Double Check Your Gear

[captain]

I still have a few 50 year old valves that I use regularly, actually my newest valves are at least 30 years old. They are always either all the way closed or all the way open and I never have had a problem with them sticking in either position or being damaged.

I think it may be a bit of general Navy procedure that just got carried over to other areas, diving included. Sailors were probably told to not open a ship board valve all the way or back seat it as is the term, because once opened they may stay that way for months or years at a time and salt water corrosion could cause them to stick and not be easily closed in time of emergency.

I rebuild old valves quite regularly for vintage divers and the problems I see are always corrosion from years of lack of proper rinsing and maintenance and bent stems from falls or being hit.

 

[vladimir]

Because the intelligent approach to diving dictates the minimum amount of gear with the minimum complexity possible, but there are any number of manufacturers incessantly trying to flog new pieces of gear as necessities and redesigned gear the is more complex than it needs to be.

I agree in general, but in the specific case of the red and green valve, they have only added color, as far as I can see. Which doesn't add complexity any more than a yellow-polka-dotted wetsuit would. I wouldn't wear a yellow-polka-dotted wetsuit on aesthetic grounds, but don't see how it would complicate my gear.

I would not refuse to dive using such a valve, I just see no reason to seek one out.

I'm not rushing out to get one either.

 

[openmindOW]

For me it is substituting the idea that no one touches your gear but you. Valves all the way open, provided you tell the DM to keep their damn hands off your valves if they want a tip.

Jim, you are a conscientious Instructor and I appreciate your posts on SB. But I doubt that new divers will tell a boat crew to not touch their gear.

New divers are intimidated by boat crews. People have had it beaten into their heads that they should follow the instructions of the crew.

Additionally, new divers have been taught to follow the instructions of Instructors and Divemasters, who are held up as authority figures. Heck they're called Captains and Divemasters.

They are used to getting so many who are barely capable of setting up their own gear that it has become habit to check the divers air supply.

That true. It's SOP on some boats to check air.

I ask my students to make sure their air is on after the first pool session because I will ask but not physically verify it. It is their job to do that.

I like that.

I teach my students to avoid chatting when they are assembling their gear. That's how distraction mistakes can occur.

And, you're right, Jim, about your suggestion that we need to produce better trained divers.

 

[scubafanatic]

Thanks for all of the great comments...Now I only feel like 1/2 of a douche instead of a full douche...

Going this weekend in Key Largo...if you see me...hands off! LOL

....with that buff looking avatar of yours, you may still have problems achieving your 'hands off' policy...

 

[openmindOW]

The color coded valve is cute ... but once again we are seeing an equipment solution to a training problem.

Amen.

And do you want to create a dependency on a new gear feature?

BTW, I wonder if BelairBrian might be involved in the sale of this particular product

 

[ScoobaDood]

Any DM should know to keep his or her fingers off my valve.
Because the intelligent approach to diving dictates the minimum amount of gear with the minimum complexity possible, but there are any number of manufacturers incessantly trying to flog new pieces of gear as necessities and redesigned gear the is more complex than it needs to be.

I would not refuse to dive using such a valve, I just see no reason to seek one out.

I agree that the DM should and had better keep his hands off of my gear. I am not a student, I don't need his hands on my gear. That being said, this valve simply adds a visual indicator and in no way complicates the use of the equipment in my opinion. I do believe that the manufacturers and just as much the LDS's are pushing for more and more gear sales. Some of the advances in gear I believe to be of benefit to the diving community, whle some of it is just there to make people more money. While I am not going to rush out to get one of these valves, I am currently looking to get some new steel tanks and if they come with these valves I will not be displeased either.

Another $.02 in the bucket.

 

[ScoobaDood]

I agree in general, but in the specific case of the red and green valve, they have only added color, as far as I can see. Which doesn't add complexity any more than a yellow-polka-dotted wetsuit would. I wouldn't wear a yellow-polka-dotted wetsuit on aesthetic grounds, but don't see how it would complicate my gear.

I'm not rushing out to get one either.

I agree totally on both points

 

[Doc Harry]

Yes, make it part of your pre-dive ritual to take a few breaths off of your regulator as you watch your gauge. The needle should not move.

I do this just before I jump in the water, as my final safety check.

 

[gunsrunner]

I know exatly how the OP felt, had a very similar thing happen on our last dive trip. After striding off the back of the dive boat, my wife noticed the o-ring leaking on my tank, DM called me back onboard to have the o-ring replaced.
A couple of test breaths and in we went, all was good until we got to about 120ft and then my integrated air gauge started playing up (pressure jumping), guess it was open enough to supply at surface, but once at depth more air being inhaled showed up the problem.
My mistake was to ask my wife to check my valve, but she did turn it back on quickly after she turn it the wrong way the first time:shocked2:.

Lesson learned "Don't tell wife the insurance is all payed up"

 

[MAGELLAN]

It's ok, I can't spell losey, err, lucy, umm loosy.. either...

ndboi, if it makes you feel any better, I ran out of air a couple of years ago in Utila. We were diving with one of those fancy, schmancy places that won't let you lift your own snorkel keeper. My trusty DM neglected to actually change my tanks between dives, and I stoopidly took a couple of breaths but didn't look at my gauge before I started into my second dive.

About 20 minutes and 88 feet later, I sucked my last suck (those Apex DS4s are very easy breathing). I debated a free ascent but since I was into my forth day of repetitive diving, I figured a wee (or not so wee) bend would have resulted. My wifey was happily snapping macro shots about 30 feet away, so I mozied on over and helped myself to her second reg.

The funny part was that while we were getting organized to ascend, and putting our camera stuff back together, our DM swam over and gave me the WTF? signal. I responded that I had run out of air. He pointed at me to say "You???" and burst out in laughter and swam away. (He was aware that I had been diving a while.).

Anyway, we had an uneventful ascent, blowing our SMB and did a safety stop before getting a fresh tank and starting over.

After the dive, when we figured out what happened, the DM was horrified, but I assured him it was no big deal, but we were both glad it happened to me and not a less experienced dude...

Needless to say, I don't let DMs mess with my gear any more. Valet diving or not, I'm doing it myself.

I totally agree with this, in general, I would never let someone else take responsibilty for my life as long as I'm capable of doing it myself. Really, nobody has the same vested interest in keeping you around as much as you do . I always get a little irritated when DMs do this. So my wife and I have made it part of our ritual to check each other's air just before we descend.