Can you reach your tank knob to turn it on?

[ChillyWaters]

KISS = Keep it simple stupid.

It's not meant to be an insult to anyone. It's just a well-known mantra.

- ChillyWaters

 

[TheRedHead]

You know I was thinking about restrictions and roll offs. I never thought about roll offs until I tried doubles. But the scenario of getting wedged into a restriction and backing out of it could happen in a swimthrough.

Besides, you'll be lookin' cool, Chilly, practicing valve drills.

 

[ChillyWaters]

You know I was thinking about restrictions and roll offs. I never thought about roll offs until I tried doubles. But the scenario of getting wedged into a restriction and backing out of it could happen in a swimthrough.

I've said this before, but... if you're diving in such a dangerous environment should you not have a redundant air supply? It's your life, not mine.

If you're wedged, then who says you can even reach your valve to turn it off?


9 pages of "oh this is so useful" talk, and nobody can give a concrete example of why. If it's turned off before you hit the water, then drop weights (if necessary) and orally inflate your BCD. If it (somehow) gets turned off while in the water, then it's a basic OOA scenario. You've practiced how to deal with that, right?

- ChillyWaters

 

[pilot fish]

Chilly, if you don't think it's a useful skill to practice, or at least try, then by all means avoid doing it. I think a number of divers have pointed out some good reasons why to have that skill. As someone said in this thread, there is no downside to having that skill. If we are lucky none of us will ever need it, but it's nice to know you can do it if you have to.

Rick, thanks for a semi-useful reply. I still see lots of "its very useful," but the people can't tell me why.

Yes crap happens, but there has yet to be a good reason to reach your valves, that you can't solve with some other VERY useful skill we definitely should all know already.
Okay, then DUMP YOUR WEIGHTS! Now that's a skill that is worth practicing -- visually perhaps, thinking about different scenarios, etc. Consider how often you may need to dump your weights versus reaching your valves. Then, at the surface orally inflate your BCD. Hopefully EVERYONE remembers that from OW. Now, again, perhaps THAT is a MUCH more useful skill to have than reaching your valves.
People die all sorts of ways. I'm saying that we have the necessary skills already, without adding these so-called valuable one-off odd skills to our bag of tricks. It's not necessary, and people should be focusing on a core set of skills to save them.
If I'm dropping like a rock (much faster than I can fin against), I think I'd rather drop my weights anyways, rather than fiddling around (while probably panicking) with my tank valve. KISS = Keep it simple stupid.

- ChillyWaters

 

[Willie]

I guess you had to be there- it was pretty funny! It took me a second to figure out what had happened, but once I did, I just reached back and turned it on. To her credit, she was standing off to the side and watching me.

I assumed that is was funny and that she was paying attention, and while I doubt that there was any real danger since you were in a pool, I just dont think underwater (or preparing to go underwater) is the place to be monkeying around. For me, there is plenty of fun to be had that doesnt involve messing with someone else's gear. No slight to your friend intended. I have seen a number of similar posts and always cringe. Just decided to comment on yours.

Wet Willie, it isn't good to keep your air on if you have a long boat ride to dive site because it keeps too much pressure on diaphram. Not sure what the mechanics are but was told not to do that because it's bad for the reg.

Didnt know that, I will have to research that further.

Thanks,

Willie

 

[TheRedHead]

Here's another one: You're wearing a steel 120 cu. ft. tank and drop in with your air off. You're sinking like a dirt dart and you're not wearing any ditchable weight. You don't have enough air in your lungs to counter the negative bouyancy of the rig.

Almost all of these scenarios involves doing something stupid, but people do stupid things diving all the time.

Learning any new skill is useful and mastering them gives you more confidence as a diver.

 

[TSandM]

In any setting where my valve gets turned off in a single tank, yes, I would prefer to go on my buddy's long hose. But if for any reason said buddy is unavailable or inattentive, I'd sure like the ability to turn that valve on myself.

 

[Robert Phillips]

Rick, thanks for a semi-useful reply. I still see lots of "its very useful," but the people can't tell me why.

It is usefull because you may need to be able to do it one day. If you can't see the why in that, then no one here can help you with that

Yes crap happens, but there has yet to be a good reason to reach your valves, that you can't solve with some other VERY useful skill we definitely should all know already.

Every reason posted has been a good reason. If you can't see that then no one here can help you with that.

Okay, then DUMP YOUR WEIGHTS! Now that's a skill that is worth practicing -- visually perhaps, thinking about different scenarios, etc. Consider how often you may need to dump your weights versus reaching your valves. Then, at the surface orally inflate your BCD. Hopefully EVERYONE remembers that from OW. Now, again, perhaps THAT is a MUCH more useful skill to have than reaching your valves.

Unless I am grossly over weighted or carrying lots of gas, I wont need to dump my weight. Do you think weight ditching is a more useful skill than knowing how to have a balanced rig? Why would I want to ditch my weights and end the dive when I can reach back (very easily) and turn my air on and dive?
Why solve a simple problem with a last resort 'skill' like ditching weight when I can do something that is a simple and, in my feeling, an essential skill?

People die all sorts of ways. I'm saying that we have the necessary skills already, without adding these so-called valuable one-off odd skills to our bag of tricks. It's not necessary, and people should be focusing on a core set of skills to save them.

...If you can't see that then no one here can help you with that.

If I'm dropping like a rock (much faster than I can fin against), I think I'd rather drop my weights anyways, rather than fiddling around (while probably panicking) with my tank valve. KISS = Keep it simple stupid.

- ChillyWaters

Do what you feel is necessary to save yourself. You may survive. But if you are, as you say, dropping like a rock (much faster than you can fin against,) I doubt that dropping your weights will make you positive enough to halt that descent in time for you to make it to the surface with no air in your lungs. What would be the more important skill to have then? Gills would not be my first thought.
And if you knew how to reach your valve, you may not have to do any "fiddling around" all panicky like with it!

Good luck,
Robb

 

[dherbman]

9 pages of "oh this is so useful" talk, and nobody can give a concrete example of why.
- ChillyWaters

I must have missed your reply to the freeflow scenario.
Do you consider the ability to reach behind your head and locate your reg a useless skilll?

What I'm getting out of your posts is that you can't reach your valve, so it must not be useful. I've heard several good reasons for, but still haven't heard any against.

 

[do it easy]

If it's turned off before you hit the water, then drop weights (if necessary) and orally inflate your BCD.

I know that when I dive a single tank and drysuit, if I start a dive OOA, that I will be negative around 30'- even WITHOUT weights (don't ask how I know). So, if I splash in with my buddy, but forgot to turn my air on and start to descend, I will have a bit of work to do to get to the surface- either ditch the rig and start swimming, or reach back and turn it on.

I agree that there are good and better ways to deal with problems, but why limit yourself?