How open do you keep your iso valve?
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Capt Jim Wyatt
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but I am not sure if its in the "official" PADI cirriculum or not.
I have never heard of a valve getting stuck open due to this...but its just something I have always done. It may just be superstitious behavior
I have never heard of a valve getting stuck open due to this...but its just something I have always done. It may just be superstitious behavior
Current recommendation in the PADI text is all the way open. Too many people turn it off then 1/4 on instead of on and 1/4 off. Then divers have trouble at 50 ft lol. If it's turned all the way off instrad of all the way on tou'll know it soon.
I use all the way on or all the way off and no inbetween with all scuba valves.
I use all the way on or all the way off and no inbetween with all scuba valves.
Capt Jim Wyatt
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that people do not know how to open a valve/close a valve. I see certified divers on my boat very frequently who don't know how.
I try to educate these folks with the old mnemonic lefty Lucy/Righty tighty.
Facing the valve handle -- turn left to open . right to close. Most people get it.....so I continue to teach it.
I try to educate these folks with the old mnemonic lefty Lucy/Righty tighty.
Facing the valve handle -- turn left to open . right to close. Most people get it.....so I continue to teach it.
I have the manuals in front of me now
PADI TecRec is all valves open all the way. Reasoning for this is if you have to shut them down they will only go one-way, that is you are not going to get confused and turn them on rather than off, wasting time during the shutdown.
I have all mine wide open.
Yep all good in recreational diving, but at 180Ft narced off your brain, with a HP Oring blowing out behind your head and spewing your air all over the shop, I like to know that when I turn the valve it is going to be shutdown.
crazyc
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Here's something else to throw into the discussion. If you leave them completely open without play, there is a chance that someone can strip the valve handle.
Using the wide open with no play philosophy, my buddy cranked his so hard in the wrong direction when under a bit of stress, he stripped one out completely underwater and I had to help him with the other.
I have found 1/4 turn back to be "comfortable" for me. Besides, I always dive a mix that will prevent me from being narced at whatever depth I am diving, and I practice valve drills religiously.
CrazyC
Using the wide open with no play philosophy, my buddy cranked his so hard in the wrong direction when under a bit of stress, he stripped one out completely underwater and I had to help him with the other.
I have found 1/4 turn back to be "comfortable" for me. Besides, I always dive a mix that will prevent me from being narced at whatever depth I am diving, and I practice valve drills religiously.
CrazyC
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Once again, a fix for a non-existant problem.
The problem was your buddy not being familiar with his gear, not the gear itself.
crazyc
Contributor
You're correct in the fact he was unfamiliar, it was during his initial training with a manifold. However, after the dive when we debriefed, he said what confused him was that he had tried to turn the valve the way he thought it needed to go, and when it wouldn't turn, he reversed the direction. At this point he stripped the valve on his left post Since he had also just completely opened his right post, he ran into the same confusion and locked the valve knob up so hard, I had to "unlock" the knob for him.
So in the following days, he adopted the 1/4 turn back on all valves, and there was never a repeat problem.
I guess like som many things, it's all about what you train with and get used to.
So in the following days, he adopted the 1/4 turn back on all valves, and there was never a repeat problem.
I guess like som many things, it's all about what you train with and get used to.
for my two yen...
I was taught to have the isolator open a couple of turns and cank the valves back 1/4 turn.
Really not sure how you are going to "roll off" the isolater unless you are going grab like across the cave or wreck roof, even then you would need to try really hard.
On the valves I can see that you can only go one way to close them but I don't think you lose much time if you go a quarter way the wrong way.
BTW - PADI for the valves and TDI for the Isolator which has not been contradicted by further IANTD training.
Jonathan
I was taught to have the isolator open a couple of turns and cank the valves back 1/4 turn.
Really not sure how you are going to "roll off" the isolater unless you are going grab like across the cave or wreck roof, even then you would need to try really hard.
On the valves I can see that you can only go one way to close them but I don't think you lose much time if you go a quarter way the wrong way.
BTW - PADI for the valves and TDI for the Isolator which has not been contradicted by further IANTD training.
Jonathan
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