Regulator free flow=fix question?

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Brian Robinson

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Messages
60
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12
Location
Cape Coral Florida
# of dives
0 - 24
I was wondering, I always carry a couple of spare Zip-ties with me. Can I fold over the reg. hose and put a zip tie on it with enough pressure to kink hose enough to stop air free flow.
 
MacGyver would be proud. The freeflow would eventually get fixed by your method: when the tank is empty.

Just close the thing or go to your buddy...
 
Firstly, a regulator shouldn't free flow. There is a problem with it. Second if the free flow is the first stage and you block the hose it will overpressure and could split. Third, if the free flow is simply a poorly adjusted cracking pressure and a second stage free flow it should stop if you put a finger in the mouth piece.

There are commercially available free flow stopping devices you can buy if you local dive shop cannot service your regulator properly. Personally I would get the work done somewhere else :D
 
If the free flow is from the second stage and covering the hole in the mouthpiece will not stop it, there could be some sand preventing the diaphragm from sealing. This is especially common in my area with new divers doing beach dives.

Also, i would not use a zip tie to kink the hose. It could (probably will) impact the integrity of the hose, as well as make it more difficult to use the octo if needed.
 
Looks like a small garden hose, is not a small garden hose.
It would be useful to google some sites that show and explain how 1st and second stages work. Then you might have a better understanding of the problem and why your solution is not useful.
 
It does seem like I could Hopefully slow down the escape of all my air some. Oh Well it was just a newbie thought.
Oh, sorry. Hadn't seen the section and realize I might come over as aggressive in my post.

What I meant is: just treat it like an out of air situation. Much more likely to succeed than trying to start bending hoses. You might want to shut down the valve under some circumstances, but in "average diving" you can just keep breathing on it until you get to your buddy and ascend with him, while having his octopus ready for you.

Fiddling underwater is usually not a recipe for success imo.
 
Yep, The breath from the regulator until I can get my buddy divers attention, then partner breath off his/her octo is the best idea.
Thanks for all of the advice.
 
I had a swivel that had been improperly assembled on me (from the factory) blow the O-ring, essentially a free flow at that point. I tried to stop it, while my brain told me that it was useless. It was. Switched over to the octo, which worked fine. Connected with my buddy and switched over to her octo, who then shut the tank down. Went through 2000psi in less than 2 minutes. Exciting but not life threatening.
 

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