Took a ride up from 80'

[kafkaland]

I have heard that it's advisable to go on O2 after an ascent like this. Not that it would have been practical in this particular situation, but if it had happened on a boat dive and the O2 was readily available on board, would you do it? I don't see any drawbacks, and it might just help with reducing any bubbles a bit faster. Or am I off with this?

 

[Keith.M]

A few people have mentioned that there are things you can do to try to fix a free-flowing regulator at depth. Being a new diver, I'd like to ask... What exactly can you try?

At a minimum, turn the regulator over so the mouthpiece is facing down. Then use your other hand to cover up the mouth piece to create some back pressure.

With a lot of air, like at the beginning of a dive, you could even take off the face plate and diaphragm and inspect the inside for sand or something that may be jamming it.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I think the OP handled it OK.. right up to the point when he completely screwed up... I think the decision to put the guy on an octopus was reasonable, since it would have the effect of calming the diver down and also helping to re-assure the victim that he will not be abandoned.

If I were diving and had a freeflow, I would have just ascended. If I was with a good diver I trusted, I would not have offered my octo. If I were offered an octo in that situation, I would have rejected it.

The fact that the victim, accepted the octopus indicates to me that he was a little stressed by the situation. A DM should have been very prepared for problems during the ascent and should have been able to control the ascent rate better. I would have slapped the victims' hand and tried to gently take control of his inflator if I saw a problem, and would have modulated the ascent. Certainly there was no rush to the surface from 80 feet.

At the very least, the DM should have been able to lay out flat on his back and make a ton of drag to oppose the buoyant victim. And he should have dumped his own BC too.

 

[flots am]

A few people have mentioned that there are things you can do to try to fix a free-flowing regulator at depth. Being a new diver, I'd like to ask... What exactly can you try?

For a new open water diver, you'll be miles ahead of the game if you do exactly as you were trained:

1. Do a normal ascent with your buddy, sharing air if necessary
2. Inflate your BC on the surface and/or ditch your weights

Once you're on the surface and are buoyant, then you can consider fixing the freeflow. The freeflow is distracting and annoying, but it's not dangerous (aside from running you out of air).

There are various techniques for handling a freeflow underwater, however a new open water diver shouldn't be considering any of them.

Just follow your training, stick with your buddy, keep your skills and situational awareness sharp and all will be right with the world.

Note that most fatalities are found on the bottom with their weights, after having made it all the way to the surface. If you ever have any concern at all about being able to stay on the surface or need more altitude, "ditch your weights"

flots.

 

[Dhboner]

With a freeflow you can try to invert the second stage so the mouthpiece faces the bottom (that often works). If you have air, time and no one is panicking you can go to your buddies octo and have him turn off your tank at the valve then turn it back on again (once again this often resolves a freeflow). But when in doubt, abort the dive immediately and do a controlled ascent sharing air

 

[nimoh]

The fact that the victim, accepted the octopus indicates to me that he was a little stressed by the situation.

I don't think the story as presented indicates this. It is very likely that the victim took the 2nd stage because their instructor told them too.

I think the OP handled the problem alright, everyone survived and that has to count for something. I do agree with DumpsterDiver that when attached to another diver, you should be very vigilant when they grab their inflator, but I also understand that sometimes things happen fast.

 

[Steve_C]

If this was a jacket-style BC, the shoulder dump on the BC has a much higher capacity than the inlet on the inflator valve. If you hold the shoulder dump open and it's a high point, it doesn't matter what else happens, the BC won't have any air in it.

Good point. I dive a jacket-style BC and always use the shoulder dump by pulling on the inflator hose since that does not alter my trim. [I know PADI teaches holding up the inflator hose and using it but I still look up etc when nearing the surface]. You can dump a lot of air fast this way if you need to.

 

[NAM001]

As long as he is using your primary , why not shut the tank air off , vent the secondary and turn the tank air back on. Worst case isthat it does nothing. You can open the valve a crack to reduve teh free flow rate and breathoffit onthe way up if needed.

 

[flots am]

As long as he is using your primary , why not shut the tank air off , vent the secondary and turn the tank air back on.

The biggest reason is that it won't fix anything and draws attention away from handling the OOA diver, which was already apparently more than the OP could deal with.

The regulator and tank will be just fine if ignored. The victim might not be.

flots.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

As long as he is using your primary , why not shut the tank air off , vent the secondary and turn the tank air back on. Worst case isthat it does nothing. You can open the valve a crack to reduve teh free flow rate and breathoffit onthe way up if needed.

the rescuer was unable to modulate a safe ascent rate dure to an inability to control the air in his and the other guys BC... So why not shut his air off... because if they get separated for just a moment, and there is an inability to control buoyancy the guy may well die because somebody shut off his tank!. Share a tank or an octopus or come up, but i wouldn't be shutting somebody's air off unless there is a good reason.


Worst case: You tell his widow that his regulator was bubbling a little so you shut his tank off, he scewed up and didn't stay with me, and he kicked my mask off when he panicked from no air and by the time I found my mask, put it on, floated to the surface looked around, vented the BC and then swam down 80 ft looking for him... well he was dead..