Regulator free flow and near panic

[Marie13]

that's precisely why my wife and I are going to doubles... Great lakes diving is our local diving, and most of it is cold/deep. I like the idea of a huge gas supply and redundancy.

There are a lot of people who don’t want doubles for various reasons. Slinging a larger pony (I have no use for Spare Air or dinky ponies) works well for them.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

you can also just pop your safe second in your mouth and kink the hose of the offending regulator.

 

[johndiver999]

Wow, that is a good story. Great lesson for you that everything can seem fine and in an instant you have no reg in your mouth and then an instant later another regulator that does not work (since you didn't understand how it works). Probably should make sure you know how your buddy's gear works.

Also, If I get a bad freeflow, I would try to stop it, but if that does not work immediately I plan on switching to an alternate second stage, get the ascent started and then switch back to the freeflow, once I feel more in control. I would not consider the decision to temporarily stop using the freeflowing regulator a "panic", but the OP probably knows if he was feeling panic or not.

I think the general advice is to just keep using the freeflowing reg, but it is so hard to see, so distracting and noisy and it is bouncing your head around, that it can really be a meaningful distraction. I'm not sure I have ever had a really bad freeflow at depth (yet). I guess if I were deep and the air was tight, I might try to use the alternate and kink the primary hose to slow the freeflow. I wouldn't practice that since I assume it would damage the hose.

 

[Baydoun]

Wow, that is a good story. Great lesson for you that everything can seem fine and in an instant you have no reg in your mouth and then an instant later another regulator that does not work (since you didn't understand how it works). Probably should make sure you know how your buddy's gear works.

Also, If I get a bad freeflow, I would try to stop it, but if that does not work immediately I plan on switching to an alternate second stage, get the ascent started and then switch back to the freeflow, once I feel more in control. I would not consider the decision to temporarily stop using the freeflowing regulator a "panic", but the OP probably knows if he was feeling panic or not.

I think the general advice is to just keep using the freeflowing reg, but it is so hard to see, so distracting and noisy and it is bouncing your head around, that it can really be a meaningful distraction. I'm not sure I have ever had a really bad freeflow at depth (yet). I guess if I were deep and the air was tight, I might try to use the alternate and kink the primary hose to slow the freeflow. I wouldn't practice that since I assume it would damage the hose.

I was not necessarily panicking, i was thinking clearly and responsive, but it felt like i was actively forcing myself to keep a cool head, the biggest "panic" was mostly when the reg popped out of my mouth as i was focused on fixing something else, and it took me by surprise. Once i had my reg back in my mouth, it was not that bad. Its on me that i never bothered to check how that reg works, considering half the group i dive with uses it. As long as i'm safe and alive every mishap is a good lesson.

 

[davecampbell]

There are a lot of people who don’t want doubles for various reasons. Slinging a larger pony (I have no use for Spare Air or dinky ponies) works well for them.

we considered 40s for ponies, but then we'd be hauling 6 tanks onto the boat with us instead of just the 2 sets of doubles... I also like the idea of not having to change out tanks between dives.

 

[scrane]

you can also just pop your safe second in your mouth and kink the hose of the offending regulator.

Does kinking the hose actually stop the flow? I’ve often wondered.

 

[BoltSnap]

One of the most important "rules" or "practices" that we teach in entry and upper level courses within the NAUI training program is to be "familiar" with your buddy's equipment and how it operates. This includes the regulator, BC, weight system, etc. Your knowing how to share air does you no good when your buddy is using equipment that you aren't familiar with don't know how to operate in an emergency which is clearly illustrated in the OP of this thread. This is part of the pre-dive planning stage in the NAUI program.

I am going to use the "story" presented in this thread when I teach dive planning and buddy equipment familiarization and emergency procedures.

 

[homerdoc]

One of the most important "rules" or "practices" that we teach in entry and upper level courses within the NAUI training program is to be "familiar" of your buddy's equipment and how it operates. This includes the regulator, BC, weight system, etc. Your knowing how to share air does you no good when your buddy is using equipment that you don't know how to operate which clearly illustrated in this thread. This is part of the pre-dive planning stage in the NAUI program.

I am going to use the "story" presented in this thread when I teach dive planning and buddy equipment familiarization and emergency procedures.

I have never run across a reg that purges anywhere but the front - I will make sure and ask and look next time I am buddied up with someone who is not family.

 

[johndiver999]

It kinda makes you think that the training agencies should MANDATE a familiarization
(at a minimum) with side exhaust second stages, since they are not that unusual.

Along those lines, I dove a while ago with a lady who had one of those weird BC's with no corrugated hose and the valve on the side. I probably should have asked for a lesson in the operation, in case I had to rescue her, but I at least made a mental note that I would just concentrate on my BC, if I had to rescue her. Probably not the best response.

 

[tursiops]

Does kinking the hose actually stop the flow? I’ve often wondered.

Depends on the hose.