I was getting too complacent...

[Cudabait]

Most divers I see just wear their tank too low. When I dive a single tank I can lean my head back and touch my reg (which is close to the valve) and I can reach the back of my head.

Wearing doubles I can lean my head back and touch the isolator valve...again, I can reach the back of my head.

Stay horizontal...so gravity isn't working against you.
Point your elbow forward rather than to the side.
Arch your back and lean your head back rather than foreward (many people lean forward which makes you have to reach further).

As you arch your back and lean your head back you can even lay your arm on the side of your head and use your head to help push your arm back.

Good advice, Mike...

Another thing that can be done is to reach under the tank base with the free hand, pull upwards and to the side of the free hand....this also makes the over the shoulder reach a little easier.

Regards,

 

[Ishie]

Most divers I see just wear their tank too low. When I dive a single tank I can lean my head back and touch my reg (which is close to the valve) and I can reach the back of my head.

I've started wearing my tank low. I'm short, have an AL 80 (until I can get a HP steel 80), and got tired of wanging my head on the tank valve every time I tried to go down.

I'll have to try tomorrow and see if I can turn the valve while it's on me.

Ishie

 

[scububa]

Most divers I see just wear their tank too low. When I dive a single tank I can lean my head back and touch my reg (which is close to the valve) and I can reach the back of my head.

Wearing doubles I can lean my head back and touch the isolator valve...again, I can reach the back of my head.

Stay horizontal...so gravity isn't working against you.
Point your elbow forward rather than to the side.
Arch your back and lean your head back rather than foreward (many people lean forward which makes you have to reach further).

As you arch your back and lean your head back you can even lay your arm on the side of your head and use your head to help push your arm back.

Ow, that hurt ;-)

 

[MikeFerrara]

Ow, that hurt ;-)

Certainly not meant to hurt. LOL

The day I learned to reach my valve was a similar situation and I certainly wasn't ever taught to do it or that it was even important.

I was a new dry suit diver. I was on a dive at a local quarry in the middle of winter. The group descended ahead of me (ever see any one do that?). Anyway as I dropped quickly to catch up I felt it hard to breath. I looked at my reg and saw the needle bouncing. I was maybe at 20 ft or so at this point. I didn't want to ascend because then I'd never catch my "buddies".

Anyway I reached back for my valve and there was no way that was going to happen. I popped the waist band of my bc loose and hoisted the tank to get it where I could reach it and turn it on.

When we started tech training and we had to do valve drills as a timed skill we spend many hours wearing doubles in the local quarry practicing until it was easy. I had a sore neck for at least a year too.

 

[Mako Mark]

practice reaching your valve so you can just reach back and check it and open as needed..

Mike is right Poogweese, opening and closing the valve UW is something every diver should be able to do, and it should have been one of the first things that you checked. This is a classic error.

For many years now I have been on a crusade to change the paradigm of "quarter turn back" for this very reason. I see many many divers that confuse open with close, and this results in the problem you experienced. I ask myself and every diver or instructor I teach, why do you do the quarter turn???

The answer is usually "I dunno" or "to stop the valve sticking".

Think to yourself, if the valve sticks, when will that be a problem? On the surface after the dive when you try to disassemble your gear! Could this kill you? Hell no! Could the experience you had have ended tragically? Hell yes and I am glad for you it didnt.

personally I have never seen a valve stick open, and if I did, I would attack it with a wrench or hit it with a hammer, but I have seen dozens of instances of people confusing on and off.

Remember CLOCKWISE CLOSED

Thanks for sharing Poogweese this is an important lesson for everyone.

Nice, I sometimes turn off my own air, amazing how many breaths you get with the tank closed.

For some reason this statement reminds me of the final scenes in the movie fight club!

 

[Poogweese]

Thanks to everyone for your ideas and feedback, hopefully some old skills will be re-visited and practiced (I know what I'm going to work on) and we can all have fun and be safe in a very unforgiving environment.

Poog

 

[Kestrell]

This easy to do. Mife had a habit of setting up her gear and turning her tank off until she was ready to put everything on and dive. One time as we were getting suited up, I happened to look over at her when she was taking a few test breaths from her reg and I noticed she did not look at her gauge. I was inclined to not say anything at first, since I did not want her to think I was questioning her skills, but knowing the risks, I decided to err on the side of caution. Any way, I told her to take few more breaths while watching her gauge and sure enough the needle dipped with every breath. Needless to say we had a little conference (no hurt feelings) and we decided that she should always check her gauge when testing her reg, and that once her tank is on, it stays on until the dive is done.

 

[Saudi-Diver]

Hi I will ways make sure I can reach my tank valve so if I screw up my buddy check I can sort it out. My problem is I have just done my first Dry suit dives and in 5mm semi dry gloves how can you do anything its a complete nightmare you do not have fingers you have pincers I have always dived tropical water with no gloves it teaches you not to touch the reef but manual dexterity is brill. I did a dry suit course in Aberdeen (Scotland) dived in Kelp with seals fantastic but how do ypu come to terms with the loss of mobility

 

[lostinspace]

remember:

righty tighty lefty loose