Can You Reach Your Tank Valve

[cool_hardware52]

I will not get in the water without being able to reach my valves.

I think it's a fundamental skill - like being able to reach the brake pedal while driving.

Me too. Well put Rad.

Tobin

 

[all4scuba05]

Some folks can reach the valve but ask them to remove and replace the gear underwater...hmmmm

 

[Jasonmh]

Some folks can reach the valve but ask them to remove and replace the gear underwater...hmmmm

Those are two completely seperate skills though... some folks can reach their valve, and remove their gear undewater, but can't hold a safety stop, or juggle

 

[ScubaKris]

In addition to some of the reasons mentioned, thought I share a real experience that happened to me and a buddy 2 months ago. We were diving and my buddy (new drysuit diver) was having some trouble with his bouyancy. To help him we decided to ascend on a fixed line. The line was a rough braided-nylon type, and he was holding on tight. As we were going up the line was rubbing against his valve behind his head and he didn't realize it. I noticed it just as it shut the valve off. If he had been solo diving, or I hadn't been paying attention, looking the other way, taking a picture, etc. it might have been more difficult for him. Certainly not a life threatening event as he could have done a CESA if he stayed calm, but since he can reach his valve he can easily turn it back on, making it a non-event and being able to finish his safety stop.

Sorry ,.. I don't believe this fariy tale.

In 99 I took a class to Ginnie Springs Florida for a check out. the husband of one of the students wanted to tag along,.. refused a refresher and had not dove since his check out 10 years earlier.

We did a dive at the main spring on part of a tank and then down the devils eye. After a few feet he signaled, I looked at his gauge and it was fluctuating. I reached around and turned his air from 1/4 turn on to full on. Many a diver have died from this bad practice of turning air on and then 1/4 off. When we went into the second dive he automatically turned his air on and 1/4 off,.. so he thought. The air was on,.. he turned it off and 1/4 on. He could breath at the surface, not a few feet down.

It is a valve,.. it is either on or off!

He claimed that his valve rubbed against the rocks and turned off on descent. B.S.! If it had rubbed against the rocks on descent,.. it would have turned it on ,.. not off.

What you should have learned in your basic open water. If you cannot reach your tank valve,... reach around under your tank with one hand and lift it up,.. you can lift it until it hits you in the back of the head, then with the other tend to your valve.

If you cannot do this,.. you should have learned how to doff and don the gear.

I charge $5 a turn to turn someones air on under water.,.. bring your Visa

 

[texdiveguy]

Are we suppose to be able to reach are valves for something....gee!!

 

[1_T_Submariner]

We did a dive at the main spring on part of a tank and then down the devils eye. After a few feet he signaled, I looked at his gauge and it was fluctuating. I reached around and turned his air from 1/4 turn on to full on. Many a diver have died from this bad practice of turning air on and then 1/4 off. When we went into the second dive he automatically turned his air on and 1/4 off,.. so he thought. The air was on,.. he turned it off and 1/4 on. He could breath at the surface, not a few feet down.

It is a valve,.. it is either on or off!

I know this has been disscussed many times and is off the sort of off the subject but here goes. The reason a valve is opened then 1/4 back is so you can verify it in the open direction. If the you tried to verify a valve that was stuck shut you might think that it was already open. This guy just sounds screwed up like he didn't understand the process.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I actually tell DM's not to touch my valves. Once I'm on the boat and set up the valve is on and stays on. On shore There are very few people I allow to touch any of my gear let alone my air supply. That said yes I can reach in singles or doubles. With a single though in my 5 mil or dry suit, unless it's a left hand valve, I have to loosen the waist strap or at least push up with the left hand. Had shoulder injury that limits my right arm. I can sometimes reach with the right if I push my right elbow with my left hand to get it back far enough but it is quite uncomfortable.

 

[Whale Whisperer]

I know this has been disscussed many times and is off the sort of off the subject but here goes. The reason a valve is opened then 1/4 back is so you can verify it in the open direction. If the you tried to verify a valve that was stuck shut you might think that it was already open. This guy just sounds screwed up like he didn't understand the process.

Yup, thats one of the first things they teach you on the boat!

 

[Nemrod]

A valve is either on of off, turn it on, leave it alone. If for some really weird reason like a pole shift and Planet X empinging the gravity field, I will either a) reach around and lift the tank a bit and then reach the valve or b) I will doff and don.


We keep hearing of all these "many" divers who jumped in with their air off or air got turned off underwater, I think this is mostly the typical exaggerated and antedotal told by a friend of a friend of a friend kind of stuff. "Many" divers have not died because they could not reach their single tank valve.

N

 

[cool_hardware52]

A valve is either on of off, turn it on, leave it alone. If for some really weird reason like a pole shift and Planet X empinging the gravity field, I will either a) reach around and lift the tank a bit and then reach the valve or b) I will doff and don.


We keep hearing of all these "many" divers who jumped in with their air off or air got turned off underwater, I think this is mostly the typical exaggerated and antedotal told by a friend of a friend of a friend kind of stuff. "Many" divers have not died because they could not reach their single tank valve.

N

I tend to agree that we aren't seeing a pile 'o' bodies due to inability to access the valve on a single.

OTOH it's not a difficult skill, and can be useful. Need to stop a free flow? Feather the valve?

I haven't heard a good reason for NOT being able to reach the valve.

Tobin