How would you handle a free flowing reg?

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

fine howard ... but the point i am trying to make is i cant see a reason why everyone shouldnt have redundant air? which would null the question.... lets be proactive rather than reactive?

I am with Howard on this one. The first situation actually happened to me and my buddy and there was no pony/stage bottle present. So I am curious if others found themselves in that situation with just one tank per diver what step by step action would you take. I think everyone would agree to get out of the water, but what actions would to take to make that happen in a safe manner.

 

[HowardE]

fine howard ... but the point i am trying to make is i cant see a reason why everyone shouldnt have redundant air? which would null the question.... lets be proactive rather than reactive?

Proactive? How does your redundant answer - answer USBB's question? Why is suggesting that everyone carry a pony, stage, bailout, or otherwise THE solution??

Proactive, is the kind of answers that people have been giving. Use your training and knowledge, keep cool, and solve the problem.

Buddy diving in non-overhead, no-deco situations is a redundant air source - no?

Who doesn't teach that "you should always dive with a buddy"?? - unless you've taken a solo diving course, in which they teach that you carry an alternate air source.

Again... your point MAY be valid, in certain situations... but not this one. The question that she asked, is how 95% of all dives go down... Buddy divers with single tanks.

Tec diving, doubles, rebreather, pony's, stages, bailout. Most divers don't even know these words. Most divers just go strap on an AL 80 and look at pretty fishies.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Ronzo, Underseabumblebee asked how someone would handle two vary specific situations...saying they should have had pony bottles is about as good as saying they should not have had a freeflow...not an answer to the questions.

You do have a valid argument, and please feel free to start your own thread on the issue.. but this one is to answer USBB's questions.

 

[RonzoTheGreat]

i apologize for not making my point valid. carry on. sorry for wasting your time

 

[D_B]

Years certified: 4
Certifications held: highest is Rescue
Agency: PADI
Number of dives: 54


I agree with NWGD (although I did wonder about how long to work the second question problem with only 800psi for two people at 55ft)

Thanks for the tip on alternate breathing from octo and primary on a shared first stage to prevent freeze up ... I don't remember this being mentioned in my normally very thorough training/instructor

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Sorry Howard, but i do NOT agree with you ... I am in the northeast, YES there are single tank divers. NO, no one should be diving new jersey waters without a back up gas source. Hence my answer "First of all I would NEVER dive without a redundant sling bottle at the minimum ... so simple answer ... i go to my back-up air."

i didn't think many people would get it so i will expain further, my answer was not only redundant but all of my diving is.

how can you justify this threads situation if the situation should NEVER take place up here? seriously?

answer is simply to the questions posed, "the questions are not apparent"

Ronzo, I appreciate that diving in NJ requires the setup that you dive. However if you go to the lakes I dive you will find that most divers are diving with 2 people with each person having a single tank. I actually had a free flow as described in situation 1.

I want to examine how I responded to the real life situation compared to how other divers arm chair diving might respond based on the situation laid out above.

The air temp that day was close to 85 degrees. The lake was like glass. We were diving in a cove. No boat wrecks. No caves. No boat traffic. No current. Five people on the surface as bubble watchers.

The response would indeed be very different if I had said we were doing a wreck dive to 100 feet, we had entered the ship about 100 feet and 15 minutes into the dive with strong current, low viz, 4-6 foot waves on the surface. There are peopel who do those dives and gear up accordingly.

So much question is really related to the type of diving I do and what happened to me. And rather than offer up what I did when I asked the question. I wanted to leave the slate blank for people to give an honest answer about how they would handle the situation.


I also wanted to hear how both divers in the buddy team should respond. It seems several folks just say go the surface, but do not include how they would hope their buddy would respond or how they would assist their buddy. A few others include how both members of the buddy team should respond.