High pressure hose blowing, can it happen UW?

[Papa_Bear]

I agree wholeheartedly! Replace it! Xs SCUBA has some new HP hoses that are really cool! They were at DEMA and look like my next hoses! The only go news is if it blows you will have plenty of time to safely surface in OPEN water!

 

[J.R.]

If anybody actually cares to SEE what happens when an HP hose blows... check out:

Scuba Diving Videos Cutting a Divers Hose Scuba Videos

They cut one underwater... and also cut an LP hose later... interesting comparison.

... and thanks to TSandM for her wise observation about those little holes (yep... check YOUR HP hose... bet you have em' too...)...

 

[Packhorse]

I have a two year old suunto high pressure hose that leaks air out of tiny pin holes. They tell me that's normal and will go away. Is that true?

Yes its true. It will go away once all the air has leaked out.

 

[Andy077]

I'm not sure about a scuba tank, but i had the high pressure line (between tank and first-stage reg) on a Scott 4.5 SCBA blow on me at 4500 PSI a month ago, sounded like a gunshot going off. and the tank started to drain pretty fast. It happened right as we opened the tank for the weekly check.
The tube to the SPG, while at full pressure, is low-flow, so you won't lose much air, since it's static pressure. We test fire hose the same way, through a valve with a 1/4" hole in it. fine for static pressure, but if you have a blowout, the flow will be minimal.
The odds of a blowout are less at depth than at the surface, due to the lower differential between internal and external pressure, probably not MUCH lower, since we're only talking a few atmospheres atr most, but there it is.

 

[Andy077]

as for the folks who claim the hp air rushing out will amputate fingers, haven't you ever opened a tank valve and put you hand in front of it? that is full pressure on an unrestricted orifice. I have never even heard about a guy who knows a guy whos brother got a finger cut by hp air.
trauma from a flailing hose maybe, but cut by air? not at the pressures we're talking about.

i saw a guy in the late 90's get his hand in the way of an open valve from a 4500PSI fire service SCBA bottle, he ended up with a wicked case of frostbite. not sure how close he was to the valve though.