Diver death - So Cal?

[mccabejc]

Hmmm....still can't find it. My book is a 1990 version, and that page is talking about the "tired diver tow". I've looked thru the book about 4 times now, and can't find anything. Anyway, I wonder if they might have cut that from the program for whatever reason. Or maybe they added it recently, and my instructor just forgot it.

 

[ChrisM]

Hmmm....still can't find it. My book is a 1990 version, and that page is talking about the "tired diver tow". I've looked thru the book about 4 times now, and can't find anything. Anyway, I wonder if they might have cut that from the program for whatever reason. Or maybe they added it recently, and my instructor just forgot it.

1990? Recently certified, right? Is this the book you used for your cert? Sold to you by your instructor/shop?

seems odd........
Chris

 

[mccabejc]

No, a friend gave it to me. I used the CD version for my cert, but had no other way to compare the page numbers he was talking about.

 

[ChrisM]

ahhh, gotcha

 

[pasley]

PADI Open Water Diver Manuel, 1999 edition Page 117 Right under Mask Replacement and before Inflating your BCD Orally. See photo of excerpt

 

[mccabejc]

Yup, they must have added it sometime after 1990 and before 1999, and my instructor didn't include it. I'll have to talk to that guy...

Anyway, I've got it pegged now. Tried it about 10 times this afternoon in the pool, and I can do it without ascending more than about 5 feet. Slick.

 

[mccabejc]

By the way, I don't like the way PADI only says that if the valve sticks, then disconnect the hose. From my experiments, in the time it takes to disconnect the hose you could go ballistic. I'd dump air at the same time to keep from ascending. Works great. And gives you some time to take it easy and not panic.

 

[hermosadive]

By the way, I don't like the way PADI only says that if the valve sticks, then disconnect the hose. From my experiments, in the time it takes to disconnect the hose you could go ballistic. I'd dump air at the same time to keep from ascending. Works great. And gives you some time to take it easy and not panic.

That's great provided your BC dumps air faster than the BC can inflate. This is the case with most BC, but not all. For instance the Dacor Falcon fail this test with the inflator/deflator control (Scubadiving Magazine BC tests). In this case, you would still be able to dump faster than inflation by using the dump valve. I would assume that some cheaper BCs MAY fail in this area. That being the case, pulling the hose would be the best choice. PADI probably focuses on this skill set because IT WILL STOP THE BC FROM FURTHER INFLATION.

Regardless, you need to be able to perform any of these skills without panic. Pactice the skills so you can be ready to use them, then you can chose how you want to react.

Roland

 

[mccabejc]

What concerns me is that, based on my experimenting in the pool yesterday, and my discussions with my instructor at the LDS yesterday about what PADI actually teaches on the subject, I would venture to guess that MOST divers cannot recover successfully from a stuck open inflator valve. From what I've found, unless you've actually simulated it, and are fully prepared for it by figuring out what works on your rig, and go thru those steps quickly and by instinct when it happens, you're going to panic and go ballistic. It's the one skill I've encountered so far that really needs a quick, planned response within seconds.

Show of hands: how many have actually simulated a stuck BC valve and recovered successfully without going ballistic?

 

[MikeFerrara]

What concerns me is that, based on my experimenting in the pool yesterday, and my discussions with my instructor at the LDS yesterday about what PADI actually teaches on the subject, I would venture to guess that MOST divers cannot recover successfully from a stuck open inflator valve. From what I've found, unless you've actually simulated it, and are fully prepared for it by figuring out what works on your rig, and go thru those steps quickly and by instinct when it happens, you're going to panic and go ballistic. It's the one skill I've encountered so far that really needs a quick, planned response within seconds.

Show of hands: how many have actually simulated a stuck BC valve and recovered successfully without going ballistic?

I've had it happen for real and seen it several times especially with Zeagle inflators..which we pulled off of all out rental bc's and threw them in the garbage.

And no I didn't go balistic.