scubafool
Contributor
arkano13:
No, you shouldn't. Until you absolutely NEED to reach your valve, than it will be all that you can think about.
Tank Position for the perfect trim
- Thread starter Jorbar1551
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No, you shouldn't. Until you absolutely NEED to reach your valve, than it will be all that you can think about.
One of my last steps before getting in the water is to reach back and make sure my valve is open. If the helpful boat crew reaches back and 'adjusts' my valve, I will immediately stop my entry and reach back and make sure it is open. While trying to be helpful, they aren't the one breathing off the tank at depth. If I can't reach it, I will dekit and fix the problem so I can. I want my hand to be the last one on the valve before entry.
I think the ability to reach your valve is very necessary. It is easily possible for a valve setting to breathe just fine at the surface and cause problems at depth.
I think the ability to reach your valve is very necessary. It is easily possible for a valve setting to breathe just fine at the surface and cause problems at depth.
pupdiver
Guest
I would vote for being able to reach the valve. I agree with making sure it is all the way open before jumping in, but there is certainly nothing wrong with being able to access it as a backup. Also, it is possible if the valve is barely open for it to not breathe properly at depth. Or it could get bumped. You can adjust trim using weights easier anyway.
Why do you need to reach the valve on a single tank rig? I cannot understsand why I would ever shut the air off or why if somehow somone turned it off before I got in the water it would be a problem what so ever. I like my tank low so that the center of the valve falls between my shoulder blades. We used to turn each others air off as a joke when I was a teen, I don't recall it being a problem. No wonder scuba helemts seem to be a coming trend with the tanks banging peoples heads these days they are so high. N
bandit_TX
Contributor
The first time you have a major reg failure or a hose failure, you'll wish you could reach the valve. If you can reach the valve, you can get a breath, close, open it, breathe, close, etc until you reach the surface. Doing this, a tank with a HP failure can last 20-30 minutes. Without it, it's gone in 3.
My buddy had a Conshelf 1st stage blow in Bonaire a couple of years ago. It sounded like a jet engine behind me. I offered an octo, but he just closed the valve and continued shooting video. We worked our way back up the reef at an easy pace while he continued to sip air by cracking the valve. He even got some nice baracuda video on the way out. No panic, no need to rush to the surface.
There have been several deaths in cold water wreck divers that hit the water with their air off and went straight to 200+ and died before anyone knew the difference. It's a ***** to die with full doubles on your back.
My buddy had a Conshelf 1st stage blow in Bonaire a couple of years ago. It sounded like a jet engine behind me. I offered an octo, but he just closed the valve and continued shooting video. We worked our way back up the reef at an easy pace while he continued to sip air by cracking the valve. He even got some nice baracuda video on the way out. No panic, no need to rush to the surface.
There have been several deaths in cold water wreck divers that hit the water with their air off and went straight to 200+ and died before anyone knew the difference. It's a ***** to die with full doubles on your back.
Well, next time I am decompression diving with a single tank in 200 feet of cold water with one of those silly little girlyman regulators you guys use that are prone to catastrophic failure as you so claim maybe I will need to reach my valve (singular), the rest of the time I don't see any reason to hike the tank up behind my head so I can play with the valve.
"There have been several deaths in cold water wreck divers that hit the water with their air off and went straight to 200+ and died before anyone knew the difference. It's a ***** to die with full doubles on your back."
OH, how can that happen, they could drop their belts, they could release their entire rig--plummet 200 feet--wow---I guess. I think I was talking single tanks anyways---I fully agree that within a tech situation running manifolded or split doubles you should be able to reach your valves (plural). Of course you sould be able to.
Since the single tank diver should generally be in a no deco and non overhead environ there is no reason to panic if the regiulator fails--jusrt make a leisurely swim to the surface and call the dive. You know, depending upon your single tank rig and how tightly you wear the crotch strap and the harness there is no reason that you cannot reach the botom of the tank and lift it upward and then twist your upper torso in the harness and then manipuloate the valve easily.
It seems to me that wearing the tank (singular) so high would invite swimming head low and feet high. I have taken to carrying a buddy bottle below 60ish feet anyways so the darn tank can explode for all I care. N
"There have been several deaths in cold water wreck divers that hit the water with their air off and went straight to 200+ and died before anyone knew the difference. It's a ***** to die with full doubles on your back."
OH, how can that happen, they could drop their belts, they could release their entire rig--plummet 200 feet--wow---I guess. I think I was talking single tanks anyways---I fully agree that within a tech situation running manifolded or split doubles you should be able to reach your valves (plural). Of course you sould be able to.
Since the single tank diver should generally be in a no deco and non overhead environ there is no reason to panic if the regiulator fails--jusrt make a leisurely swim to the surface and call the dive. You know, depending upon your single tank rig and how tightly you wear the crotch strap and the harness there is no reason that you cannot reach the botom of the tank and lift it upward and then twist your upper torso in the harness and then manipuloate the valve easily.
It seems to me that wearing the tank (singular) so high would invite swimming head low and feet high. I have taken to carrying a buddy bottle below 60ish feet anyways so the darn tank can explode for all I care. N
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