Water in regulator at depth causing panic

[kissonerga.ccr]

You don't really have to start fishing. It's super easy to get the primary back... it's right next to your arm.

Maybe it is. Or maybe not. The sort of real life circumstances that force a diver to lose suddenly their primary would often make its immediate retrieval difficult, even in open water – currents, DPV slipstream, fishing lines, reef protrusions, buddy’s equipment and/or body parts, you name it (and that’s without mentioning overhead, which should require separate training, obviously). All I’m saying it has to be easier to reach for the ‘safe second’ as instant response to unavailable primary. But for that to happen, it has to be taught / drilled / practiced that way. More often, less experienced divers tend to bolt for the surface (saw that happen, luckily, from 6m depth) or look for their buddy’s octopus (OP’s story is a good example)

 

[johndiver999]

Maybe it is. Or maybe not. The sort of real life circumstances that force a diver to lose suddenly their primary would often make its immediate retrieval difficult, even in open water – currents, DPV slipstream, fishing lines, reef protrusions, buddy’s equipment and/or body parts, you name it (and that’s without mentioning overhead, which should require separate training, obviously). All I’m saying it has to be easier to reach for the ‘safe second’ as instant response to unavailable primary. But for that to happen, it has to be taught / drilled / practiced that way. More often, less experienced divers tend to bolt for the surface (saw that happen, luckily, from 6m depth) or look for their buddy’s octopus (OP’s story is a good example)

I don't necessarily agree with you. I have had a reg pulled out of my mouth several times and the instinctive response is to just put it back in - just like when you drop something, you almost always immediately bend to pick it up without thinking.

If I inhale and start getting water, I inhale slower and try to exhale harder. If that seems to be not working then I would press the purge button and if it doesn't work on the next cautious inhale, then I am looking for an octopus, NOT at my buddy.

Regardless, of the immediate response (recover primary or seek the alternate), it is more important that people PRACTICE how to deal with having no working regulator for 10 seconds, without the idea of bolting to the surface coming to mind. I really don't know which is a better response, immediately going for the secondary or trying to quickly recover the primary, but if you are calm, the sequence of response is probably inconsequential as long as you are calm and get a resolution in 10 seconds or less.

 

[noserider]

Glad you remembered the octopus and agree that you should have done a skills session before diving after being out for over a year, 10-15 mins in a hotel pool is normally enough and quite often free.

The other point is at 60 feet, an emergency ascent should be achievable, currently PADI advise you should ascend in normal circumatsnaces at 30 feet per minute, which would mean you have 2 mins to get to the surface, but up until a few years ago the safe rate was 60 feet per minute, which would take a minute. Obviously in an emergency situation you could exceed these rates and I would expect all divers to be able to hold their breath for at least a minute or else they probably aren't fit enough to dive.

 

[Boarderguy]

Obviously in an emergency situation you could exceed these rates and I would expect all divers to be able to hold their breath for at least a minute or else they probably aren't fit enough to dive.

Right idea, terribly worded

You don't hold your breathe on ascent, ever. The air in your lungs will expand as you go up and you're blowing bubbles. That "added" volume gives you access to more O2 and your body will utilize it...

 

[noserider]

Right idea, terribly worded

You don't hold your breathe on ascent, ever. The air in your lungs will expand as you go up and you're blowing bubbles. That "added" volume gives you access to more O2 and your body will utilize it...

I didn’t say hold your breath,, don’t read into something that clearly was not said. I did not tell him how to do an ascent.

I was implying that you would survive as you do not need to breathe in for a minute to live as the op clearly thought he would not have enough air to ascend.

Misrepresentations like you made cause arguments and threads to blow up, so do the right thing and retract.

 

[johndiver999]

LOL and someone who is contemplating bolting for the surface immediately upon realizing there is a problem with a regulator, is NOT going to have 2 minutes to casually swim up 60 feet!!!

I would love to see a video in real time of some of these people (who claim it is easy) ascending at 30 fps for 2 full minutes. I wonder why we don't? I'm sure because it would almost never happen - the diver would be booking to the surface, probably in 25 seconds or so - that is what I would probably do if I had to.

Also, if you really do ascend at 30 fps, there is essentially zero risk of lung barotrauma. But we will probably be told the usual self-contradictory advice that it is both "too dangerous" and "so easy" that it is not worth doing - not even once for a video.

I'm glad the OP was able to handle the problem and continue diving.

 

[noserider]

John watch out you didn’t say breathe out on the ascent be prepared Boarderguy will jump in and mis quote you

Remember we have a crew of very vocal and retentive posters on this board

 

[noserider]

That "added" volume gives you access to more O2 and your body will utilize it...

I think you need to go back to science class, as you have missed some fundamental building blocks.

The amount of 02 in your lungs does not increase as there is no new source, the volume of 02 does increase but the amount you have access to does not increase it stays the same as all the 02 was already in your lungs.

 

[Boarderguy]

I think you need to go back to science class, as you have missed some fundamental building blocks.

The amount of 02 in your lungs does not increase as there is no new source, the volume of 02 does increase but the amount you have access to does not increase it stays the same as all the 02 was already in your lungs.

You're right of course silly goose. Don't be mad that you're ignorant use of a term that should never be used while describing ascents was called out. I should have said air as the volume in your lungs from 3 ata will more than double abs ppo will halve. Wrong words and they matter.

On that note having access to that added air volume will keep you from needing another breath.

 

[Wibble]

You don't hold your breathe on ascent, ever. The air in your lungs will expand as you go up and you're blowing bubbles. That "added" volume gives you access to more O2 and your body will utilize it...

As you ascend the relative pressure of gas in your lungs increases so you have to exhale or risk a burst lung.

If you started off with 10 units of oxygen in your lungs and ascended whilst breathing out then you will have less oxygen to use.

Or technically, the oxygen partial pressure drops when you ascend. Hence freedivers pass out.