Regulator Freeze Up:
- Thread starter Norm
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On ascent from my final dive on my Deep Diver course at 15 m my G500 went into free flow - water temp at coldest about 4 degrees (centigrade!).
Task loaded and probably slightly narced still I stopped my run away ascent about 1 m from the surface but not knowing any better (i.e. slightly paniced!) I surfaced and got a friendly person on the jetty to turn my first stage off (see post on minifold shutdown drills to understand why I could not do this myself!!). By which time my computer had 505'd and was beeping like crazy.
Off to the Stony medical officer with me but all was fine.
In the same place 30 minutes later someone who had probably seen my emergency decided to go looking for a mask on the 6m shelf, decided he did not like it down there with no mask on his face and bolted to the surface forgetting the most important rule - alas he was not so lucky.......
Jonathan
Task loaded and probably slightly narced still I stopped my run away ascent about 1 m from the surface but not knowing any better (i.e. slightly paniced!) I surfaced and got a friendly person on the jetty to turn my first stage off (see post on minifold shutdown drills to understand why I could not do this myself!!). By which time my computer had 505'd and was beeping like crazy.
Off to the Stony medical officer with me but all was fine.
In the same place 30 minutes later someone who had probably seen my emergency decided to go looking for a mask on the 6m shelf, decided he did not like it down there with no mask on his face and bolted to the surface forgetting the most important rule - alas he was not so lucky.......
Jonathan
I have had my TX-100 in water down to 34F (1C) with no problems. I had buddy with an SP S600 (not sure what 1st stage) start to free flow in water that was 40F. It seems to me that the big things are don't breathe the reg out of the water if the air temp is under freezing and tune the reg down if the water temp is under 40F. With my Apeks I set the adjustments to the minimums and relax to minimize the flow rate.
The buddy who free flowed and I had never practiced for what to do in the event of a run away reg. Seeing as we dive in cold water in the winter here it was a significant oversight. Making it up on the spot was to hand off my reg to him and shut down his tank. We surfaced and checked to make sure that the problem had resolved itself and headed in. Discussing this after the event we decided the better approach would have been to stay at depth, wait a minute, and turn his tank back on. At that point make the decision to head in or stay where we were. I now discuss this procedure with whomever I am diving with when the water is cold.
JoelW
The buddy who free flowed and I had never practiced for what to do in the event of a run away reg. Seeing as we dive in cold water in the winter here it was a significant oversight. Making it up on the spot was to hand off my reg to him and shut down his tank. We surfaced and checked to make sure that the problem had resolved itself and headed in. Discussing this after the event we decided the better approach would have been to stay at depth, wait a minute, and turn his tank back on. At that point make the decision to head in or stay where we were. I now discuss this procedure with whomever I am diving with when the water is cold.
JoelW
lakesdiver
Contributor
Prepping to go in on 2nd ice dive and made the "newbie" mistake of breathing the reg before I hit the water. Laughter as they poured hot water on my 1st stage. That took care of it and the dive went fine.
is to dive down here in the Sunshine State!!!
:balloon:
:balloon:
Lost Yooper
Guest
I've had a Zeagle T50D freeze up a couple times in 35F water. Both times were my fault.
Mike
Mike
Bob3
Contributor
Second week in Feb, temp 15 below zero w/wind 25-35. Heavy surge. Had to hang some buoys on a barge that just sank in Lake Michigan. Shackling on the first buoy, noticed 2nd stage a solid block of ice inside. It was freeflowing so I flagged the tug over, thawed it out & finished the job. Next time I'll use my double hose.
Lost Yooper
Guest
Was that a Posiedon that free flowed, Bob? Where did that barge sink and are they going to raise it?
Mike
Mike
Bob3
Contributor
Yep, that was one of my Cyklons. The water temps were estimated at 28° so my breath condensed & froze to the inside of the housing. The heavy surge made the water/ice mixture act like an ice cream maker, any reg other than a double hose would've frozen up (probably faster)under those conditions.
The 1st stage was allright because I had the antifreeze cup on (filled with rum). A lesser reg would've had the 1st stage freeze within minutes. The freeflow was rather gentle & wasted little air.
I couldn't find any volunteers to pee in the thing to defrost it so the boat crew held it over the heater to defrost.
The only other time I'd had a freeflow on the Cyklon I was jetting down in the sand looking for a damaged TV cable & the dang thing filled up with sand. I wouldn't dream of using any reg other than a Cyklon for conditions like those.
The barge hit the breakwall at Sheboygan WI & sank right on the inside. The same big rig that lifted the Mesquite swung by & pulled the salvage job out from under me. ;-(
The 1st stage was allright because I had the antifreeze cup on (filled with rum). A lesser reg would've had the 1st stage freeze within minutes. The freeflow was rather gentle & wasted little air.
I couldn't find any volunteers to pee in the thing to defrost it so the boat crew held it over the heater to defrost.
The only other time I'd had a freeflow on the Cyklon I was jetting down in the sand looking for a damaged TV cable & the dang thing filled up with sand. I wouldn't dream of using any reg other than a Cyklon for conditions like those.
The barge hit the breakwall at Sheboygan WI & sank right on the inside. The same big rig that lifted the Mesquite swung by & pulled the salvage job out from under me. ;-(
Arduous
Contributor
Never had a freeze up on my regulator. I have had a freeflow problem on BC intergraded alternate second stage. This occurred at depth and turned out to be related to a recent servicing of the regulator. ( An internal o-ring was crushed during reassembly ).
The coldest water I have dove in was 32 degrees. The coldest dive I ever made was on 01-15-2000 in Gloucester MA. In high winds and heavy seas with an outside temperature of 11 degrees below zero.
The coldest water I have dove in was 32 degrees. The coldest dive I ever made was on 01-15-2000 in Gloucester MA. In high winds and heavy seas with an outside temperature of 11 degrees below zero.
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