Reach your tank valve?

[all4scuba05]

ok...didn't want to hijack someone's thread. was gonna start a poll because I'm curious as to what percentage of you give importance to valve access. Couldn't figure out how to start a poll so when I do i'll make one on how many of us can't start a poll.
Anyway, I can't reach my valve because of where I prefer my tank position.
For those that feel the need to be able to reach the valve while diving, explain why you feel its important. ps, not asking those with manifolds.

 

[Wayward Son]

Have you tried reaching back with your left hand to the bottom of the tank, shoving it up & pulling it over? This will move the valve up & to the right, most people can reach it easily this way. In the water it's quite easy to do.

 

[MarineVet32935]

Again, I'd ask why? Open is open and closed is on the boat or stored.

 

[AndyNZ]

Reaching your own tank valve is only useful if you have your own redundant air supply.

If you're alternate air source is your buddy, you're buddy can also reach your valve for you!

I've closed tank valves once or twice when diving in cold water to stop a free flow - well, my buddy has as generally I can't reach my own tank valve, even using the left hand lift method... I don't have that much mobility in my right shoulder thanks to a climbing accident in my youth.

 

[dherbman]

I think it's very important and used the skill for real just last weekend.

Sometimes free flows can only be stopped by shutting down, roll offs can occur and I'm sure there are a lot of other things that can happen.

My wife kindly shut me down during a pre-dive buddy check and I didn't detect it until I was at the gate. She had already splashed.

It's also a confidence boost, especially for newer divers who can have a tendency to worry about things.

It's a good thing. Hopefully never necessary, but a good tool to have in the box.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Sooner or later, you will jump in the water with the valve off. Everybody does. And every year we bury at least one of 'em.
Don't let it be you.
Rick

 

[nolatom]

It's important to me for several reasons:
a) In case you, or someone, turned the valve off instead of on, you failed to check it and jumped in with an underinflated BC (yes, I know that's a lot of simultaneous mistakes, but I've heard about it happening to the veteran and novice diver alike) you want to reach that valve FAST to open it, or to verify that it's open, so you can get air, or at least rule out one reason why you're not getting air.

b) If you blow an o-ring or have another type of fast leak, and you got onto your buddy's alternate air source, you can then turn off your tank and save the remaining air "just in case" something goes wrong with buddy's air source/reg/o-ring, or for those last few seconds getting to the boat ladder when you and buddy separate.

I couldn't reach mine either, til I used my left hand to push the bottom of the tank up and tilt the top towards my right hand, as described above. It's worth trying as a drill frequently, just let your buddy know it's a drill.

 

[docmartin]

Sooner or later, you will jump in the water with the valve off. Everybody does. And every year we bury at least one of 'em.
Don't let it be you.
Rick

with doubles that is definitely true. with a single tank even if you had your valve turned off you should be able to quickly get back to the surface after jumping in -unless you are grossly overweighted. personally, with a singles rig i do have sufficient agility to reach the valve but the hoses on my first stage are in the way and make it virtually impossible to reach and operate the valve.

 

[dherbman]

People do the darndest things when confronted with a dead reg. If all people were able to do what they "should" in all situations, we would not see the fatalities Rick writes of. Regardless, it happens and people do die.

IMNSHO, people should be able to reach their valve. It's the easiest solution to the problem.

 

[String]

Its useful for a single, no redundant diver too. Tank valve can get knocked partially close on an obstruction so require re-opening. A freeflow can be controlled by turning tank off, switching to buddys octopus until it thaws etc

and with a redundant air sourse its even more valuable even if it is just a pony.