Peeves ? Compressed air blasts cause hearing damage

[g1138]

I don't like the looks of the Apex Ball dust cap. It looks like it fits into the yolk orifice which if that is the case I think you could get water droplets collecting right around the crease. I feel like if you had to open up again to connect to a tank after your first stage is wet, it be easier to get water droplets falling into your first stage. Where as with a cone type it keeps water droplets off the ring of your first stage orifice.

Probably just being nit picky. I'll try shaking or toweling the dust cap next time. On the bright side it'll probably keep the post-class fill times lower.

 

[Blackwood]

- don't take your dust caps diving ... that way they won't get wet

Someone buy this man a chicken dinner.

 

[Nikki McAllen]

I feel like if you had to open up again to connect to a tank after your first stage is wet, it be easier to get water droplets falling into your first stage. Where as with a cone type it keeps water droplets off the ring of your first stage orifice.

My connections tell me this is not as much an issue as it used to be, water in very small amounts of course. Far more important is the pre-purge of the valve in case the tank was exposed to rain. That can add a lot of water.

Importantly to your particular concern though, it was pointed out to me simply using a reg drives liters of dry air through the first stage, drying it within moments. Something to consider.

 

[knowone]

If an accelerated path towards deafness or tinnitus, may be equated to
experience, how is it that the loudest guy-person on the boat, is talking
the most rubbish.

But anyway brilliant post and may those that are unable to listen
or understand, continue to walk the earth at another location with
the staggered lawn mowing people and the jerky driver guy who in
his frenzy, fails to realise his passengers have no steering wheel, or
body brace.

And keep blowing that muck in your regs and sealing in the cultures
so I can buy your stuff, when the reg guy says, sacrebleu, what have
you don here mon amie and you quickly remember that "wet fill" you got

 

[g1138]

Importantly to your particular concern though, it was pointed out to me simply using a reg drives liters of dry air through the first stage, drying it within moments. Something to consider.

Mhmm, my dad's LDS taught me that after he had accidentally dunked his reg sans dust cover. I'd rather avoid it all together though.

 

[DevonDiver]

Personally, I don't see what the fuss is here. It's a "You're gonna die if....." view on dust-cap cleaning?!?

 

[Sas]

Nobody would discharge a weapon a meter from someone's head just to 'shake up' a hungover hunting partner.

Speak for yourself.

 

[mattaphore]

- don't take your dust caps diving ... that way they won't get wet

+1 for the Chicken Dinner

:bonk: That's an awesome idea! It hadn't even crossed my mind because when I bought my first stage and regs, it was already attached. My dust cap has an annoying geometry and it likes to hang on to water even after towel drying and trying to blow it out (with my lungs).

Even better, I can put the dust cap in the waterproof box (supposedly good to 100ft) that I got for my stupid electronic car key and it'll keep it from rattling around.

Thanks! I like the way you think

 

[k ellis]

I think cone-caps should be replaced by ball-caps (like the Apeks) universally. Maybe costs $1.50 at your dive shop. They work better and are foolproof.

I agree about the 'loudness' of guns, I'm from Alaska and we know guns !

Guns go Boom, but tank valves go 'Ssssshhhhhsh' at a much higher frequency and for maybe 20 times longer duration.

The frequency of a noise determines much of the damage. Boom noises and low frequency noises cause the long, flexible hairs to move in the inner ear. Since they are long they tend not to break as much.

In contrast High Frequency noises are picked up my the very short hairs of the inner ear. These are much more brittle and break easily. If you are unfortunate these hairs will fall like trees and lean against other trees and cause your ears to ring for life -- Tinnitus.

I have already encountered many dive instructors in their thirties experiencing Tinnitus. If someone dives, and their ears ring in a quite locatin, they should very carefully assess their exposures. Tinnitus is worse than going deaf. Far worse to the point of being maddening in some cases.

Compressed Air Ear Damage is a very important issue in Diving

Interesting I have been around air compressors my whole life (Grandpa had one in his shop and dad inherited it so Always been around high air pressure) used tanks of every gas from welding to scuba and never really had any issues. Now I did fire an fully automatic rifle once where the ear muffs broke in 2 while I was shooting it. I had more hearing problems for like a week from that then I have ever had from escaping air pressure.

I can see though where a pronlonged blast could be bad but more people are reported to have hearing loss from not using hearing protection then I have personally heard of from escaping air pressure.

 

[MarineResearch]

What if this made someone progressively more blind ?

Then you would need to start a thread about the hazards of masturbation.