panic under water - I had serious problem

[Damselfish]

Long ago I had an OOA diver (not my buddy, no idea where his was) come to me and signal and I passed him my octo. He didn't purge it and didn't have the breath to clear it, not getting any air he zoomed off for the surface (fortunately not talking me with him.) Fortunately he was ok in the end. The DM said she found it was usually best to press the purge for the OOA diver as you are passing it, just hold it down until the thing is pretty much in their mouth. Because aside from what any book says, the OOA diver may not think to do it. It certainly would have worked better that time.

 

[Marek K]

[...] usually best to press the purge for the OOA diver as you are passing it, just hold it down until the thing is pretty much in their mouth. Because aside from what any book says, the OOA diver may not think to do it. It certainly would have worked better that time.

Good point. But how are people taught to grasp the regulator they're donating, whether it's a long-hose primary (Hi Mania!) or an octo?

Way back when buddy-breathing was still a standard drill (both divers sharing the same second stage between them), we were taught -- as the donor -- to grasp the second stage that was in our mouth with our right hand, palm toward our face, at the swivel just to the side of the second stage housing... then offer the reg by rotating it 90 degrees clockwise horizontally, so it was right-side-up for the OOA buddy. That was to keep the purge button clear for the other diver to use it -- or us for that matter, when we took the reg back!! We always kept positive control over the reg, not letting it go; the buddy was supposed to grasp our wrist with his/her left hand, to keep control of the reg too.

We were also supposed to grab each other with the other hand, by our shoulder harnesses.

That didn't leave many hands free for bouyancy control while ascending!

Point is, offering the reg that way, there was no way to purge it using the same hand... yet we still managed to purge it each time, I think... wonder how we did that?

(Jeez, I just know this is going to degenerate into a long-hose-short-hose debate...)

--Marek

 

[cornfed]

Good point. But how are people taught to grasp the regulator they're donating, whether it's a long-hose primary (Hi Mania!) or an octo?

I was taught to not grasp the regulator but instead hold the hose just off the reg a bit. You then orient the regulator so the the mouthpiece is pointed towards the OOA diver (ie it's ready to stick in their mouth) and the regulator is in the proper up/down orientation. This means the regulator is in the proper orientation so the OOA diver can stick it straight in their mouth and has access to the purge button. This basic method was presented in both a GUE class and an NSS-CDS class so I'm pretty sure it's general method.

(Jeez, I just know this is going to degenerate into a long-hose-short-hose debate...)

It probably will, but the length of you hose doesn't have anything to do with how you hand it off. It effects what you do after it's in the other guys mouth but that's a different thread.

 

[mwpowell]

This is actually a pretty common method of doing a gas switch. the rationale is that you watch the spg drop as you take the first breath,that way you know you are breathing from the tank you are about to turn on. Not a big deal with one deco tank,much more important if you have two. Breathing from the wrong tank will spoil your day.

Having said that ,I am not comfortable with it either so I have started to press the purge while watching the spg to verify that I have the correct tank. Then I open the valve ALL the way,then I switch regs

I'm still on a learning curve with all this stuff, but here is what I've been doing.

1) Signal Gas Switch to Buddy.
2) Identify bottle by MOD marking.
3) Confirm correct bottle with buddy.
4) Deploy second stage and place around neck.
5) Go back and find bottle by MOD marking.
6) Turn on bottle.
7) Move hand from valve to 1st stage and slide hand along hose to 2nd stage and place in mouth.
8) Breath
9) Clip off primary.

When I have a 2nd deco bottle, I make sure that the valve is turned off and hose is stowed.

Mike

 

[mwpowell]

I was taught to not grasp the regulator but instead hold the hose just off the reg a bit. You then orient the regulator so the the mouthpiece is pointed towards the OOA diver (ie it's ready to stick in their mouth) and the regulator is in the proper up/down orientation. This means the regulator is in the proper orientation so the OOA diver can stick it straight in their mouth and has access to the purge button. This basic method was presented in both a GUE class and an NSS-CDS class so I'm pretty sure it's general method.

I was taught the same thing.

Mike

 

[mwpowell]

Long ago I had an OOA diver (not my buddy, no idea where his was) come to me and signal and I passed him my octo. He didn't purge it and didn't have the breath to clear it, not getting any air he zoomed off for the surface (fortunately not talking me with him.) Fortunately he was ok in the end. The DM said she found it was usually best to press the purge for the OOA diver as you are passing it, just hold it down until the thing is pretty much in their mouth. Because aside from what any book says, the OOA diver may not think to do it. It certainly would have worked better that time.

If you're pressing the purge when you pass the reg, then the OOA diver will get a face full of bubbles making it harder to see the reg and get it into their mouth. My buddy and I have been doing a lot of OOA drills lately, and I've found that receiving a free flowing reg just adds to the stress.

Mike

 

[cornfed]

My buddy and I have been doing a lot of OOA drills lately, and I've found that receiving a free flowing reg just adds to the stress.

Same here. If the reg is freeflowing as I go to hand it off I try to quickly cut off the free flow before handing it off.

 

[Damselfish]

If you're pressing the purge when you pass the reg, then the OOA diver will get a face full of bubbles making it harder to see the reg and get it into their mouth. My buddy and I have been doing a lot of OOA drills lately, and I've found that receiving a free flowing reg just adds to the stress.

Mike

Just passing along what this DM suggested, who I suspect had more experience with real OOA situations than one would want. I think her idea was, stuff it in their mouth for them while purging it.

I know that's not the standard way and has issues too, but the fact is the standard way didn't help them. The diver, who seemed pretty calm at first (signaled, didn't grab for anything) didn't remember to purge the reg, and I think they decided when they got water that my octo must not work. Maybe if I'd figured out what was wrong quick enough before they bolted I could have purged it for them while it was in their mouth, but that doesn't sound like a great idea either. Maybe just enough to give them the idea but not full blast? No easy answer even in hindsight, much harder while the stuff is actually hitting the fan. (We were probably 60-70 feet.)

 

[pilot fish]

Pilot Fish,
Not really. It is one of the first things explained about breathing off a reg. What gas it has is not relevant.
That is why you hold the reg you are donating by the hose. It leaves the purge free and clear for the ooa diver to use. If they have been ooa very long they may very well be out of breath as well since they should have been exhaling a small stream of bubbles the whole time. If so they won't have much breath to clear with.
Joe

Good point, no one is going to have enough breath left to blow out during OOA. Holding the reg you are donating by the hose is very good to know.

 

[pilot fish]

I agree about not covering the purge button when donating a reg, for that reason.

Hmmm... this brings up a question... do you guys normally clear a reg underwater by exhaling? Or by pressing the purge button?

I can certainly do it both ways, but for some reason have gotten into the habit of always using the purge button... maybe I just like the feeling of that burst of air from a reg I'm putting in my mouth underwater.

I'd certainly want to press the purge button if I were the receiver in an OOA situation...

Diver0001 has a good point about using your tongue in any case, as a deflector with the first breath... I need to get into that habit... though I am very slow and tentative on the first breath...

--Marek

Why is it so necessary to purge first when receiving a donated reg ? Am I reading this properly? My first reaction would be to inhale. I'd be afraid that I'd purge it and it would free flow, using up valuable breathing gas. I'm sure I'm msissing something here.