What happened:
I recently dove a 25-30ft coral reef and cavern area in Isabella, Puerto Rico with 2 friends. I was in sidemount. By about 20 minutes into the first dive, my right cylinder's turnwheel had managed to spin from fully opened to fully closed.
More details:
At the 20 minute mark I noticed that the longhose regulator I was breathing from was starting to feel constricted and out of air. I was about 25 ft down just inside of a small coral cavern opening. A few breaths later the regulator stopped breathing altogether. I had two friends within about 10 feet, a lot of natural light, a surface only 25 ft above me, and lots of training, so I experienced zero anxiety. I calmly switched regulators and peaked at the gauge on the right tank I had just been attempting to breath from: 0 psi. I thought, "well that's impossible." I should have been at no less than 2,000psi. Surely I would have noticed a leak that big. I played with the cylinder's turn wheel and realized it was completely shut off. I turned it all the way back on, my gas came back. I then checked my left cylinder's turn wheel. I can't recall if the left had also spun away from open at all.
I will describe the equipment configuration and environment and perhaps someone with more sidemount experience can give me their ideas about what contributed to or caused the accidental shutoff.
Configuration:
-3mm wetsuit
-left and right Thermo modular DIN valves (I brought them to PR with me)
-2 x rented aluminum 80's
- Diveright Transpac configured for sidemount with loop bungees
-the regulators if you care were Hollis DC3 first stages and 221 second stages.
Environment:
25-30ft Ocean dive in a "blue hole" surrounded by a sheer circular wall of coral that extends to within a few feet from the surface. Lots of small caverns in the coral wall + lots of waves => strong and varying rip currents dragging you in and pushing you out of these coral caverns, with the current changing direction every 3-30 seconds. It's a pretty intense, but very beautiful and rewarding area.
My Theory:
It was my first time diving sidemount with aluminum cylinders, first time in the Transpac rig, and first time experiencing any current. I THINK what might have happened is that the turn wheel was repeatedly rubbed by my tricep/armpit area of the wetsuit while I changed my arm position from in-trim-arms-forward TO reaching back for gear, or bracing inside the caverns to avoid being sucked in.
Yes, I'm positive that I started the dive with both thermo valves all the way open. That's at least 7+ revolutions to fully close.
Has anyone ever heard of this happening before?
I recently dove a 25-30ft coral reef and cavern area in Isabella, Puerto Rico with 2 friends. I was in sidemount. By about 20 minutes into the first dive, my right cylinder's turnwheel had managed to spin from fully opened to fully closed.
More details:
At the 20 minute mark I noticed that the longhose regulator I was breathing from was starting to feel constricted and out of air. I was about 25 ft down just inside of a small coral cavern opening. A few breaths later the regulator stopped breathing altogether. I had two friends within about 10 feet, a lot of natural light, a surface only 25 ft above me, and lots of training, so I experienced zero anxiety. I calmly switched regulators and peaked at the gauge on the right tank I had just been attempting to breath from: 0 psi. I thought, "well that's impossible." I should have been at no less than 2,000psi. Surely I would have noticed a leak that big. I played with the cylinder's turn wheel and realized it was completely shut off. I turned it all the way back on, my gas came back. I then checked my left cylinder's turn wheel. I can't recall if the left had also spun away from open at all.
I will describe the equipment configuration and environment and perhaps someone with more sidemount experience can give me their ideas about what contributed to or caused the accidental shutoff.
Configuration:
-3mm wetsuit
-left and right Thermo modular DIN valves (I brought them to PR with me)
-2 x rented aluminum 80's
- Diveright Transpac configured for sidemount with loop bungees
-the regulators if you care were Hollis DC3 first stages and 221 second stages.
Environment:
25-30ft Ocean dive in a "blue hole" surrounded by a sheer circular wall of coral that extends to within a few feet from the surface. Lots of small caverns in the coral wall + lots of waves => strong and varying rip currents dragging you in and pushing you out of these coral caverns, with the current changing direction every 3-30 seconds. It's a pretty intense, but very beautiful and rewarding area.
My Theory:
It was my first time diving sidemount with aluminum cylinders, first time in the Transpac rig, and first time experiencing any current. I THINK what might have happened is that the turn wheel was repeatedly rubbed by my tricep/armpit area of the wetsuit while I changed my arm position from in-trim-arms-forward TO reaching back for gear, or bracing inside the caverns to avoid being sucked in.
Yes, I'm positive that I started the dive with both thermo valves all the way open. That's at least 7+ revolutions to fully close.
Has anyone ever heard of this happening before?
