Peeves ? Compressed air blasts cause hearing damage

[ScubaVideo]

I don't think it's going to be loud enough to damage the ears, but I do think it's very annoying. I did what NWGratefulDiver suggested and bought removable screw on/in caps for my DIN tank and regs. I pull them off and put them in my dry bag compartment of my mesh bag and I'm good to go.

If you must let the air out, do it quietly and with respect for others.:mooner::nuke:

Oh, and I have tinnitus in both ears and I have become very sensitive to some noise - including sudden blown out air. Not that I think it's damaging my ears, but I'm hypersensitive.


One time a medic thought it would be funny to blow the air horn at a fellow employee while I happened to be just a little further out in front of the rig. Should have seen the look on his face while I was marching straight at him in my supervisor uniform - what a dumb ass. That will cause hearing loss - especially considering how close I was to his ear while yelling at him.

 

[Ottoman Diver]

I have never thought about the damage I may be having when using my scuba tank to dry my dust cap. However I don't see many people stoping this practice due to the fact that it is simply more convenient just to use the scuba tank instead of a towel to dry the cap.

Someone buy this man a chicken dinner.

Canned chicken is in the mail

 

[Kiwi303]

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

Hey! I can still see fine!

*Wanders off to clean glasses*

 

[JB]

I was taught to dry the dust cap with an air blast as well, but have stopped doing it because I have seen water being blown off the dust cap onto the sintered filter of the reg often. A towel is much more reliable and "environmentally friendly" , however on a recent dive trip, when the DM saw me doing this, he offered to show me how to dry it with compressed air!

 

[Airleron]

What? I can't hear any of you!


+1 for the towel method. I never understood why blowing water off the cap was necessary. Is this another macho "I'm a badass diver who must make a ton of noise so everyone at the dive site will stare with wonder at my greatness" procedure? Things that make you go......Hhhhhmmmmmm.

 

[smurf doc]

I have never thought about the damage I may be having when using my scuba tank to dry my dust cap. However I don't see many people stoping this practice due to the fact that it is simply more convenient just to use the scuba tank instead of a towel to dry the cap.........

I think this is partly about training. I was taught to towel dry. I'm a new diver so I don't have any habits to unlearn.

People who have been using the tank for a long time will find it hard to switch. Change doesn't come easy to many people.

 

[smurf doc]

??? I'm confused. When I dove with Don Foster's a couple of weeks ago, one of the guides blew dry the cap and detached the tank from me. It was no where near deafeningly loud.


Like I said, it can be done with good valve control, the guides have that. Students don't, many experienced divers are unaware of the risk.

My impulse to write this comes from an injury I suffered two months ago. While squeezing past folks on a crowded boat a student lost control of their valve and hit me in the left ear enough to blow my hair to the right so much it was like sitting on a motorcycle sideways.

Couldn't hear for two days in that ear, off the dive roster two weeks. Took those weeks for things to really get back to normal. I think it nearly broke my eardrum. I've been around gunfire close, this was worse. Someone with ordinance experience might have the name for the force wave that gets generated by explosions, I think the physics are probably the same.

You seem to have medical experience, and while loud I doubt your workplace is as loud as gunfire. Please concur that 150 decibel noise is unquestionably dangerous before somebody starts the flaming session. 50-200 bar air blasts are clearly in that range.

Students can only learn through training. If an instructor teaches using air, then they should ensure the student does it correctly. But that's a different topic altogether.

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience. It puts your post in context. I'm a new diver. The only time I've seen air used was on the boat, and it was done by the guide. I was taught to use a towel, and that's what all of my friends do (but they were trained by the same instructor). So I didn't know it was a major problem.

Damage is based on both intensity and duration of exposure. Clearly your experience was loud enough to affect you.

If I recall correctly, persistent exposure to >85 dB is considered dangerous. It's pretty easy to get that these days. I remember hearing from a friend that the noise of the wind from people who drive convertibles at highway speeds can approach dangerous levels. So your point is definitely well taken.

I'm on call today and have to get back to work. Stay safe.

 

[Bob DBF]

I just tap the cover on the reg a couple 'o times and use it. Never have seen any problems with regs or tanks over the years from that.


Bob
-------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[Nikki McAllen]

I don't think it's going to be loud enough to damage the ears, but I do think it's very annoying. <snip> Oh, and I have tinnitus in both ears and I have become very sensitive to some noise - including sudden blown out air. Not that I think it's damaging my ears, but I'm hypersensitive.

Quite a testimony in support of my point ! Thank you.

Hyper-Sensitivity to sound is hallmark to hearing damage. People think we 'deafies' can't hear. We can still hear but the quality just sucks.

You unquestionably have hearing damage my friend, and every exposure will make it worse. Its a pure cause/effect relationship.

 

[macado]

I don't know how damaging it would actually be to your ears but it's definitely more than annoying if you're on a boat and everyone is suddenly using their tank to dry the dust cap. Maybe my ears are just overly sensitive.

Like others have said, I keep it simple and use a dry t-shirt or a towel to clean my dust cap.

I too though was initially taught use my tank valve to dry the dust cap but I don't see as many people do it in New England anymore, just when i'm diving on vacation.