So, I'm diving with a charter on a new site that's about 75-80' to the bottom and we've anchored in. All four of us drop down the line with me in the lead followed by the other three divers. When I hit the bottom and look around I see everyone on the line behind me and I'm just scoping out the bottom.
All of a sudden I hear the unmistakeable sound of a freeflow. Immediately I grab my long hose and I'm prepared to donate to whoever is having a problem. I look behind me at the other divers and they're all looking at me. I look up and all I see is an amazing number of bubbles coming from right behind my head. Yep, that's right. It was me.
I reached behind me and start shutting down my valve as one of the other divers swims toward me offering his reg which I gladly accepted. Once we're all situated we have an underwater discussion about who's going up, who's going to continue the dive, whether or not anyone staying want to take my speargun since I won't be needing it anymore. The decision is made that we're all calling the dive and going up. Except for being on the end of a short hose (they still suck, I don't care what you all say) it was a pretty normal slow ascent.
Back on board it was determined that I'd blown the face o-ring and after starting the dive with 3100 psi and total dive time of 6 minutes, I had 2100 left in the tank. Now mind you a good deal of that TRT was with my tank OFF since I shut it down on the bottom after only maybe 2 minutes.
Lesson learned? I was a lot calmer about the whole thing than I thought I'd be if you'd asked me how I'd react. I never thought I'd freak out, but I did think my heart rate would increase a little. Having an alert buddy near by is a good thing. Long hoses kick ***. DIN good? Yes, duly noted, but that's not how most of the world dives.
So, for all you out there that haven't had it happen, it can, it will. Practice, practice, practice. Drill, drill, drill. It doesn't have to be a big deal.
Rachel
All of a sudden I hear the unmistakeable sound of a freeflow. Immediately I grab my long hose and I'm prepared to donate to whoever is having a problem. I look behind me at the other divers and they're all looking at me. I look up and all I see is an amazing number of bubbles coming from right behind my head. Yep, that's right. It was me.
I reached behind me and start shutting down my valve as one of the other divers swims toward me offering his reg which I gladly accepted. Once we're all situated we have an underwater discussion about who's going up, who's going to continue the dive, whether or not anyone staying want to take my speargun since I won't be needing it anymore. The decision is made that we're all calling the dive and going up. Except for being on the end of a short hose (they still suck, I don't care what you all say) it was a pretty normal slow ascent.
Back on board it was determined that I'd blown the face o-ring and after starting the dive with 3100 psi and total dive time of 6 minutes, I had 2100 left in the tank. Now mind you a good deal of that TRT was with my tank OFF since I shut it down on the bottom after only maybe 2 minutes.
Lesson learned? I was a lot calmer about the whole thing than I thought I'd be if you'd asked me how I'd react. I never thought I'd freak out, but I did think my heart rate would increase a little. Having an alert buddy near by is a good thing. Long hoses kick ***. DIN good? Yes, duly noted, but that's not how most of the world dives.
So, for all you out there that haven't had it happen, it can, it will. Practice, practice, practice. Drill, drill, drill. It doesn't have to be a big deal.
Rachel