H-valve and valve drills

[sanderw]

Hi all,

Further to my previous post, I have fitted an H-valve to my cylinder.

I am trying to do the following valve drill:

To simulate failure on primary side...

1. Switch to secondary, close off primary first stage
2. Open primary first stage, switch back to primary

To simulate secondary failure...

1. Close secondary first stage
2. Open secondary first stage

Now the questions.

1. I struggle to reach the valves behind my back. Any tips?
2. Are these drill sufficient? Does anyone do anything else?

Thanks!

 

[Muggsy]

Where are you wearing your tank? Can you set your tank any higher. I had to reconfigure my rig to go a little higher so I could reach the valves. Done those drills many times, and it is always good practice. You can never practice too much.

 

[Captain CaveMan]

Hi all,

Further to my previous post, I have fitted an H-valve to my cylinder.

I am trying to do the following valve drill:

To simulate failure on primary side...

1. Switch to secondary, close off primary first stage
2. Open primary first stage, switch back to primary

To simulate secondary failure...

1. Close secondary first stage
2. Open secondary first stage

Now the questions.

1. I struggle to reach the valves behind my back. Any tips?
2. Are these drill sufficient? Does anyone do anything else?

Thanks!

sanderw. Your doing the drill wrong for one.

1. Shut down your primary and breath reg down.
2. switch to your backup.
3. turn primary back on and purge test.
4. shut down backup and breath down reg.
5 switch to primary
6. turn backup back on
7. purge test

one tip to help reach your valves is to do alot of streches and how your reaching for them. There is alot of threads on this just do the search

 

[Rick Inman]

1. I struggle to reach the valves behind my back. Any tips?
QUOTE]
Arch your back. The tendency at first is to put your head down, and that creates a gap between your back and your valves. Arch you back so much that you can touch your head to the valve and stay that way during the drill. Keep eye contact with your buddy (assuming he can hang in front of you at the same depth) and that will also help you keep your head up (and good situational awareness).

Next, keep your elbow tucked in. The natural thing to do is chicken-wing your elbow out, but you can get your hand back further if you tuck your elbow in.

Keep doing it. Keep practicing. It's amazing the the valve you think you will never be able to reach, one day becomes easy, with practice.

 

[sanderw]

I have been lying on the bed in front of the mirror wearing my backplate & cylinder, trying to reach the valves. I am so glad nobody saw me

Anyway, arching the back really works. I can reach my left valve with my left hand, but then I have very little purchase. Seems to work better if I operate my left valve with my right hand. the right hand valve I can operate relatively easily, but I struggle to remember which way to turn the left hand valve to open / close.

Now to try in the pool...

Thanks everyone!

 

[evil_xander]

I had a bit of a hard time with a Y valve reaching the valves in my drysuit... problem disappeared when I got doubles.