panic under water - I had serious problem

[JeffG]

I'm sure I'm msissing something here.

I'm sure you have.

 

[pilot fish]

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.)

Is this another good reason to have air2? I breath off the reg in my inflator hose on almost every dive, for a short while, to make sure it is working properly and have never had water sucked in when I breathed off it.

 

[Damselfish]

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.

It's going to be full of water.

 

[pilot fish]

It's going to be full of water.

All octo's are filled with water? The reason this is new to me is I have air2. When, and if, I had to donate my reg, my primary second stage, there would be zero water in it. Let's hear it for air2. NO WATER, NO NEED TO PURGE.

 

[Damselfish]

All octo's are filled with water? The reason this is new to me is I have air2. When, and if, I had to donate my reg, my primary second stage, there would be zero water in it. Let's hear it for air2. NO WATER, NO NEED TO PURGE.

I don't remember about the Air2 as I haven't used one in 15 years, but the one you're donating (not the Air2) is going to fill up with water as soon as you take it out your mouth. Unless maybe you carefully pass it mouthpiece down and the OOA diver somehow puts it just as carefully in their mouth, which is unlikely. That's why they have purge buttons, to get the water out of them.

 

[StSomewhere]

Is this another good reason to have air2?

There is no good reason to have an air2. Bungeed backups.

 

[plankspanker]

All octo's are filled with water? The reason this is new to me is I have air2. When, and if, I had to donate my reg, my primary second stage, there would be zero water in it. Let's hear it for air2. NO WATER, NO NEED TO PURGE.

I don't have any experience with an air2 but the odds of any other regulator getting water in it while donating are much higher than not so it would be a good idea to learn how to deal with it and prepare for it. If you are the one who is needing the air you won't be getting an air2 passed your way so you will be dealing with some water at some point.

 

[pilot fish]

I don't have any experience with an air2 but the odds of any other regulator getting water in it while donating are much higher than not so it would be a good idea to learn how to deal with it and prepare for it. If you are the one who is needing the air you won't be getting an air2 passed your way so you will be dealing with some water at some point.

You are absolutely right. That is why this thread, and that bit of info, is so important. I'm grateful to learn that now, instead of in an OOA panic situation

 

[pilot fish]

I don't remember about the Air2 as I haven't used one in 15 years, but the one you're donating (not the Air2) is going to fill up with water as soon as you take it out your mouth. Unless maybe you carefully pass it mouthpiece down and the OOA diver somehow puts it just as carefully in their mouth, which is unlikely. That's why they have purge buttons, to get the water out of them.

On dives that I test my air2, by switching from primary to air2, I never have water in my reg when I put it back to breath off. It could be that I'm holding it upright in my other hand and not letting it dangle to catch water? I'll have to let it drop and dangle to see if I need to purge it. Anotehr thing to test. Thank you all for the heads up

 

[isurus]

On dives that I test my air2, by switching from primary to air2, I never have water in my reg when I put it back to breath off. It could be that I'm holding it upright in my other hand and not letting it dangle to catch water? I'll have to let it drop and dangle to see if I need to purge it. Anotehr thing to test. Thank you all for the heads up

I think you are exhaling to clear the reg without necessarily realising it and thats whats a) making you think theres no water in the reg and b) confusing you about the purge earlier. When I first learned scuba I could not understand why anyone would purge. I would suggest trying, in a controlled environment, removing your reg, exhaling fully and putting it back in to give you a feeling of what would happen.

On a side note the new apeks octopus works all ways up apparently - I think its called the egress