after reading what happened to uncle pug and his air being turned off when he hit the water i had to post this question..me being 5 foot 3 tried to reach my valve to turn it on but found that my arms are way too short..is there a right way to do this for people with short arms?
tank valves
- Thread starter snuggle
- Start date
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you might need to lift up the bottom of your tank with one hand while reaching over your shoulder with the other to get the valve.
Make sure that you are not reaching over the side of your shoulder but directly over the top... your arm should be right next to your ear.
Also do not lean forward but if anything arch yourself backward.
Also this is easier if you are horizontal in the water.
Also you can push on your elbow with the other hand and force your hand back a few more inches.
All that said... you might have too short of arms to reach your valves... in which case you must make sure that you can swim your rig up with empty BC and full tank.... and never let yourself go into the water with your valve turned off.
But practice anyway... you might find that with practice you will be able to do it.
Make sure that you are not reaching over the side of your shoulder but directly over the top... your arm should be right next to your ear.
Also do not lean forward but if anything arch yourself backward.
Also this is easier if you are horizontal in the water.
Also you can push on your elbow with the other hand and force your hand back a few more inches.
All that said... you might have too short of arms to reach your valves... in which case you must make sure that you can swim your rig up with empty BC and full tank.... and never let yourself go into the water with your valve turned off.
But practice anyway... you might find that with practice you will be able to do it.
salty
Contributor
What Uncle Pug says plus make sure your tank rides at the right hight. Over the summer I used doubles borrowed and rented during a week of diving and I found that using other peoples tanks with out checking and or readjusting them they sat high or low compaired to my own set.
SimonN
Guest
With a single tank and if you have fairly neutral tanks, you can whip your BCD off and turn the valve back on.
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