Free Flow in reality!

[tstormdiver]

In cold water a "freeze flow" an occur. Turning the valve off for a few minutes is often sufficient to allow the reg to re-warm so that if turned back on it may be useable again, particularly if you have ascended into warmer water.

In that case, switching to an alternate source (buddy or pony) and turning off the valve to the freeflowing reg will preserve the gas and can make it available for a safety stop and/or in general increase the gas reserve for the buddy team.

I had this exact thing happen to me while in my Adv. Nitrox course. I did an emergency shutdown drill of my primary regulator when my secondary started free flowing violentlly. I was in the quarry at 95 ft in 42 degree water. I breathed off the free flowing regulator, sorting the situation out for a few seconds, until my instructor decided to give me his regualtor whilst I turned off my secondary & turned my primary back on. The good thing was I had just covered the skill in my ITC class the week before. No panic or anything. I just dealt with the situation as it was. Very valuable experience for my first ever true freeze up & free flow.

 

[j yaeger]

...anybody ever just...
kink their 2nd stage hose???????

in a free flow reg. scenario,of course..

 

[ozziworld]

...anybody ever just...
kink their 2nd stage hose???????

in a free flow reg. scenario,of course..

Here in the Philippines as in other poor countries, some fishermen/divers just use a regular air compressor and bite the end of the hose diving 'hookah' style. they ease up on their bite to let air out to breathe as they need it. dangerous for sure since they are forced to hold their breathebut a common practice nevertheless.

I would think it would be possible to just kink the hose but the hose might be too thick? I guess it is worth a try on an older hose that needs replacing. If it works, then perhaps it is an option.

Just turn off the tank valve and do the CESA as has already been mentioned.

Don't need a complicated solution to complicate a simple problem.

 

[j yaeger]

2nd stage free flows are a common experience up our way.....
especially with new,hard breathing divers!!!
sharing air ascents while turning off your buddys free flowing supply is a very real open water drill here...

 

[diveactive]

Yep i appreciate the comments . If your a photographer . or doing some thing extreme. What ever. For god sake. Go and try it. in controlled conditions. Practice the what IF!
You playing with isolated events. Try it and find out how easy and how controlled it is. Its just a tip. Keep it in your pocket. you never know when you may have to use it. What if . Right?
Also back in the UK I used to use a 5L pony . I came to Borneo and brought it with me.
I used it the other day doing a deep dive. I dive in a 2 i5 mill full wet suit and only need 2 K or less to dive . with a 12L alloy tank. That pony weighted me down. I found my self using more air. So are they a burden or a safety?

I still think learning the what if and having those skills in the background put a diver in a larger comfort zone.
So Open to some one to make a mini Buoyant compensator for a pony bottle. Thanks for the feed back. Love to here of some one who has tried this them selves . A publication of the same method was in Asian diver Mag two yeas ago.

safe diving!

 

[Joe21]

Get a posidon reg they fail in the off position, and then do a cesa.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Another solution is to not use hoses that stick out where they can snag. A Hogarthian setup keeps hoses against the body. Miflex hoses will also stay closer.

 

[wilde100]

Yep i appreciate the comments . If your a photographer . or doing some thing extreme. What ever. For god sake. Go and try it. in controlled conditions. Practice the what IF!
You playing with isolated events. Try it and find out how easy and how controlled it is. Its just a tip. Keep it in your pocket. you never know when you may have to use it. What if . Right?
Also back in the UK I used to use a 5L pony . I came to Borneo and brought it with me.
I used it the other day doing a deep dive. I dive in a 2 i5 mill full wet suit and only need 2 K or less to dive . with a 12L alloy tank. That pony weighted me down. I found my self using more air. So are they a burden or a safety?

I still think learning the what if and having those skills in the background put a diver in a larger comfort zone.
So Open to some one to make a mini Buoyant compensator for a pony bottle. Thanks for the feed back. Love to here of some one who has tried this them selves . A publication of the same method was in Asian diver Mag two yeas ago.

safe diving!

IMHO, if the What if ever happened the priority for any diver should be how to surface safely - NOT trying to figure out how to breathe from an already faulty scuba rig.

The exertion from shrugging off a scuba rig at depth to perform the actions you suggested are likely to exhaust the diver and waste his last lung of air.

I personally would just drop my weights and execute my CESA when this happens.

I also agree with Crowley. This is NOT a method for leisure divers / novices to practice, especially without a trained instructor to bring to their attention the risks involved.

 

[Kevrumbo]

It's called feathering/modulating your tank valve to take a breath as needed --and then shut the valve back down-- as you perform a CESA from depth, while breathing from your back-up reg/octopus. Takes some practice to do it properly on a single tank. (Did it for real during a weight belt check in Cozumel from 6m deep when the inhalation adjustment knob on my 2nd stage primary reg catastrophically blew-out: and my buddy was nowhere in sight). . .

In a free-flow scenario, whether diving singles or doubles; in a team or solo; overhead or open water: Do not let precious breathing gas totally expire if you can manage to control it. . .

 

[StreetDoctor]

gas management and buddy breathing. Shut your tank down.