My first "incident" as a diver

[InTheDrink]

IMHO, the only reason to teach '1/4 turn back' is because ham-fisted customers will over-tighten valves. Over a period of time, this constant over-tightening will damage the valve and reduce its lifespan.

Otherwise, turning the valve into the fully open position is more decisive and less prone to human error subsequently leading to OOA emergencies.

Plenty of ham fisted pros and boat hands out there too, wouldn't just put it on customers. Some ops I've been with tighten valves like you wouldn't believe.

My preference is to manage my valves myself (all the way on with a tiny twist back) and I tell ppl with my death eyes to leave my kit alone.

J

 

[Ayisha]

Amen!... I don't want anyone touching my gear except me! Having administered anesthesia for the last 33 yrs. you learn that there are routines that you stick to religiously every time! To do anything less is an invitation to disaster!
I check my valve on before donning my BC. And then I procede to take not a few, but several breaths from both my primary and my octo to assure myself that both are performing as anticipated.

I got thrown off my routine a few times and realized quickly that I really needed to stick to my routine. There was one particular long weekend charter that I was on and my gear was ready, stowed, and the valve off during the long rides out. Everytime it was time to get ready and I walked toward my gear, the captain ran over quickly and held up my kit for me like a gentleman. I just automatically walked into it and put it on, while chatting with my friends, and continued getting ready on the bench. It didn't take long going through my checks to figure out that my valve was still off, so for the first time, I tried to reach my valve, and voila, managed to turn it on myself (without anyone being the wiser). Before the next dive, same thing happened. The third time, I told him, "Hold on, I need to turn my air on". He said, "I would have turned it on anyway". I knew he was just being helpful, but I needed to follow my routine, which was to go to my kit, turn it on, start checking functions, then put it on and continue. I'm a little compulsive, but it keeps me safer and gives me peace of mind.

 

[DevonDiver]

Plenty of ham fisted pros and boat hands out there too, wouldn't just put it on customers. Some ops I've been with tighten valves like you wouldn't believe.

Yep... but it's their cylinder and their valve. Ham-fisted DM/Instructor breaks a valve at a centre they work at...and they're the ones who will be paying to fix it

 

[Sas]

Cindy, I'm glad everything came out okay! One thing you might consider doing in the future, is breathing your regulator while watching the gauge, BEFORE you get in the water. If the gauge isn't all the way open, you may see a fluctuation in the pressure with each breath (which you shouldn't if it is all the way open). It's always better to catch something before you dive -- or, as my husband puts it, nothing gets BETTER underwater Glad your buddy was nearby and prepared to share gas with you. That turned an emergency into an inconvenience.

This is really not a good indicator as to if your tank is not open fully. My SPG will read fine when my tank is only open a crack. Same with my old AI computer. It's worth checking how far closed your tank can be before your SPG starts to show this...

The best method is to actually check the tank valve.

 

[Kingpatzer]

This is really not a good indicator as to if your tank is not open fully. My SPG will read fine when my tank is only open a crack. Same with my old AI computer. It's worth checking how far closed your tank can be before your SPG starts to show this...

The best method is to actually check the tank valve.

Depending on the type of diving you do; however, that can be a bad idea. Breathing a reg before an ice dive, for example, significantly adds to the probability of icing.

I personally really like my XS valves, they have a color ring below the handle that shows red when the valve is closed and changes to green when the valve is open. It's a nice visual check to see if you can see any red on the valve. I always manually check the valve as well, but the visual feedback is a good secondary check.

 

[mrbeast1414]

mrbeast, the answer is that some buddies check by touching, and others check by performing self-checks at the same time. I would actually be quite unhappy if someone insisted on handling my valves to satisfy themselves that they were open. However, I'm quite happy when someone wants to go through the pre-dive check, which involves ME checking the position of my valve, and doing the breathing and watching the gauge that has been described. In fact, I insist on that.

Got It! Thanks for clarifying

 

[Jax]

Just get one of these and be done with it!

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, I'll start diving with the Ops who use the special valves. :silly:

 

[RonFrank]

I've had people shut down my valve when I asked for a check. I've failed to open it up before going down. I've even started ascending to discover I never stuck my reg in my mouth! :blinking:

My recommendation is to stick the reg in the mouth, and take a dozen breaths off it before starting the decent. The small amount of gas used at the surface is worth the check. I take a bunch of breaths because the hose holds a few breaths, so suck on it like it is a lollipop, and don't worry about the 2psi you just wasted!

I try to keep folks off my valves once I have checked them, but that is not always an option. If a deck hand insists on checking my valve, I just make sure he/she is not cranking on it. If they are, either I failed to open it,or they are shutting it down.

Regardless of where you are diving, or the circumstance, it is always a good idea to take the time to check the valve if there is any doubt that it is fully open.

Like many here, I feel the quarter turn closed is complete BS.

 

[DevonDiver]

Here's an idea...

Put regulator in mouth. Breathe. Enter the water. Breathe. Wait for buddy. Breathe. Descend. Breathe.

If there's a problem, it'd soon become evident...probably long before you got to the point of descent.

You don't get that 'check' when you enter the water with a snorkel in your mouth