Bonaire accident issues Close Call

[Lorenzoid]

I did suck seawater through my primary 2nd stage once & also noticed the reg hose turned 90 degrees. It turned out to be the tyrap of the mouthbit came off. So I just grabbed my backup 2nd stage that hung on my chest and used it, instead of the primary 2nd stage. When I was back on the boat, I just put a new tyrap on the primary 2nd stage and it was good to use for the rest of the trip.

That reminds me of the time my wife and I were practicing donating to each other. After I handed her my second stage and she put it in her mouth, the mouthpiece came off (no doubt due to a broken zip tie), and she found herself holding onto a reg but getting only water even after purging. I am happy to say that the perplexed (if not scared) look on her face lasted only a second or two before she realized there was a gap between the regulator and the mouthpiece, and replaced the dangling mouthpiece with her secondary. Last night I brought up the topic of this thread and said it reminded me of our incident with the mouthpiece. She was fortunate not to have inhaled too deeply before she realized what was wrong. Had she fully inhaled and a spasm occurred that prevented her from further inhaling, would she have reacted as calmly, or would her primal instinct to head for the surface have overridden her training? We were also doing this practice in less than 30 feet of water. What if we had been at 60 feet? This thread is a great reminder of things that can go wrong and how to handle them.

 

[Dan]

That reminds me of the time my wife and I were practicing donating to each other. After I handed her my second stage and she put it in her mouth, the mouthpiece came off (no doubt due to a broken zip tie), and she found herself holding onto a reg but getting only water even after purging. I am happy to say that the perplexed (if not scared) look on her face lasted only a second or two before she realized there was a gap between the regulator and the mouthpiece, and replaced the dangling mouthpiece with her secondary. Last night I brought up the topic of this thread and said it reminded me of our incident with the mouthpiece. She was fortunate not to have inhaled too deeply before she realized what was wrong. Had she fully inhaled and a spasm occurred that prevented her from further inhaling, would she have reacted as calmly, or would her primal instinct to head for the surface have overridden her training? We were also doing this practice in less than 30 feet of water. What if we had been at 60 feet? This thread is a great reminder of things that can go wrong and how to handle them.

I think, she being next to you, practicing the 2nd stage swap had a lot to do with her composure & reacting calmly by swapping the bad primary 2nd stage with her Octo. If it happened while she were alone, 20' away from you, such practice might certainly help her to overcome the dash to the surface reaction.

In my case, I was on a fast current, hanging on a rock ledge of a channel with my left hand while taking video of sharks chasing giant trevalies with my right hand. I could not understand why I kept sucking saltwater & my regulator hose kept twisting from the side of my right chick to the chin. When I realized that was because of my mouthbit was loose, then I decide to abort the scene, let go the rock, & got my Octo. Having that Octo hanging on my chest, right below my chin was also a big help when you want to get it quickly.

 

[KeithG]

How often should a 2nd stage diaphragm be changed?

I do inspect all of my gear, including 2nd stage diaphragms, on a regular basis but only replace the diaphragm if there is some indication of a problem. I do have spare diaphragms for most of our regs but have not had to replace any in the last 20+ years. The diaphragms on my 40 Y/O pilots show no sign of deterioration.

And ^ this ^ highlights the topic of "old spares" (NOS) that came up in another thread (reg kits...).

I have circa 1987 regs that still work just fine. A few orings have been replaced and 1 hose.

Visual inspection indicates the diaphragms are all in good shape. And I have a couple of spare ebay regs with okay diaphragms. So I think i am covered.

But for how long? Maybe all of my diaphragms will disintegrate at the same time?

How do we ensure our spares are actually newer than out current gear?

Hint: several responders to the other thread indicated that some manufacturers provided a date stamp on kits. But how do we know the age of the individual items...

 

[EricTheDood]

I am curious; are the DCS/bent results from this emergency ascent from what seems like a short (10min.) and shallow (60ft.) dive what might be typically expected?

DCS is not an exact science. It's a fickle beast that behaves differently depending on an individual's unique physiology.

Here's a blog entry by SB staff member doctormike: My Chamber Ride

He got hit with DCS from some minor yoyo diving at similar depths to OP's wife, after some 500 logged dives. So it's not difficult to see how someone can get bent from a 60 foot CESA.

 

[EricTheDood]

And ^ this ^ highlights the topic of "old spares" (NOS) that came up in another thread (reg kits...).
...
How do we ensure our spares are actually newer than out current gear?

Very good point.

"Old spares" are a problem in many industries, especially backup batteries for industrial electronics that store machine parameters and servo motor positions. In an effort to save money (like $20), some people will buy slightly less expensive batteries from reputable manufacturers but unknown vendors. The batteries have a shelf life so when those batteries go bad prematurely, it costs thousands in labor and time to restore the machine parameters. Reputable companies will cycle the inventory and toss out old stock, thus the higher price.

 

[redacted]

Date stamps are only useful on stuff that we have a good understanding of shelf life, like milk. Adding date stamps to something like diaphragms or o-rings (or hoses) probably just adds to the cost with little real benefit to the consumer.

If they pass a good inspection, use them if you need to.

 

[dmaziuk]

"Old spares" are a problem in many industries, especially backup batteries for industrial electronics that store machine parameters and servo motor positions. In an effort to save money (like $20), some people will buy slightly less expensive batteries from reputable manufacturers but unknown vendors.

:raises hand: When we found very cheap UPS replacement batteries I bought a couple of sets. The UPSes failed them after a couple of months. The math in that case was very clear: the genuine part costs 5 times as much and lasts 8 times as long.

Date stamps are only useful on stuff that we have a good understanding of shelf life, like milk. Adding date stamps to something like diaphragms or o-rings (or hoses) probably just adds to the cost with little real benefit to the consumer.

Rubber/plastic tends to either go dry and brittle or turn into sticky black goo, dep. on the material and the manufacturer. One problem with old discontinued hardware is the 3rd party replacement parts aren't made by the original manufacturer to the original vendor's quality standard. So even if you knew what the shelf lift of the original diaphragm was, the replacement one you're buying today may well be anybody's guess: the old one dried out and cracked after 30 years, the new one may turn into black ooze after 30 dives.

 

[redacted]

:


Rubber/plastic tends to either go dry and brittle or turn into sticky black goo, dep. on the material and the manufacturer. One problem with old discontinued hardware is the 3rd party replacement parts aren't made by the original manufacturer to the original vendor's quality standard. So even if you knew what the shelf lift of the original diaphragm was, the replacement one you're buying today may well be anybody's guess: the old one dried out and cracked after 30 years, the new one may turn into black ooze after 30 dives.

I have some o-rings, diaphragms, and exhaust valves that are in the 30 to 40 years old window. When should I expect them to start showing some sign of deterioration?

To be fair, I have seen old urathane o-rings that got hard and cracked when bent. In use, they leaked to varying degrees. Some were purchased within 5 year of failing.

 

[dmaziuk]

I have some o-rings, diaphragms, and exhaust valves that are in the 30 to 40 years old window. When should I expect them to start showing some sign of deterioration?

To be fair, I have seen old urathane o-rings that got hard and cracked when bent. In use, they leaked to varying degrees. Some were purchased within 5 year of failing.

That's my point: who knows. I guess best you can do is bend and twist them and if they crack: call it "failed the visual inspection". (Also known as looking with one's hands where I'm from.)

Now if you're an LDS tech working on someone's reg you don't have any spare diaphragms for, the choice may be... interesting.

 

[blackvans1234]

It's hard to prepare for emergencies unless you deal with emergencies frequently.
Practice helps but there's many variables to make things difficult.