closed valve in the bail out bottle

[Icarusflies]

Hello All;

I dive with a bailout bottle for any dive deeper than 30'. I sling the bottle and tuck the regulator using DiveRite retainers which works great. Now my question is: I met a person that advised me to have the valve closed during the dive but pressurized. This is to avoid a free flow and loosing gas without knowing it. What do you think?

 

[H2Andy]

yes, that's how i was taught to do it

the main goal is to prevent accidental loss of gas if the valve is left on throughout the dive

it only takes a turn or two of the knob to get gas flowing, so it's not a big deal (in other words, you don't have to open the valve the whole way before you can get gas)

 

[UWupnorth]

That is how I was instructed to do it through GUE training.

 

[RJP]

I sling the bottle on my side, so would be able to detect any sort of free flow, as well as be able to easily see the SPG.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't want it "turned on" when you hit the water. If I or another diver need the gas in the bottle, I'd like to be able to get it as quickly as possible.

 

[Blitz]

Pressurized, then turned off is the way I have been doing it.

 

[tedwhiteva]

Presurized then off. When its "only" a back-up bottle, the main reason to avoid a undetected free flow. When tech diving, its one of the ways you know you have grabbed the right regulator.

It takes 5 seconds or less to turn it on.

 

[RICHinNC]

My lds owner....before he sold it....about had a heart attack when he found out I was diving with valve off. He would hardly talk to me for a while.

After trying both ways.....I do now dive with the valve open and I have my reg tuned for heavy breathing and it has never free flowed. (which was why I initially dove it valve off)

 

[Thalassamania]

Off and presurized is the standard way of doing it. If you can see the slung bottle I think it'd be OK to leave in on.

 

[Icarusflies]

thank you guys, I ll keep my valve off then.

 

[Thalassamania]

thank you guys, I ll keep my valve off then.

I think that's a very good decision.