Excellent Valve Drill Help

[SparticleBrane]

I can reach the two posts, and the isolator is the SECOND step in any failure.

I know that GUE teaches this, but does it work this way in real life? Have you ever had an instance where you've actually had to shut down a valve out of a training scenario? Thankfully I never have, but I've heard it's actually quite difficult to discern which side it's coming from.

 

[GDI]

I know that GUE teaches this, but does it work this way in real life? Have you ever had an instance where you've actually had to shut down a valve out of a training scenario? Thankfully I never have, but I've heard it's actually quite difficult to discern which side it's coming from.

Nope not difficult at all. I had a right post reg blow the 1st stage environmental cap right off in a cave once. I banged it against the rock it blew, load and clear, instant free flow took the reg right out of my mouth. This happened in front of students right after I re-enforced the valve drill before the dive ,actually now that I come to think about it
No problem to correct. I shut the post down went to back up (short hose) and we exited. I fixed the reg and we caried on diving again.

 

[amascuba]

I know that GUE teaches this, but does it work this way in real life? Have you ever had an instance where you've actually had to shut down a valve out of a training scenario? Thankfully I never have, but I've heard it's actually quite difficult to discern which side it's coming from.

I had my DIN o-ring dislodge on my right post when doing a valve drill. I purged my backup, turned the right post off, breathed down the reg, switched to my backup, clipped the primary off, and went to turn on the right post. When I turned on the post bubbles went flying. It took me a second to realize what was happening and I quickly turned the post back off, tried to tighten the reg DIN valve, and turned the post back on. No bubbles. From there I was able to finish up the drill.

 

[Bobby]

When the free flow is from the first stage or the neck o-ring behind your head it is very hard to tell where it is coming from. I have had two situations where this happened. The first was a neck o-ring and the second was hitting the cave wall in a tight place while turning around. On the second I spund the reg off the din connector causing a major air leak.

My valve shut down procedures are to shut the isolator down first. If in an over head at max penetration this will save one half of your gas supply giving you a fighting chance of getting out. After that I go for valve shut downs on either side to conserve the gas if it is something other than a neck o-ring.

Bobby

 

[TSandM]

There are good arguments for both sides of this, and there was a thread that went through them last year some time. (I know, because cerich and I carried on a private correspondence about it at the same time.) GUE has chosen to teach us to shut down our best guess at the involved post (most often the right). Other agencies teach isolator shutdown first. I guess if I were convinced that was by far and away the best answer, I'd feel worse about diving my Diving Concepts dry suit.

 

[Steve R]

There are good arguments for both sides of this, and there was a thread that went through them last year some time. (I know, because cerich and I carried on a private correspondence about it at the same time.) GUE has chosen to teach us to shut down our best guess at the involved post (most often the right). Other agencies teach isolator shutdown first. I guess if I were convinced that was by far and away the best answer, I'd feel worse about diving my Diving Concepts dry suit.

Minor point, but I think it's more accurate to state that a percentage (unknown to me) of instructors of other agencies teach isolator first. I don't believe the 'ABC' agencies actually have a set in stone procedure. I think it's left to the instructor's descretion.

Bobby and I teach for the same agency, but our order is different.

EDIT:Spellin'

 

[SparticleBrane]

GUE has chosen to teach us to shut down our best guess at the involved post (most often the right).

Why is it most often the right post? What's special about the right post that makes it more susceptible to failure than the left?

 

[ianr33]

The right post is the one being breathed from all the time.Parts in the reg are moving,pressures are changing.Hence more chance of something failing.

 

[JimC]

You are breathing off it. It sees (a lot) more use and is more likely to go.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Meh I was thinking about the actual valve/neck orifice and not the reg.
Someone please slap me.