Reg failure-- what would you do?

[racerx_]

I was at a picnic on a beach the other day and happened upon a diver getting ready to shore dive (bonus! Discovered a new dive site!). Problem was his primary was free flowing as soon as he turned the air on. He had just sent for service but obviously they messed it up. We couldn't manage to correct it on the spot.

He had come from four hours away and was staying the night there with his fam and diving. So he decided to continue the dive using his octo. They were fairly shallow dives--4 to 6meters--but he was solo diving.

So what do you think? Would you have continued with the dives or called it?


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[AfterDark]

I usually have a second reg with me so I'd have switched to that.

 

[smellzlikefish]

Often a flowing/laking reg will stop once under pressure. If it continues underwater, simply ascend. Usually a reg will fail open anyway, giving you at least a couple of breaths before you run out of air. Last resort, make for your nearest source of air be it a dive buddy or the surface. That said, I still would have probably called the dive, buddy or not. Newly serviced and new equipment tries to kill you more often then well used gear.

 

[Rich Keller]

The reg was most likely free flowing at the second stage so it would have been a simple adjustment if he knew how. The other option would have been to remove the primary, put the octo in its place and plug the other hole. You do not need two second stages solo diving anyway.

 

[herman]

There are a lot of "depends" in your question that I would have to answer first. It depends on what was happening and how. If we are talking a full blown freeflow then no, I would not dive it. If the freeflow was a slight, bubbling kind of FF then I would most likely dive it in the conditions you describe- 120 ft deep and miles off shore no way. I would not use the octo however, I would use the primary, no need to let the air go to waste. If it were a full blown FF and an IP check indicates its a second stage issue, I would likely just plug that LP port and dive the octo..... I carry an IP gauge and port plugs as part of my dive kit, truth be know I usually have a spare reg with me as well. Diving without 2 second stages is a non issue if you are solo. The other second (octo) is for your buddy and since you don't have one, there is no one to need it. I routinely dive old regs that do not have octos so it's a common occurrence for me anyway.

It also depends a lot on the diver themselves. How would a total loss of gas effect them mentally? Having hundreds of hours under my local quarry and thousands of hours underwater total, total loss of gas, esp. in those conditions and with a suspect reg to start with, to me it would be just a PITA and no big deal. My main thought would be on the lines of " ahhh bleep, now I have to surface swim back". A new inexperienced diver......or experienced but unconfident diver for that matter...may well panic when faced with total gas loss, in which case it would be a really bad idea for that diver to go in.

For me the answer to your question depends on a lot of factors you have not given us. Would I do it? Most likely yes. Would I suggest others do it? Not unless I knew them well.

 

[spectrum]

It's not clear how he went on to make the dive with the free flowing primary.

After one of my 1st servicings I found that once in the water my primary would keep delivering with a trickle after an inhalation. I just modified my pattern for a loooooong deep inhalation followed by a quick exhake. this way I had very little air bypass my lungs and ended with near normal air consumption. My alternate was there if I wanted it as was a buddy who had been made aware. Since then I do carry a spare set and if caught in time I would just switch regulator set.

For the right dive I would consider diving a single second stage.

Like a lot of things adjusting a free lowing 2nd stage is an easy thing to do if you know how. For many it's not a place they should go. Some people's brilliance just does not predispose them to doing this stuff. They may be real bright but dangerous with tools.

Sometimes it's not even an adjustment. Once while cleaning in the rinse bucket a big grain of sand landed in the demand lever pivot. It wasn't until setting up for the next dive that the resulting free flow presented itself. I used my other set and it was a quick fix at home.

Buddies have also used my back-up set when theirs acted up at the dive site.

As for doing what your buddy did solo it would be a judgement call. I don't want this to become a solo issue but you did mention it. A redundant air supply like a pony covers you for failed air delivery as does a cesa. It is also an alternate physical access point for air if yo become entangled or otherwise in trouble. If I knew the site to be relatively hazard free I'd probably go as he did.

Pete

 

[Rhone Man]

If the question is: would you dive with a free flowing reg? The answer is: I'd have to be pretty desperate to do the dive to put up with the annoyance of all those bubbles and the very short bottom time.

But most people I know carry a spare reg, so the problem should be soluble. And if there is no spare to hand, most regs I am familiar with are fairly easy to tighten up the second stage if you just have a few basic tools to hand.

 

[racerx_]

Sorry I should have clarified a couple things

1) it was the second stage free flowing. Apparently the cover was somehow depressing the purge valve mechanism. He basically just disconnected it and dove with the octo. This was discovered on shore, and NOT while diving so no bubbles, massive gas loss etc.

2) obviously some of you could have fixed the problem on the spot, which negates the reason for the post. Let's just assume that you have a broken primary and can't fix it

 

[dumpsterDiver]

20 FT DIVE.. SOLO...OMG! Seriously, does an octo have a whole lot of value to a solo diver in 20 ft of water? Not much utility in my book... A few weeks ago, I pulled an old pony bottle reg out that i wanted to test. So I dove it in 15 feet, no spg, no octo, no inflator hose ...just first and second stage... no big deal....for certain people in certain conditions.

 

[racerx_]

DD- well I was just asking what you'd do in the situation.. I guess I was thinking having an extra second adds a level of conservatism. Plus although he was diving 4-6meters the place is known for currents, it was during a tide exchange, etc. not saying I was freaked out by it or that I would be, just asking what everyone thought