Reaching valves

[kwesler]

I will share what complicated my ability to reach my valves. It was trim. It took me half a dozen dives to get my trim straight and be able to comfortably reach my valves and not knock my head. Actually, now that I write that, I think that may be the issue. I wonder if setting the tank low enough to avoid banging into it with your head gets more emphasis in classes than self-rescue (or trim for that matter)

Ken

 

[kwesler]

I think there is some disagreement about how tight a harness should be on a BP. I believe it should be loose enough to pull your rig up behind you to access your tanks, if you need that extra help beyond reach. It is my understanding that others advocate a fairly tight crotch strap, which would prevent being able to move the whole BP up on your back.

Ken

 

[kwesler]

I wonder how much jacket BCs get in the way...I have not used one in years, so I cannot remember if that is an issue or not.

Ken

 

[wetman]

I know when i used my ranger, since it rode up so high without a crotch strap i could pretty much raise my arms and fall out of the useless thing - so i'm sure it would have been no problem to reach the valves in that on.

steve

 

[jepuskar]

I did my first boat dive about 3 weeks ago and it was in Lake Michigan...not fun. I have no idea how bad the waves were, but it made for quite an interesting time..epecially getting back on the boat. I have some video I shot from the water, but I'm afraid you might laugh and say thats nothing. :/

The crew told us thats as bad as its been all year..needless to say it was an experience. A learning one at that...

 

[MikeFerrara]

Divers using single tanks do indeed wear them too low. Their rational is always that it is to keep from being hit in the head. Their trim is off and they can't reach the valve. I see divers (lots of them) with their valve at the middle of their back. They probably have a hard time reaching the reg to find a hose to recover a re. When I wear a single tank, I can lay my head back and feel the reg on the back of my head. With my double I can feel the hoses cross my neck and the isolator on the back of my head. Actually I feel the end of the regs the way they are facing but without regs on the valves I can touch the isolator with the back of my head. I can reach there easily.

I prefer my crotch strap pretty snug but I don't need to move the tanks to reach the valves. If my range of motion was limited for some reason it would only take a second to loosen the waist belt (a little) and allow me to push the tanks up.

Also I think you will find that the tanks being too high also make the valve harder to reach.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Ken... I think you have hit on some definite problem areas. I saw a fellow the other day... (no different than the majority but I just happened to make mental note of him)... with his tank hanging so low that the valve/first stage was in the middle of his back!

Now there is no way this guy could have reached his valves.... and I am sure that he probably never even thought of it as an issue!

How many instructors have you seen that needed someone else to turn their valve on after donning having forgotten to do it before hand? I have seen plenty.

Anyway... as for BP... I don't think the crotch strap should be tight... but the shoulder straps should be tighter than most folks have them... and that will tend to place the BP higher... and if the tank is position correctly then the valve is in reach.... unless:

Old and arthritic
Blubber or muscle bound
An ill-fitting suit/undergarment
Large STA combined with large tank

 

[Aquamaniac]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...


Old and arthritic
Blubber or muscle bound
An ill-fitting suit/undergarment
Large STA combined with large tank

so THATS why I cant reach my valve real easily................

 

[Rob Meddes]

jepuskar once bubbled...
I can hear Rob's response to this already...

If the waves were that rough and there was that much distraction, then the dive should have been aborted.
Right Rob? Come on Rob, I know thats what your thinking!

Nope. I'd have just waited for my buddy to sort it out. Also i'd have partially inflated my wing whilst standing waiting to drop in & my inflator (which is bungeed so it cannot go anywhere) would've been at hand. As i've a twinset on turning my valves on is a neccessity so no problem there.
Sorry to disappoint.
Good diving

 

[Uncle Pug]

Let's get down to business.

Why can't you reach your valves on your singles rig? Maybe we can help you in this regard.