Can You Reach Your Tank Valve During a Dive?

[ProfessorAronnax]

I can-of course its right in front of me

 

[H2Andy]

would not advise trying this with a single with one reg, and can understand why anyone would

actually, if you close it all the way, and you "suck" on the reg and no air
comes, you just open the valve a turn or two and the air will start coming right back

you don't have to open it all the way before you get air again

 

[oceanaddicted]

I hate to sound stupid here, but why would you need to be able to do that? I'm puzzled. Usually that's a buddy responsibility in the event of a failure, unless you're diving alone? Oh no, I know none of us do that! LOL Fill me in will ya! Thanks

 

[H2Andy]

the basic principle of scuba diving emergency prevention: self-rescue

you need to rescue yourself in case (it happens) there's nobody there to do it for you, and you need to do it before the incident snowballs out of control

also, buddies, being human, are not perfect. you need to know how to
take up the slack in case they fail you.

i'd hate to be going "where's my buddy, gosh darn it??? i need that valve
open now!!!!"

 

[Uncle Pug]

I hate to sound stupid here, but why would you need to be able to do that?

With doubles it is a matter of being able to isolate a failure and conserve gas.

But what about a single tank using a single valve and first stage?

Shutting down a freeflowing second stage may allow a frozen 1st stage time to thaw. While it is thawing you could open the valve (or feather it rather than completely close and open) for each breath. Manipulating the valve in the event of a blown o-ring (other than tank o-ring) would likewise allow you to conserve gas.

But of course you are right... diving with a buddy who is actually part of a team and there to help is the way to go. Still....

Jumping into the water without completely turning on your gas or maybe not turning it on at all. It happens and sometimes when the diver has forgotten to put air in their wing/BCD. Say two divers roll off opposite sides of the boat or even giant stride off the swim grid... and instead of meeting at the surface before descending only once is at the surface and the other is in an uncontrolled descent with air off and no air in the BCD. It would be handy to be able to reach your own valve if you were the descending diver.

 

[Uncle Pug]

UP....Youve worn a BC?!!!

I admit nothing.

 

[diverDano]

well of course, w/bc and a single.....not only wearing the bc...but remember doff and donn????

 

[Tom Winters]

Prompted by a similar thread I was interested...How many us of can do this very important exercise?

If I couldn't, there would be post about "Another 1981 Dead Diver Found - This One With A FUll Tank of Air!".

 

[TSandM]

I didn't know what to answer to the poll, because I can do it in my wetsuit, but haven't pulled it off with the dry suit yet.

 

[oceanaddicted]

Interesting....thanks for the info.....I could understand it in the case where you forgot to turn on your air.....but then again I'm not usually overweighted at the surface so I would have the time to either have the buddy do it or just take it off and do it myself. Same with a free flow. I learned something here........thanks you guys!