sunapeebob
Contributor
Interesting experience this past weekend off Gloucester, MA. We were diving the Chester Poling. It was my first NE dive this year. Beautiful on the surface but cold (40 degrees) at the wreck. We splashed and then descended the line in fair current. At about 50 feet I started feeling the reg breathing hard. I adjusted the second stage to an easier setting and continued down. It did not get better and at about 75 feet was requiring a fair amount of effort. Gauges were not showing anything funny. I had my octo hooked up to a separate pony so was not feeling really stressed. I thumbed the dive and ascended. At about 40 feet it got easier and when I stopped on the hang bar to do a safety stop, it was completely fine.
Analysis on the boat showed all looked OK. I had had my regs serviced about a month ago by a good shop. I had dived with them in January in Florida to 95 ft with no problems.
At home later that day I attached the 1st stage to the tank and then observed the set up. I manually adjusted the second stage, and I could feel the change in breathing resistence. It was completely normal. I then observed the hose as it exited the biofilter (humidifier). It was bent as I put the reg hose over my shoulder. I bent the hose and tried to breath - the same high resistence. I have had the hose over a year and never this sort of issue. We have spares and it will be changed and then I will need to test it out. I asked my son, the technical diver of the pair, and he told me that the external pressure/kinking probably critically narrowed the hose to the second stage. It was a hose we had purchased with full face masks with quick releases.
A good lesson and something that everyone should check out periodically.
Bob
Analysis on the boat showed all looked OK. I had had my regs serviced about a month ago by a good shop. I had dived with them in January in Florida to 95 ft with no problems.
At home later that day I attached the 1st stage to the tank and then observed the set up. I manually adjusted the second stage, and I could feel the change in breathing resistence. It was completely normal. I then observed the hose as it exited the biofilter (humidifier). It was bent as I put the reg hose over my shoulder. I bent the hose and tried to breath - the same high resistence. I have had the hose over a year and never this sort of issue. We have spares and it will be changed and then I will need to test it out. I asked my son, the technical diver of the pair, and he told me that the external pressure/kinking probably critically narrowed the hose to the second stage. It was a hose we had purchased with full face masks with quick releases.
A good lesson and something that everyone should check out periodically.
Bob
