Tank Valve Issue - Out of Air Incident

[pxguru]

Hi Guys,

thanks for all the positive and informative feedback. In an attempt to answer the questions or simply comment on the replies I'll try to do it in reply order.

T-mac: I was head down for a while (trying to photograph a particularly reticent critter)

Wookie: The cylinder was whisked off without me ever seeing it...the dive centre manage did seem a bit sheepish about the incident though....

Ian-r33 : I think I agree that 100% open (verified by me!) is the way to go from here...

Eelpout: 999/1000 I do the check of breathing and checking the analog needle...drummed into me by my first teacher - but there is always that 1/1000 time that gets us all...a good warning.

TSandM - the first stage was serviced just before my last dive in Lembeh...subsequently I had flooding issues with the reg when I inverted (I meant to get it all re-checked as it never used to do that before the last service). Maybe I got a bad service technician at my local dive centre in KL....it wouldn't surprise me (Malaysia can have the odd fly-by-night who lies about his experience ot his employer).

Couv and dumpsterdiver - I suspect you're correct. My first intuitive thought was "that bloody boatman didn't open the valve" . Unfortunately my flexibility doesn't enable me to reach back and grab my own valve (oo-errrr)

Hetland - I agree. As I said to eelpot and ian..fully open and check breath on SPG at the surface, no matter whatthe hurry up from other guys on the boat (or in the water).


Thanks again everyone for the intelligent and supportive responses. Safe diving!

Steve

 

[Tool Belt]

LOL DumpsterDiver

 

[Ozwald]

I may be off base here but I monitor my air constantly. I would know if something was wonky such as rapid consumption etc. Just curious if you looked at your gauges up until this point? I must say you handled like a champ though!!

 

[Garth]

What baffles me about this story is the inconsistency between what the SPG was showing, and what the transmitter was indicating. Transmitters fail, but that doesn't cause a problem with air to the regulator. But if there is, for example, a dip tube blockage, as you attempt to remove air from the system, pressure will fall to ALL ports. I can't think of a situation where the two high pressure ports would be seeing a different pressure, unless something blocked the orifice to one of them, which means a major problem inside the first stage.

I'm assuming this was your regulator, since you had a transmitter on it. Have you taken the first stage in for service?

I agree with this. Check your reg. I always keep valves fully on like others have said. If it was the tank the high pressure ports would have the same pressure in the 1st stage. It could have been a transmitter problem but if the 1stage has 100bar and the second stage is locked up you have issues with your reg.

 

[Hetland]

T-mac: I was head down for a while (trying to photograph a particularly reticent critter)

Ahh, then I change my guess from roll-off to crud in the dip-tube or valve opening. If you're toting the tanks around yourself, you can sometimes catch an unscrewed dip-tube by the sound it makes rolling in the tank, but you likely wouldn't be able to hear a flake of rust.

Also agree that you handled what can be a scary situation well.

 

[agilis]

I have an ironclad absolute rule: Nobody touches my equipment but me before a dive. If some DM decides, as they frequently do, to check the valve after I tell them not to, the tank, bc, etc. come off immediately. I then do my own check again. Some of these jokers will try to mess with the tank valve while pretending to steady or assist you before a drop off the side of the boat. Same rule, same procedure. I'm paying them, not the other way round. If they don't like it they can pound salt where the sun don't shine. I once saw a DM turn off a tank valve because they never mastered the clockwise/counterclockwise mystery. Think like a solo diver no matter who else is around.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I have an ironclad absolute rule: Nobody touches my equipment but me before a dive. If some DM decides, as they frequently do, to check the valve after I tell them not to, the tank, bc, etc. come off immediately. I then do my own check again. Some of these jokers will try to mess with the tank valve while pretending to steady or assist you before a drop off the side of the boat. Same rule, same procedure. I'm paying them, not the other way round. If they don't like it they can pound salt where the sun don't shine. I once saw a DM turn off a tank valve because they never mastered the clockwise/counterclockwise mystery. Think like a solo diver no matter who else is around.

My personal policy is that I check and turn valves, even without permission on the boat. If I THINK that the valve was originally not in the correct position, i will notify the diver... sota like " hey i checked you manifold and it SEEMS like one of the valves was off/barely cracked open etc.; so you need to take the tank off and check it, Sorry". Then if they say "just turn the vale on". It will do so.

I've seen too many accidents, so i feel that if i check the valve and always return it to the position it was and report my finding to the diver, well the worst i can do is delay him for 60 seconds while he checks the valves himself...


I was a DM during a serious accident where the customer went in with the tank totally off. She made it to 70 feet or so by sucking air out of the pressurized reg and then she panicked and could not use my safe second at all, just freaking out. I grabbbed her head with one hand and pressed the reg to her lips hard and purged the reg and swam like hell..

I thought she would probably be embolized, when we hit the surface i tried to inflate her BC.. nothing... As we were loading her on the platform, I open her tank valve up.... I figured who really needs to get sued?

 

[Tool Belt]

Dumpster, forget the LOL.....I thought you were being sarcastic when you said you too would have lied to cover your ass. Remind me not to take any courses from you.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Dumpster, forget the LOL.....I thought you were being sarcastic when you said you too would have lied to cover your ass. Remind me not to take any courses from you.

One of the first things you learn as a rescue diver is to: Protect Yourself! Turning the valves back on is a big step toward that objective.

 

[agilis]

dD, since it's probably your tank I'm renting I have no problem with you checking the valve. Subsequent to your doing so, I will absolutely stop the pre-dive sequence and begin my own check from scratch, including the yolk/DIN connection and anything else that I feel might have been compromised. No matter what, I'm the last one to check my equipment. No exceptions. I have held things up a time or two, gotten people annoyed. That's OK.