My wife's and my primary regs both freeflowed at same time.

[Diver below 83]

Sounds like a great reason to bungee your alternate and use your primary reg.
No chance for sand to get in unless you're dragging them across the beach.

Agreed

 

[Bert van den Berg]

What type of regs

All four are Aeris A1 regulators. Super simple design and easy to take apart and put together.

 

[Bert van den Berg]

Agreed

I'm 72 years old, the wife slightly younger.

We didn't want to put our BCD/tank on while on shore because the swell was going to knock us over. We didn't want to walk backwards with fins on. We wanted to carry our kit past the breakers and put our kit on in the water.

 

[Coztick]

I'm 72 years old, the wife slightly younger.

We didn't want to put our BCD/tank on while on shore because the swell was going to knock us over. We didn't want to walk backwards with fins on. We wanted to carry our kit past the breakers and put our kit on in the water.

That makes sense...
Idea #2. Place both regs in a small stuff sack (mask bag?) that has a drawstring to pull tight. Might keep the sand out and easy to pocket during the dive.

Best wishes, Kevin

 

[BRT]

All regulator and inflater problems that I have seen have been from debris, almost always sand. Small sample size, I know.

 

[GJC]

Breaking waves can pick up a surprising amount of sand that gets into everything as you walk through them. If you don't keep your regulator in your mouth or hold it above the waves, you need to keep it covered to prevent sand from getting into it.

https://www.amazon.com/Scuba-Choice...eywords=octopus+holder&qid=1578008198&sr=8-17

 

[Bert van den Berg]

If I freeflow at the surface, I put two fingers over the mouthpiece and dip the regulator in the water mouthpiece facing down

When it is cold I make sure to adjust the knobs on my regulator to reduce the change of free flow

EDIT: I realised only now that you mentioned that you don’t have any adjustment knobs

Thanks. Two people have suggested putting either your tongue or two fingers into the mouthpiece to stop a freeflow. I am interested to know how that works.

 

[BlueTrin]

Thanks. Two people have suggested putting either your tongue or two fingers into the mouthpiece to stop a freeflow. I am interested to know how that works.

These pages might help

Freeflow - Wikipedia

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....-tips-dealing-with-a-regulator-free-flow/amp/

If your freeflow is not due to ice, it might be due to debris or due to the Venturi effect.

Some regulators use the Venturi effect so that the air released helps to keep the valve open so it is easier to breathe.

If your freeflow is due to the Venturi effect, blocking the exit will increase the pressure and close the valve.

 

[Wosq]

Thanks for the suggestion. One more bit of information... I tried breathing through my freeflowing regulator and it breathed ok. Whenever I stoped inhaling it continued to freeflow while the reg was in my mouth. After a few minutes started working ok. Lost about 75 bar of air in several minutes.

I had this issue with a new 1st stage when air was cold (around 0 C) and cooling the regulator already before diving. Dive shop told that on factory settings the middle pressure is too high and causes easy freezing.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Sounds a lot like sand or something got in them. Another way to stop a free flow is to move the reg with it out of your mouth very quickly in the direction of the mouthpiece. Kind of a swatting motion. This can also help to dislodge sand.