APV200 Inflator (post 2007) | AP Diving
I haven't used a rental BC since ??? I have never tasted crap from my BC and I've never gotten sick from it either. I do flush my BC from time to time, but I rarely get water in it since I'm not fiddling with it for the entire dive. Even with that, I take care to drain after each and every dive. Take care of your gear and it will take care of you. I've definitely have never gotten sick from it. 
Do you often breath from it?
Breathe? No. Do I suck it down for a hot drop, where I don't want to spend any time on the surface after I splash? All the time and for years on end. Sometimes it takes one try, or it might take up to three. It's never been an issue and I have not noticed anything rotten or sour. But hey, unless I'm in a bathroom, I'm usually good with the ten-second rule, so I'm not a germaphobe.
There is a whole, long SB thread on breathing from a BCD: https://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/breathing-from-bcd.373634.
Bottom line: doesn't seem like a good idea, in some situations it might be better than nothing, and many people have had no problems, but this is in the category of "everything is OK until it isn't." My take? If I had to I would, but sucking it down before a dive isn't in the category of I have to do it.
Bottom line: doesn't seem like a good idea, in some situations it might be better than nothing, and many people have had no problems, but this is in the category of "everything is OK until it isn't." My take? If I had to I would, but sucking it down before a dive isn't in the category of I have to do it.
I say kudos to the OP for deciding to skip the second dive. It’s a good lesson that you know yourself best and going with your gut is often the right decision no matter what. Even if you felt fine, in my books, you made the right decision to call the dive. You also made the right call to call DAN just to check.
I suspect lots of us had some uncontrolled or difficult to control ascents when we were new. I think for any of us it’s fairly easy to not have the inflator hose dead vertical and possible to have an air trap. I like using the shoulder dump or ideally the butt dump. In the case of speed ascents if you can get your butt up or even pointed head down you could grab the back right dump value, assuming the BC has one.
From using lots of rental gear my lesson is to check out the gear ahead of time.. Know where the dump values are, check and see what gauges there are, attach everything while at the dive shop to make sure the hoses are fine, fill the BC with air, dump the air, breathe through the regs and watch the gauges while you do to see if they jump at all. I have an incident I’ve been holding back from years ago where I stakes were made in a rental situation that could have been an issue.
Again, kudos to the OP for following your internal advice, for contacting DAN, getting off the road while tired, and for getting back into diving. You’ll be a greater diver for the experience.
I suspect lots of us had some uncontrolled or difficult to control ascents when we were new. I think for any of us it’s fairly easy to not have the inflator hose dead vertical and possible to have an air trap. I like using the shoulder dump or ideally the butt dump. In the case of speed ascents if you can get your butt up or even pointed head down you could grab the back right dump value, assuming the BC has one.
From using lots of rental gear my lesson is to check out the gear ahead of time.. Know where the dump values are, check and see what gauges there are, attach everything while at the dive shop to make sure the hoses are fine, fill the BC with air, dump the air, breathe through the regs and watch the gauges while you do to see if they jump at all. I have an incident I’ve been holding back from years ago where I stakes were made in a rental situation that could have been an issue.
Again, kudos to the OP for following your internal advice, for contacting DAN, getting off the road while tired, and for getting back into diving. You’ll be a greater diver for the experience.
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Dennisrl84
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I got Nitrox certified like a month after I got Open Water certified and was on Nitrox that dive.
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