UTD's New Sidemount Configuration

[Wibble]

Freeflow should be expected, should not be unnerving at all (when you had some training) and is a run-of-the-mill issue. Sugar coating doesn't help anyone.
If had several free flows and never lost anywhere near to that much gas.

Wibble might be a joke account... most of the stuff he posts is hair raising. He can't be for real.

Diving on open circuit's a bit unusual these days, unless bailing out. In many hundreds of dives over a decade or more, I've never had a freeflow underwater before.

Obviously as you're a DiveMASTER, you'd be prepared for everything. Whoopy doo.

I just deal with crap as it comes along. Fortunately I don't dive with DiveMASTERs to wag fingers at me.

BTW that I'm here berating you means I didn't die, nor run away.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Might be good to remind people of this: Life Ending Seconds ADVANCED DIVER MAGAZINE By Curt Bowen

 

[Wibble]

Not denying that losing 150bar is a ton of gas lost. It means that someone was fiddling with a flowing low-pressure orifice for a good 5-6mins before shutting the valve. Just glad I'm not reading about Wibble running himself empty like that guy from Bozeman.

Incredibly, I believe it was well under a minute and it threw out a huge amount of gas, literally battering my head from side to side. I'm not normally phased underwater and this didn't "scare" me, but it was amazingly violent and sudden. Being a bit laid back -- and knowing I'm diving sidemout -- I thought I'd stuff the finger into the mouthpiece, then hold it, then shove it into my mouth, all to no avail. I then went to do the shutdown, realising that I'm now breathing from that side, so switched back before shutting down (learned that on backmount!).

Yeah, stuff was learned. Be quicker at shutting down. Don't need no supercilious "instructor" to tell me the bleeding obvious.

 

[TheCatFish]

Might be good to remind people of this: Life Ending Seconds ADVANCED DIVER MAGAZINE By Curt Bowen

Similar information demonstrated in this video:

Seems the leaks generated by Brian in this video take longer to drain out than ADM's results. Might be due to the shape of the leaking orifice? A cut hose in the video vs whichever techniques were used in ADM's experiment

 

[TheCatFish]

Incredibly, I believe it was well under a minute and it threw out a huge amount of gas, literally battering my head from side to side. I'm not normally phased underwater and this didn't "scare" me, but it was amazingly violent and sudden. Being a bit laid back -- and knowing I'm diving sidemout -- I thought I'd stuff the finger into the mouthpiece, then hold it, then shove it into my mouth, all to no avail. I then went to do the shutdown, realising that I'm now breathing from that side, so switched back before shutting down (learned that on backmount!).

Yeah, stuff was learned. Be quicker at shutting down. Don't need no supercilious "instructor" to tell me the bleeding obvious.

Absolutely. Nothing internet trolls will teach you that you didn't already find out for yourself. That is amazingly fast drain time though, but you did mention that you were diving smaller cylinders which of course affects the equation.

Appreciate your candidness! Wishing you better luck, and more safe dives.

 

[L13]

Incredibly, I believe it was well under a minute and it threw out a huge amount of gas, literally battering my head from side to side. I'm not normally phased underwater and this didn't "scare" me, but it was amazingly violent and sudden. Being a bit laid back -- and knowing I'm diving sidemout -- I thought I'd stuff the finger into the mouthpiece, then hold it, then shove it into my mouth, all to no avail. I then went to do the shutdown, realising that I'm now breathing from that side, so switched back before shutting down (learned that on backmount!).

Yeah, stuff was learned. Be quicker at shutting down. Don't need no supercilious "instructor" to tell me the bleeding obvious.

Did you determine the cause?

 

[Wibble]

Did you determine the cause?

Never did. I tested the reg in a pool afterwards, but nothing happened. Need to do a disassembly to check.

Was hoping @berndo would have some suggestions.

Don't trust that reg though (reminder: Mk25 with XTX50)

Slightly pondering putting it on a small suit inflate bottle with the first stage and taking it for a longer and deeper dive just to see if it spits the dummy. Maybe Gaffa tape the cylinder to a bailout!

 

[PR_SMITH]

Never did. I tested the reg in a pool afterwards, but nothing happened. Need to do a disassembly to check.

Was hoping @berndo would have some suggestions.

Don't trust that reg though (reminder: Mk25 with XTX50)

Slightly pondering putting it on a small suit inflate bottle with the first stage and taking it for a longer and deeper dive just to see if it spits the dummy. Maybe Gaffa tape the cylinder to a bailout!

Perhaps the MK 25 and the Apeks are a bad combo? The MK25 is a piston reg and the Apeks is made for diaphragm 1st stage. Anyone know if that would be an issue?

 

[TheCatFish]

Never did. I tested the reg in a pool afterwards, but nothing happened. Need to do a disassembly to check.

Was hoping @berndo would have some suggestions.

Don't trust that reg though (reminder: Mk25 with XTX50)

Slightly pondering putting it on a small suit inflate bottle with the first stage and taking it for a longer and deeper dive just to see if it spits the dummy. Maybe Gaffa tape the cylinder to a bailout!

Worth a try, I like the idea.

smiffy6four has a pretty interesting thought too. Has me looking over exploded diagrams. I like any excuse to ponder over a good exploded diagram.

 

[Bald Wookie]

Perhaps the MK 25 and the Apeks are a bad combo? The MK25 is a piston reg and the Apeks is made for diaphragm 1st stage. Anyone know if that would be an issue?

It shouldn't be - the second stage is generally only reacting to the pressure in the hose. Its not talking to the first stage.

My guess for freeflow would be more of a second stage issue than a 1st stage. Blocking the mouthpiece generally works to stem a flow. I would check the breaking effort and see if there is anything funky going on there, and what your lever action is looking like.