Stuck BCD Inflator button?

[konasdad]

I'm wondering how often this happens?

Last week my buddy and I were doing a boat dive with rented BCDs on Oahu. We were just getting started and down about 25 feet with a group of 4 other divers when I looked around for my buddy and she was nowhere to be found. I did several 360s and the viz was about 50' so I knew she couldn't have gone that far that fast. When I look up there she was at the surface. Fortunately, one of the DMs and I think the captain from the boat was right there with her. She came down with the inflator hose detached and was fine once she got the BC adjusted orally.

I found out when we surfaced that the inflator button got stuck when she was doing an adjustment. It just kept inflating and pressing the purge button wasn't releasing enough air to stop it from filling. She said that she made like it was a CESA and exhaled on the way up. Kinda scary! She, of course, used a different BCD for then next dive.

We had done a beach dive the day before and I had cleaned some sand out of the button area when I was washing it. The sand was fairly course. I suspect there was still some more in it and that caused it to jam.

Fortunately, we were not deeper and further into the dive. The good news is that she did not suffer any ill effects from the ascent and we now know the double check the inflator more carefully. Next time we go diving we may also practice detaching the inflator hose.

The question is:

1) Is this a common occurance?

2) How difficult is it to reattach the inflator hose when it is under pressure and underwater?

-Mark-

 

[ianr33]

The question is:

1) Is this a common occurance?

2) How difficult is it to reattach the inflator hose when it is under pressure and underwater?

-Mark-

1) Not common but it can (obviously) happen
2) Should be easy,at least with warm hands and no gloves.

A stuck on inflator is something that scares me . My plan for that eventuality is as follows:
1)Hit the deflate button
2)Get vertical in the water to allow air to vent as fast as possible. With my wing (Halcyon) It will deflate faster than it inflates,so these 2 steps will stop me from doing a polaris ascent. This MAY be different with a different BC
3)Detach the inflator hose.
I use these https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=45
to make it easier to take off the hose.

 

[drbill]

Had it happen the very first time I used a BCD back in 1989 (it was required equipment on a Cousteau team dive). Solved it by detaching the inflator hose and diving without using the BCD as I had been for 28 years before that.

Fortunately none of the BCDs I've owned since have had that problem, but I've seen it happen to others.

 

[MarkUK]

Which is one of the reasons when we do group tests on BCDs, one of the things I always do is see if the shoulder pull-dump/hose dump can vent faster than the power inflator can put the air in. If it doesn't I say so. At least you know if this situation happens, you can just pull the dump and stay where you are while you sort out the hose - no fast ascents.

Mark

 

[spectrum]

I had mine stick momentarily. The first time I was not sure if that was what really happened. The next time I clearly observed it. After taking it apart and cleaning and lubing it has been fine since. There were no signs of sand, dirt or salt in there but it had become bone dry after about 200 dives and subsequent cleanings. The cold water, in the upper 30s may have contributed to making things stiff too.

If it should really stick "on" you need to disconnect the hose. You can buy some time by opening a major jump valve. Many inflater tug dumps are designed to pass anything the inflater can provide. When doing so make sure that the dump valve you are using is at the high point other wise a dangerous bubble will still take you up, up & away.

Pete

 

[konasdad]

3)Detach the inflator hose.
I use these https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?product=45
to make it easier to take off the hose.

ianr33 - That looks like a good thing to have. It should work well for rental gear also. We'll just have to remember to retrieve it after the last dive.

I was thinking that we should get our own BCDs as our next piece of gear. This reinforces that. This way we can be more familiar with it and be able to better maintain & check it ourselves.

I'm sure that this happens much less than a free flow on a regulator (which is delt with in training) but there is no mention of the possibility and/or dealing with this in PADI training. I guess there are many other potential problems that are also not mention in training but this seems like something that could be quite serious and could be mentioned at the same time as "don't use the BCD as an elevator"!

I think we'll include detaching and reattaching the inflator hose (underwater) as part of our ongoing ad hoc training.

Thanks,

-Mark-

 

[ereediver]

Can't say what happened in your PADI course, but detaching the inflator house was one of the skills we had to complete in the course I took. While difficult to simulate, we did it by holding the inflate and deflate button and pop the hose off.

 

[konasdad]

Can't say what happened in your PADI course, but detaching the inflator house was one of the skills we had to complete in the course I took. While difficult to simulate, we did it by holding the inflate and deflate button and pop the hose off.

That's good to hear that someone is doing it. Was this on the deck, on the surface, or underwater? I would also be interested to know if your instructor explain why. Specifically, did they mention the possibility of the inflator sticking?

-Mark-

 

[ereediver]

It was part of the pool session, underwater. They did explain that the inflator may stick and that was the reason for the drill. They also explained that it would be harder to disconnect as there would be pressure in the line.

 

[tep]

FUnny you should mention it; this happened to a new buddy last week at about 60 ft. We were diving as a trio and the thrid member of the party was able to grab her as she headed up, dump the air from his BC and slow her ascent to "safer" levels while he went for her inflation hose disconnect. They had everything under control by the time they hit 45 ft (maybe deeper).

Not fun.

On my list of things to practice and plan for, NOW.