Lost sight of buddies - tank came loose

[alibi 2]

Did your BC have a Power inflater, and was the tank hooked up to it?..This was probally what kept the tank with the BC..so what needed to be done is to secure the tank back to the backpak...if you'd still had your buddys they could have helped you...but other wise your still able to surface safely (which you did) and get help.

I have a weight intergated BC but I still wear a weight belt. I like to split my weights 50/50..if i have to take my system off underwater I still have some control without shooting up..also if i have to ditch my weight I can release the belt and i will come up but not like a rocket..If you havent practiced the bottom ditching of your system I would suggest doing what you did, ascend to the surface safely. Then if you had to, inflate your BC and remove it on the surface to put the tank back in place..if you lose control of the tank it is still attached to the bc (which is bouyant) and your not in danger of a uncontrolled accent..glad everything turned out ok for you...

 

[ferretchen]

Usually I insist on checking all of my own gear. I don't like it when dive boat personnel "help" me by changing tanks, etc.

One time in Cozumel I succumbed to pressure to "chill out" and let someone else set up my kit. I subsequently suffered an unpleasant sequence of equipment failures underwater that would never have happened - at least not that particular failure, anyway - if I had assembled it.

Don't let someone else pressure you - this is life support equipment we're talking about!

I think you did pretty well.

 

[milkmood]

Just want to jump in here...I am lucky enough to dive frequently with my Instructor and a couple other friends who are Dive Instructors and Rescue Divers, and from more than one certifying organization.

On every single dive, any one of them will spontaneously challenge me to perform a skill that was originally covered in OW, AOW, or even skills that are from some other advanced certifications.

Point is, make it a habit to take a minute or two out of every dive to re-hash one skill or another that you already learned, but maybe haven't done since your certification. Maybe ones you have had a hard time with; for me it was Mask Removal/Replacement and Breathing from Free Flowing Regulator (if you get free or cheap refills ).

It could save your life.

 

[DevonDiver]

Did your BC have a Power inflater, and was the tank hooked up to it?..This was probally what kept the tank with the BC........

It is this issue, in particular, that makes me question the sense of pull-dump style LPI hoses. Tanks slips... pulls on LPI hose....empties BCD. It's quite a lot to deal with at one time. A consecutive incident chain.

 

[DMDavid]

It is this issue, in particular, that makes me question the sense of pull-dump style LPI hoses. Tanks slips... pulls on LPI hose....empties BCD. It's quite a lot to deal with at one time. A consecutive incident chain.

Most if not all pull-dump require a downward pulling motion (chest towards waist) I can't see an accidental dump of air due to a tank slipping out.
Most tanks will slip down through the bc straps and normally have 3-4 points that should hold them from separating:
1) First to second stage connection.
2) Inflator hose connection
3) Octo connection
4) Upper bc strap should be around tank valve.

 

[fjpatrum]

YES! At least it is when you're wearing a 7 mm wetsuit. You have to make sure that you have a very good hold on your BC when you ditch and don underwater with integrated weights, as your body wants to float and and your air wants to sink. This is one of the reasons why the concept of integrated weights doesn't work so well in cold water diving.

It's also the reason why I first went to a weight belt with my integrated weight BC and then went to a BP/W.

When I was using a jacket BC, I just kept one arm in the jacket and could manage things that way. I haven't practiced this yet with my new rig, though.

Either way, you have pros and cons for each method. With integrated weights, if you lose your grip, you can CESA and let the rig drop whereas if you're wearing a weight belt and you lose the rig, you're likely to drop. (You can still ditch at that point, though, so I guess it works out the same and at least your rig is buoyant, hopefully.)

 

[alibi 2]

Most if not all pull-dump require a downward pulling motion (chest towards waist) I can't see an accidental dump of air due to a tank slipping out.
Most tanks will slip down through the bc straps and normally have 3-4 points that should hold them from separating:
1) First to second stage connection.
2) Inflator hose connection
3) Octo connection
4) Upper bc strap should be around tank valve.

I was thinking the same thing...I don't see how the tank coming loose would empty the bc...The hose has to be pulled down and the ones i've seen take a bit of downward pressure to release air from the bc....unless the tank somehow swung around to the front of the diver and pulled sharply down...if my tank ended up in front while assending i would hold it to me and continue ascending safely...bouyancy should remain stable as your not dropping or gaining weight..

 

[DevonDiver]

Why does the tank need to be pulled down in the front?

It is only the right-angle connection that directs this. The design is still centered on a flexible outer tube, containing an inflexible wire dump.

Once slipped, the regs have a lot more slack to give before they would bear the weight of the cylinder. If the 'hanging loop' was not around the cylinder neck, then the first part of the BCD to take the weight of the cylinder would be the LPI. Outer hose stretches. Inner wire gets pulled. Dump valve opens... even if it was being pulled backwards over the shoulder.

Anyone have a LPI pull-dump? Maybe they can check the principle?

I don't use the things... seen far too many go wrong and spoil people's dives.

 

[boulderjohn]

I just finished teaching the OW pool sessions for a class of 5 students yesterday. I do admit that I use teaching methods that focus more on teaching buoyancy skills than most people do, I do not do anything outside the standards.

All 5 of my students removed and replaced their BCDs while neutrally buoyant in mid water.

 

[knowone]

All pretty complicated dangerous for new people stuff for being scared of teaching or learning how a camband works and doing it up properly in the first place.