Emergency Ascent

[Lee Taylor]

Hello Trocon,

I have heard that the swivels come apart. Thanks for posting a validation. My personal philosophy is similiar to yours in regards to saving yourself. When I go diving I am always prepared to save myself. I am strickly a recreation diver and I want a straight, un-obstructed, immediate, controlled ascent, to the surface. Its just a personal choice.

Thanks for the posting. It will be helpful to others considering using a swivel.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

I doubt you are going to do that. The allen set screw is tiny, and probably lost. I remember reading the o-ring blows out sometimes too.

Personally my second stage regs are only hand tightened onto my hoses. Makes it easy to switch them around and if an adjustment on the second stage is needed it can be done in a few seconds. Plus they could be swapped around if using a stage bottle underwater.

I didn't see where, he said, the swivel came apart. He just said it separated from the second stage, as if it come loose. If that was the case he could have just re-attached it and continued the dive. I have had that happen when I used to hand tighten mine. I have recently changed to a 360 degree swivel after orings extruded two separate times on the old 90's I was using. The 360's seem to be solid.

 

[troconn]

The swivel unscrewed... it looks like it has a set screw that is supposed to stay tight and allow the swivel to swivel... but in this case it came apart...

 

[troconn]

Did the swivel fail? Did you accidentally unscrew it? Just wondering what the failure point was.

I would say a bit of both... the swivel is essentially a hollow ball that is cut in half... one half has a connector for the low pressure hose and the other half the connector for the second stage. The two halves are held together by an axis screw that free wheels through one half and threads into the inside of the other. The half that has the threaded hole... well that hole goes all the way through and an opposing set screw goes in from the other side, pressing against the axis screw to hold it tight and allow the swivel to swivel presumably without unscrewing. There is an o-ring in a channel around the inside diameter of the ball halves as well. I think it failed because the axis screw stopped free wheeling and seized up thereby allowing it to unscrew.

I do appreciate the responses and the friendly discussion. Strangely enough the idea of crimping the hose never occurred to me... great idea... the most obvious solutions sometimes never occur to me. That would have really made it easier to see too ;<}

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Many months ago there was a video clip of 2 pool dives whereas a LP hose was cut when AL 80 was full with the gas emptying out in I am guessing at 1.3 minutes and the same senario with the HP hose taking 3-4 times longer (small hole)....perhaps someone will post...

That's consistent with an experiment I ran several years ago. Not
being into wanton destruction of hoses, I unscrewed the HP hose'
and cracked the valve. I'd have had plenty of time to get to the
surface. Then I put the HP hose back in and unscrewed the LP
hose. The tank would have been empty in a couple of minutes.
I'd say the difference between HP and LP is 10x not 3-4x.

Those who post about the long hose being great for sharing gas
are 1000% (no typo) right on. I've been there four times, first
time on a traditional octo, the last three on a long hose. LONG
HOSE IS BETTER. When is PADI, etc., going to start teaching the
long hose?????

On the subject of hand-tightened second stages: Several years ago
I found a second stage (no hose, no nothing) at the Great Pinnacle
at Pt. Lobos. I can only presume that it was hand-tightened. I
did a good deal of work trying to reunite it with its owner, and
it ended up in Mike Guardinio's teach kids to dive program. MMM,
maybe the right answer is a wrench in your drysuit pocket.

Peter didn't mention that you needed to HAVE an Allen wrench to tighten
things up on the swivel.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I had a similar catastrophic unfixable free-flow from my primary long hose 2nd stage; the cracking adjustment knob blew-out when I rotated it. Switched to my bungied back-up reg around my neck, controlled the deflator with my left hand on the CESA from 6m deep, and feathered/modulated the single tank valve behind my head with my right hand --opening and shutting the valve when I needed to take a breath.

The motivation in this situation, is to never let your precious breathing gas just simply "hemorrhage away". Shut down the tank valve, conserve what you've got left and look for your buddy. If he's not there anywhere in sight, then do the modified CESA described above by feathering the tank valve, taking breaths as needed. IMHO, this should be a skill regularly taught in all BOW courses and routinely practiced. . .

 

[Steve50]

+1 for the comfort of Miflex hoses

 

[OldNSalty]

Hold up! You used an Air II to save your life and it worked?!? You may want to disappear for a bit, there are a lot of people here who will want you silenced.

 

[diablonyc2]

Thanks for sharing troconn....Being a new diver, I look for all the stories from the experienced folk to assist me in my equipment decisions and situational issues. I was considering a swivel connector, but will rethink it now from your story.

I had a slight emergency a few months back, but not from equipment failure. A new buddy let too much of his wreck reel out at 110ft. I thank my lucky stars I had a knife and sheers that day (and remained calm).

 

[Granny Scuba]

Hold up! You used an Air II to save your life and it worked?!? You may want to disappear for a bit, there are a lot of people here who will want you silenced.

Whats an AirII?
What is the controversy surrounding it?