Have you ever sucked the bottom out of your air tank?

[Darnold9999]

Once intentionally on the surface to see how the reg would behave.

Not something you want to even come close to doing. You never know when you are going to need that last 500 psi for an emergency. Pay attention!!! Rather not read about another diver lost.

 

[Doc Harry]

OOA once, when my regulator went into free-flow at depth.

Of course, by the time I hit zero PSI my buddy was ready with her octo and we were already ascending to our 15-foot safety stop.

In hindsight I probably shouldn't have drained the rental tank to zero. Should have turned off the valve at 300 PSI and switched over to my buddy's octo at that point.
.
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[Fr3d]

Finished a dive @ 20 bar today, but that included a ~250-300m swim underwater. Didn't really need it for an emergency since was only at around 5m and the swim was the unneccesary but recommended deco stop.

 

[Spratman]

Yep, I did. However, I was already finished my safety stop and was swimming for shore. Lowest since then was 200lbs, but since that time, I surface when I hit 600 psi. Once is enough in this sport. Again, I wasn't at any depth. Glad everything worked out okay.

 

[woestyn]

I came very close to death 2 weeks ago (Nov 2005). It happened on my second dive. The first dive was about 30 m 23 min. On the second dive after 10 minutes I was on 50 bar. My tank was not very full to start off. I though then I would take my buddy's alternate air-source, but then his was not working. So I thought, let me go on more a little bit, I don't want to dive for just 10 min. So at 20 bar 30m depth I decided it was time to go up. At 23 m I ran out of air....I did a fast ascend...I don't know how I made it...I thank God I am alive to tell you about this...It will never happen again..I will ascend from now on at 50 bar.

Greetings
Marius (South Africa)

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Wow.. Glad you made it, Marius. *shudder* Scary stuff....

 

[DandyDon]

Yep, I did. However, I was already finished my safety stop and was swimming for shore. Lowest since then was 200lbs, but since that time, I surface when I hit 600 psi. Once is enough in this sport. Again, I wasn't at any depth. Glad everything worked out okay.

Pretty icky feeling isn't it? :11:

I came very close to death 2 weeks ago (Nov 2005). It happened on my second dive. The first dive was about 30 m 23 min. On the second dive after 10 minutes I was on 50 bar. My tank was not very full to start off. I though then I would take my buddy's alternate air-source, but then his was not working. So I thought, let me go on more a little bit, I don't want to dive for just 10 min. So at 20 bar 30m depth I decided it was time to go up. At 23 m I ran out of air....I did a fast ascend...I don't know how I made it...I thank God I am alive to tell you about this...It will never happen again..I will ascend from now on at 50 bar.

Greetings
Marius (South Africa)

A few suggestions if I may...
(1) Starting a dive to 30 meters/98 ft should only be done with a full tank;
(2) And a good & recently tested alternate air source;
(3) And the ascent from that depth should have started sooner -around 60 bar/100 psi, the not 20 bar/300 psi you used....!

Not just for air supply, for a deep stop, slow ascent, and a safety stop. Perhaps readin this thread may enlighten: Is it painful? - about how the bends feel.

Dive carefully...

 

[markfm]

I came very close to death 2 weeks ago (Nov 2005). It happened on my second dive. The first dive was about 30 m 23 min. On the second dive after 10 minutes I was on 50 bar. My tank was not very full to start off. I though then I would take my buddy's alternate air-source, but then his was not working. ...

That's why the buddy check is important -- part of it is verifying the alternate air source is working. It's always possible that it'll fail during the dive, but if you check it just before entry the odds are in your favor.

Glad it worked out okay.

 

[IaDiverJ&L]

Yes,Did it once on purpose. It was my 2 dive after getting my ow. Beach dive, and in stead of walking back to the starting point, we swam back along shore (3 or 4 foot of water) I ran it down to 50 lbs, to see how hard it would be to breath. It was a little hard, but my knees like were hitting the sand bottom once in a while. The dive shop did kind of scolded me, but since it had a little hiss in the tank, he says I got by without having a vis on it. I had to learn once, but I now watch my gage close, cause I dive solo, and I always have at lease 500lbs in tank when I climb out. I have maybe 150 dives in. My wife on the other had, well...... I have to watch hers close, cause when we are in the ocean, she is like a little kid in a candy store. And I've cought hers at or under 200 afew time, we we only under 20 feet at both times.

 

[Ian T]

Second dive on the OW saw me with an empty tank. A couple of things happened. I didn't check the air gauge before I turned on the tank and it wasn't calibrated. When the tank was dry, the gauge showed 30 bars. The tank wasn't full to begin with cuz during the buddy check, my gauge showed 200 bars. We started doing our safety stop when we hit 50 and since surface conditions had worsened, we decided to do a swimming SS towards the boat, include a litte current and I had to breathe steel. Had to fin hard for a few seconds before grabbing my instructor's fins, pull her towards me and grab her octo and that was that.
My fault completely (though I don't trust rental gear anymore) and from that point in time, I have never finished a dive below 60-70 bars and I always check my (own) air gauge before I put the gear together.