My journey into tech

[barth]

Vindicator knobs came with my HP80s when I bought them last year. Liked them so much I got them on modular valves for SM. DGX actually recommends a Vindicator on the manifold, citing accidents when divers splashed with the manifold OFF.

I made a mistake once in France just at the surface before I started the dive.My manifold was closed. I did realize when I was checking my valves at the surface.
That means get out of the water. Walk back to the car. Analyse tanks and go back to the water again. Just open the valve of the manifold is not enough. If the left and right tank doesn’t contain the same gas it can kill you if you just open your isolator valve and go diving.

The vindicator may help you at the surface. But when your tanks are at your backplate it is not possible to see them. I always check my valves in the water. Also during the dive it is not possible to the vindicator by myself. You still have to know how to check if your valves are opened/closed without vindicator. Because of that reason nobody I know is using them.

 

[KenGordon]

OK. Well people might start off incompetent, but some are less incompetent than others, particularly those that do a pre dive safety check.

I still don’t understand how they could not just reach back and turn them on? It doesn’t take very long.

1 They don’t realise it is off.
2. It starts off on and they get confused and actually turn it off, perhaps during that safety check.

Everyone is incompetent to begin with. Some realise that more than others. The point of training is to become competent.

Also, you will find that many people struggle with valve manipulation, so some are relying on a skill which they can’t actually do.

 

[AJ]

@Marie13: looks good on the pictures. Can you move your head far enough back or do you hit the manifold? I'am asking because the cilinders seem quite high up. I had a lot of problems with that and tipping forward because of that.

 

[Marie13]

@Marie13: looks good on the pictures. Can you move your head far enough back or do you hit the manifold? I'am asking because the cilinders seem quite high up. I had a lot of problems with that and tipping forward because of that.

Don’t know.

And another reason I like the Vindicators are they’re simply bigger knobs. Found them easier to handle with gloves on when SM.

 

[Doby45]

As I do not always use a good "technical" shop to fill my doubles, I like the Vindicator on the manifold. It has more than once saved me from incompetent people that seem to think filling doubles is some type of voodoo magic.

Took the tanks in once to get them filled and the fill station was visible from the counter so I was shooting the breeze with one of the counter reps and as I am talking I look back and see that there are two whips on my doubles. I can SEE that the manifold is open and that both whips are from the same bank, so I just let my buddy at the counter know that some additional training might be needed.

And like @Marie13 said, I like the bigger knob, but only on manifold. Bigger knob on the actual tanks in a doubles config in the overhead makes it easier to achieve a roll off.

 

[rongoodman]

@Marie13: looks good on the pictures. Can you move your head far enough back or do you hit the manifold? I'am asking because the cilinders seem quite high up. I had a lot of problems with that and tipping forward because of that.

And those tanks being so short will magnify the problem.

 

[PfcAJ]

@Marie13: looks good on the pictures. Can you move your head far enough back or do you hit the manifold? I'am asking because the cilinders seem quite high up. I had a lot of problems with that and tipping forward because of that.

You can even get into a backwards effect from that.

Valves are super high, so to be able to see and or not tip forward you trim out head up.

People then think that if they’re knees down that they need more mass toward the head. Rinse and repeat. Frustration ensues.

 

[JohnnyC]

Valves are super high, so to be able to see and or not tip forward you trim out head up.

Or out come the ankle weights.....

 

[AJ]

You can even get into a backwards effect from that.

Been there, done that I know all about frustration because of these issues

 

[Marie13]

You think these are too high? You should have seen them with the standard size BP. Much too low.