Have you tried feathering a tank valve?

[BioLogic]

I occasionally run across someone suggesting that a free-flowing regulator can be handled by feathering the tank valve; which I take to mean turn it on to get a breath, turn it back off.

Have any of you ascended this way, with an actual free-flowing regulator? It sounds...tricksy. It also sounds like something I could not realistically practice, since doing it with a sound regulator would probably be far easier (more breaths after the tank is turned off, no distraction from bubbles, regulator not dancing like a wild thing if let go, ...). So I am interested in hearing the experiences of anyone who actually knows how hard it is in a real situation.

 

[John_B]

When I learned to do this, the instructor was eye-to-eye to me with his primary already out in case I screwed it up. You have to be able to reach your valve (most people can't so the rest is moot), and you should already be comfortable with an s-drill (i.e. it should be second nature). After that, its all technique. The inside of your right forearm goes against your ear and your valve should be right there. Honestly, if you are diving as a team an awfully lot of other things would've had to go wrong before you get to that point, but its still a tool in the toolbox in case you ever need it.

Before learning to feather the valve on a single tank I would rather see divers that I dive with practice air shares or at least the ability to do air shares regularly (s-drills, modified s-drills, or whatever else your gear configuration dictates).

My two cents.

 

[ppo2_diver]

I teach this for deco bottles. My Scubapro regs tend to freeflow in our cold water. So I have done many ascents/deco feathering the valve. I've never had to do it for back gas.

 

[Nemrod]

I occasionally run across someone suggesting that a free-flowing regulator can be handled by feathering the tank valve; which I take to mean turn it on to get a breath, turn it back off.

Have any of you ascended this way, with an actual free-flowing regulator? It sounds...tricksy. It also sounds like something I could not realistically practice, since doing it with a sound regulator would probably be far easier (more breaths after the tank is turned off, no distraction from bubbles, regulator not dancing like a wild thing if let go, ...). So I am interested in hearing the experiences of anyone who actually knows how hard it is in a real situation.

Yes.

N

 

[300bar]

Yes.

N

Allway's to the point.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Our OW students do this as part of a failures circuit. We have a few 'special' regulators set up for this particular exercise -- one with a high pressure leak, one with a low pressure leak, and I believe one with a low pressure leak + diaphragm missing in the second stage, but I could be mistaken (been awhile since I've done this particular exercise).

Students are in the shallow end of the pool standing up, we reach over, turn the tank on (which is then followed by an explosion of noise), they drop down and swim across the pool and back while feathering the valve to breathe. In the case of the missing diaphragm on the second stage I believe they have to purge their reg while feathering the valve to breathe.

Yes, that last one is a bit unrealistic (not to say it can't happen, just that the chances are nil) but this exercise is a good confidence booster, and shows the students that they can manage these types of emergencies if necessary.


Have I ever had to do it in real life? No, and I hope I never have to.

 

[contender]

Yes,
Had to do it on a cave dive due to a malfunction, glad I was sidemount diving.

 

[Diver0001]

A buddy of mine did it once during a deco stop because his stage reg was buggered. I offered to share my gas with him and then switch the reg when the bottle was empty but he preferred to do it like this. It worked.

R..