Things Scuba Instructors teach that are either bad or just wrong.

[mdwalter]

Instructors said they'd never actually seen it happen, but it was enough for me to make sure the glass is always pointing away (and I make sure I'm not in direct flight of the plug on the back) every time I pressurize my tank to this day.

Yeah, since there is no reason to have either front or back of the SPG anywhere near my face when turning on the tank valve, I don't worry too much about either the glass or the plug blowing out. Can't imagine why anyone would hold the SPG up to their face while turning on the tank valve.

 

[halocline]

The obvious solution to the 'turn the SPG away' dilemma for instructors teaching OW students is to require them to buy air integrated computers for their first pool session.

 

[saxman242]

Can't imagine why anyone would hold the SPG up to their face while turning on the tank valve.

You don't have to be holding it to your face. If the gear is sitting on the ground and the spg is facing you, it's still going to hurt if it's 3 feet away just sitting there rather than 18" away because someone is holding it and watching it to see what the pressure is.

 

[Skunky]

i recently had my xs scuba pressure tester explode. Went upstairs and came back to find glass and oil all over the floor. it happens.

 

[TMHeimer]

You don't have to be holding it to your face. If the gear is sitting on the ground and the spg is facing you, it's still going to hurt if it's 3 feet away just sitting there rather than 18" away because someone is holding it and watching it to see what the pressure is.

Yeah, and you know someone somewhere is gunna be dumb enough to do that--- that's why we have so many rules/laws in today's society....

 

[BlueTrin]

As a pure anecdote, I was taught this during my ow course 25 years ago.

While setting up my gear at the pool for the pool session, I did what I was told, aimed the spg face to the pool deck, pressurized the reg, and promptly shot the glass off the front of the spg as it failed, exactly as warned could happen.

Instructors said they'd never actually seen it happen, but it was enough for me to make sure the glass is always pointing away (and I make sure I'm not in direct flight of the plug on the back) every time I pressurize my tank to this day.

Wouldn’t it be safer to put the glass against your cylinder? If the plug goes then it goes away from you, if the glass goes, it is stopped by the cylinder?

 

[Wibble]

Dunno about you lot, but I always orient the SPG to the correct angle for reading underwater before I open the valve. You shouldn’t twist the SPG when it’s under pressure unless you don’t mind sitting out the dive whilst pleading with someone to lend/give you those micro O-rings, some oxygen grease and a couple of spanners so you can replace them whilst everyone else goes diving.

Oooh look, your SPG is Champaigning bubbles.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Diving.

 

[MarkA]

Dunno about you lot, but I always orient the SPG to the correct angle for reading underwater before I open the valve. You shouldn’t twist the SPG when it’s under pressure unless you don’t mind sitting out the dive whilst pleading with someone to lend/give you those micro O-rings, some oxygen grease and a couple of spanners so you can replace them whilst everyone else goes diving.

Oooh look, your SPG is Champaigning bubbles.

Seem to Remember that my first SPG and hose did not have a swivel. Would this solve this failure point?

 

[Wibble]

Seem to Remember that my first SPG and hose did not have a swivel. Would this solve this failure point?

Not if it’s facing away from you.