OP
dumpsterDiver
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Capt. Did it teach you anything about 100-lb lift wings?
Power inflator stuck on
- Thread starter dumpsterDiver
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Pull dumps, too??!! Well that's another thread, but I don't use them. I don't swim, ascend, descend or deco vertical so I wouldn't remain there, it is much easier to turn down and use the rear dump (which is really the only dump I use) while managing the problem. I think you and I do very different types of diving. When you are nuetral in the water, it takes very little air in the wing to start an ascent. This makes a runaway inflator a potentially deadly situation on a big dive, so I have thoroughly analyzed the way that I would address one. An Air2 or a pull dump just isn't in the equation. Any predudice I have against an Air2 is the product of reason for the type of diving that I do. It may work great for you and more power to you, but there's not an argument you can dream of to make me believe that an Air2 is any safer/better/sleeker than a standard inflator and back-up.
I did not think that that even needed a comment.
Can you do it with a freaked out OOA person clinging to you for their life?
"Instructor" puts me on some kind of pedestal?
There are many here that make my meager knowledge seem childish.
I bow the them!
I am more proud of my Divemaster Cert personally. It was much harder to achieve.
Sure you can dump with the shoulder dump. Let's see. Your normal diver #1 (dives a few times a year) and his normal buddy #2 are on a dive. Obviously they are inexperienced otherwise they would not have an OOA situation. #1 runs out and takes #2's primary and they do a nice tight lockup because they are diving with normal (short) primary hoses and now they are but inches away from each other. Being normal divers, #1 is crapping his pants because he is at 85 FSW with no air and starts going up fast. #2 realizes the LP Inflator he "Always" uses is in his mouth and starts to get nervous (task loading and inexperience) and tugs on the Air2 hos trying to dump and finds that it doesn't work because the cable is connected to the AIR2 body and pulling the rubber hose does nothing other than rip the AIR2 out of his mouth and panic #1 as he watches this happen. They are flailing around on an ascent. So he reaches across his body, left to right trying to grab his right shoulder dump valve with his free left hand and knocks the reg out of #1s mouth, or not, and as he reaches he realizes this is tight and tries to let go of #1's hand and use his right hand to pull the dump but number one wont let go, he has been trained to NEVER let go, your buddy is your air source. All this takes place in about 20 seconds as the ascent goes into a runaway. Now being that they are at 85 feet and OOA there is a high likelihood of some decent nitrogen loading and a rapid ascent buys them both a trip to the chamber.
Just a fictional scenario but one I could envision happening to "Normal" vacation divers when they are stressed, task loaded and in a panic situation.
Each to their own, I do not recommend them to students or friends.
I do not make statements against them either, I just simply state, I had them, I didn't like them, I don't use them. They make the call.
charlesml3
Contributor
Probably. How do you know you can't? Every time a push back against this I get one hypothetical, implausible situation description after another.
I have YET to hear from one DM, Instructor, or diver that can clearly describe a situation the were a part of or witnessed where the use of an octo-inflator made it worse. Oh, I get loads of "I heard of this time once...." and "I know a guy who...."
You came up with one as well, Lavasurfer. Heck I was half-way expecting you to throw in a giant squid attacking your ankles on the way up.
So we're right back where we've always been on this debate. Lots of hypotheticals and no real-world feedback.
-Charles
What do you want, Charles? A reproducible study with a control group? In planning for how to best prevent SCUBA problems, we may sometimes have to envision scenarios or hyopotheticals. Some people might call it contingency planning. Oh, and in a real emergency that may have actually occurred, there may not be anyone living who can tell us about what happened.
I think what the hypothetical drives home is that, WHATEVER system you are going to use for an OOA scenario, you need to practice with it until you are completely comfortable with the procedures. Practicing like that is what made me jettison my Air2; I didn't like the awkwardness of it in my mouth, or managing my buoyancy that way. Somebody else might have persevered until they were facile with it.
In my mind, the bottom line is that, whatever kind of BC and inflator you are using, it is important to be able to disconnect the LP inflator hose in the event of an inflator malfunction. It's probably important to be able to do it quickly, although the one time I had an inflator malfunction, the leak was slow. It's also important to practice oral inflation from time to time, just to make sure the idea remains well-installed in the back of your brain. (The last thing you want is to disconnect the hose at depth, get to the surface, and then freak out because you can't stay there!)
If you have inflator hoses that are difficult to install or remove when pressurized, you might consider doing something to the setup to make it easier, whether that's Tobin's hose hats or replacing the hose with one of a different type.
Reasonable summation?
In my mind, the bottom line is that, whatever kind of BC and inflator you are using, it is important to be able to disconnect the LP inflator hose in the event of an inflator malfunction. It's probably important to be able to do it quickly, although the one time I had an inflator malfunction, the leak was slow. It's also important to practice oral inflation from time to time, just to make sure the idea remains well-installed in the back of your brain. (The last thing you want is to disconnect the hose at depth, get to the surface, and then freak out because you can't stay there!)
If you have inflator hoses that are difficult to install or remove when pressurized, you might consider doing something to the setup to make it easier, whether that's Tobin's hose hats or replacing the hose with one of a different type.
Reasonable summation?
ArcticDiver
Contributor
Yes, be sure about fit. The time I tried it the hose and hat rubbed and the inflator hose auto-disconnected. I've since run into others who had the same problem. The seller blamed operator error. But, anything that is that prone to operator error is one I want to leave behind; I have enough other things to fret over.
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dumpsterDiver
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No Giant Squid, Now had I thought about it then maybe
I get your point, I really do, I don't like them and I stated my displeasure.
If a buddy has one, (I sold mine to a buddy), I will still dive with them.
Like I said, each to their own
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