Dangerous gear?

[elmer fudd]

I've seen a couple of people mention the needle valves. That's a tilt valve right? What was the issue with them? I've been using a SW Waterlung second as an octopus for about 8 months now with no issues. It's not a great breather, but I figure that as an octopus it doesn't matter that much.

 

[elmer fudd]

Two designs that I think were bad,
1. The original Healthways exhaust.
2. The Northill exhaust on any model. They exhausted through the center of the main diaphragm, thereby potentially introducing water into the guts of your reg with every breath.

 

[rhwestfall]

I'd mention the CO2 power inflator that was part of the BC's in the 70's and 80's.....

 

[USdiver1]

Although many divers seemed to have success with it I would classify the SOS decompression meter as dangerous. I had a couple of them that went off calibration very easily if not handled carefully. Never could build up any trust in them.

It took me a while Captain, but now I know what you are referring to: the ScubaPro Bend-o-matic is how I've always known the SOS decompression meter. Seems like a fitting moniker.

Some of the more unusual "safety" devices, like the Shark Dart generally made your buddy who carried one more dangerous to you than most sharks ever were.

 

[USdiver1]

I'd mention the CO2 power inflator that was part of the BC's in the 70's and 80's.....

I was trained on those back in the 70s, and know them as emergency inflators for surface only inflation use. Perhaps if someone who learned on LP port power inflators rather than the manual kind that we had back then were exposed to the CO2 today without being told how to use them, it could be considered dangerous. I know when I upgraded a horse collar or two to LP port power, I would normally disconnect the CO2 pulls, they being redundant rather than dangerous, IMO.

 

[captain]

I would consider a stuck power inflater on a BC more dangerous than an accidental co2 discharge. They were sized to fill the BC on the surface, depending on depth it could only partially inflate it. The Navy UDT vest with one co2 cylinder was only authorized for a max of 30 feet because it couldn't generate much lift any deeper. The 2 cylinder vest was used for deeper depths up to 90 feet.

 

[james croft]

I have a military horsecollar that was used by special warfare divers that has two CO2 detonators on it that fires 2 large CO2 cartridges each, for a total of four. I figured it was designed for going a bit deeper than other horsecollars I have seen.

I also thought the facemask with the built in snorkel was a poor design. I wish I coud find one somewhere...

 

[Mike Lev]

:cool2: I know of one item that was dangerous and was recalled.I have heard there was deaths from the use of it.It was the Farallon Multi-Tissue Decomputer from the mid 70's.Most were returned.I have one.They are very hard to find now.I think Sam told me about them also.

 

[elmer fudd]

I also thought the facemask with the built in snorkel was a poor design. I wish I coud find one somewhere...

That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw that. Something along the lines of, "Man, that's real dumb! I'd sure love to dive it!"

One other contraption I remember seeing online awhile ago was a deep snorkel with a pump that you wore on your back. It had lines that attached to your ankles or something similar and by stretching out your legs you sucked the water down several feet below the surface so you could breathe.

 

[duckbill]

The snorkel mask was meant for snorkeling, not diving.

Was the CO2 inflator just for surface use or wasn't it? When I hear of multiple cartridges for deployment at depth, I have to wonder which it is. I always heard surface only. What does the military know that we don't?