Can You Reach Your Tank Valve

[Web Monkey]

I have tried all different tank position adjustments and cant with a single tank and my 7mm wet suit. any advice would be nice cause I think it is important but find it impossible.

With a single steel tank, you can move the tank up until you can reach it. This may require moving your weights lower to keep your trim.

Not sure what you would have to move with an AL tank.

Terry

 

[bdshort]

Doubles, never tried, as I've never dove them.

Singles, yes in my 3mm wetsuit. Not really in my drysuit, though I'm hoping that will be one of the things that I may be able to do when I get my Signature Series TLS. Or maybe I just need to mount my HP100 higher. I say not really because if I reach down with my opposite hand and push up on the bottle, I can usually reach the valve, but it's a stretch.

 

[BubblesUp]

I can in both singles and doubles.

Needed it a couple of years ago when I free-flowed diving a single in cold water. Just switched to my pony, shut off my cylinder valve to let the ice melt and was able to switch back to my primary a couple of minutes later. Buddy was right there in case I needed him, but I was able to resolve the situation on my own and we continued with the planned dive.

 

[Whale Whisperer]

As a newbie, I never realized the importance of being able to do this until the same thing happened to me. Everything was fine until I hit 60ft, then suddenly my computer starts screaming at me (amazing how loud it is u/w) and it felt like I was trying to breath through a straw. I had checked my gauges only moments before and knew that I had plenty of air, but the computer was reading 240psi. I thought, how weird! :huh: Luckily I didn't panic at all and I knew that something was not right about the situation. It was all easily corrected at depth. At the time, I didn't know what a "cracked tank" meant (as the DM called it). Now, of course, I do make it a habit and I have learned an invaluable lesson! It's one of my many A-HA! moments.

Glad to hear that you did alright! Stuff like that happens, I personally don't like anyone touching my rig especially my valves, but he caught me off guard right before I jumped in (I thought he was busy with another person). I made sure that I was getting air at the surface but wasn't smart enough to double check my valve, and didn't think about what was going to happen when I went deep. definitely a sobering experience

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Yes, I can and Yes, it's important. I dive a single and in my drysuit or my 7mm suit I can reach the valve. It is definitely a stretch and not always pretty, but I can reach it. I do want to get better at this however. I want to be able to reach the valve more easily than I currently can.

 

[Nemrod]

Why??????????

Valve, who cares, valves, yes.

N

 

[John_B]

I have tried all different tank position adjustments and cant with a single tank and my 7mm wet suit. any advice would be nice cause I think it is important but find it impossible.

The way I learned it was to reach back with my elbow *up* not *out*. When I reach back for my single tank valve the inside of my right forearm is almost against my right ear. The advice to push up on the bottom of the tank with your left hand (if necessary) is also good.

John

 

[MBH]

Why??????????

Valve, who cares, valves, yes.

N

Perhaps one might wish to open the valve after a roll-off...or maybe shut down a free flow..or perhaps untangle a bit of line from a bag shoot gone to pot. Nothing wrong with being able to reach, operate, and solve problems with ones equipment while staying submerged.

 

[AqueousSapien]

Never tried or really thought about it, I think I'm going for a dive on Sunday and I will try this out.

 

[radinator]

I will not get in the water without being able to reach my valves. In fact, it is the last thing I do before entering the water. If I'm at the gate of a boat about to enter the water and I feel the hand of the DM on my valve, things immediately come to a stop and I make sure my hand is the last one on the valve before getting wet. And I have caught the 'roll off crack open' mistake while doing this before it could cause any problem at depth.

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