What-If Scenario's, What would YOU do?

[NewFloridaDiverLady]

If it's a first stage freeflow, pinching the hose will only get you a blown hose. It's rated for 250 PSI and most likely won't be able to hold back the 3000PSI in the tank.

Terry[/quote]

I thought she said "primary reg"? - second stage freeflow?
I would just pinch the hose, get the octo and go to my buddy - have a buddy! - and ascent safely

 

[dmgirard]

Most hoses are made so you can pinch them off. It shouldnt blow ur hose because there isnt supposed to be pressure anywhere near 250 psi in the hose thas connected to ur 2nd stage. So i dont think its a bad idea that NewFloridadiver came up with. I would probably grab my octo then try to stop it from freeflowing the same way i would on the surface(cover the mouthpeice opening or somthing like that). And if that didnt work i would pinch the hose and swim to my buddy and go up.

 

[Diver180]

I can't speak for other agencys but PADI teaches free flow. I know i do. And i assumed primary ment 2nd stage. Primary reg. safety second, alternate air source, octopus. The other agences teach free flow don't they?

 

[ekewaka]

Another scenario: You're at 100 feet, cold water, low viz, diving a single 130, and your primary reg freeflows and you can't get it to stop.

1st or 2nd stage?

 

[TSandM]

First stage free flow. Do you turn the valve off, or not?

 

[cowdog77]

A similar thing happened to me once....I found I was able to "squint" real hard and still see good enough to find my buddy. Of course the visibility wasn't too bad and he wasn't too far away!

PS: Neat idea for a thread.

 

[pengwe]

1st or 2nd stage?

How would you know?

 

[Marek K]

1st or 2nd stage?

First stage free flow. Do you turn the valve off, or not?

How would you know?

Hmmm... that's actually a good question. When we're all trained on a freeflow in OW, does that usually come from a freeflowing first stage? How much psi does that shoot into your 145-psi-above-ambient second stage?

Anyway, Lynne, is that a trick question? I'm nowhere near a tech diver, and wouldn't ever put myself in that dive situation... but I thought that's why you techies learned valve drills?

Me? Non-tech trained, finding myself with a freeflowing reg for whatever reason? If it's the first stage freeflowing, my alternate is going to have the same problem. I'd probably breathe off of the primary as trained, and immediately go to my buddy for his/her alternate. That would be the end of the dive for us. I'd probably try to shut off my valve while surfacing together, if only to stop the chaos and save the tank; but wouldn't waste time.

Oh... my buddy would have enough gas, because we certainly would have planned for that!

The scary thing is, when my wife and I first got qualified in the mid-80's, I don't remember any kind of 60-foot depth-limit guidance for OW divers. Man, it was qualification to 130 ft, and no one gave it another thought. In the early 90's, while diving with a German dive operation in southern France, we were going right to 130 ft with a single 80-equivalent (I don't remember whether they even cared about our AOW or not -- maybe). Because that's where almost all the interesting stuff was. And the Med water was pretty cold, with a thermocline.

We were still diving tables then, unlike almost all the Germans who had computers. ("Schau' mal! Zee American couple are still using tables! How quaint! And they're... in FEET!!!) The old PADI tables. Which still only gave about ten minutes of square-profile bottom time, which was probably a good thing.

Safety stops? Wha'? :huh:

Scary to think what might have happened.

--Marek

 

[Kevrumbo]

First stage free flow. Do you turn the valve off, or not?

On doubles with isolation manifold shut down that post, go to your bungied back-up Reg; on a single with an H-Valve/Y-Valve shut down that post, go to your bungied back-up Reg; on a single tank with standard yoke or DIN valve, shut down the post and hope your Dive Buddy is right there to donate his Long Hose Primary. If no Buddy in sight, then feather/modulate the valve to get a few breaths as you CESA to the surface. . .

 

[Marek K]

On doubles with isolation manifold shut down that post, go to your bungied back-up Reg; on a single with an H-Valve/Y-Valve shut down that post, go to your bungied back-up Reg; on a single tank with standard yoke or DIN valve, shut down the post and hope your Dive Buddy is right there to donate his Long Hose Primary.

But... but... Mr. Kev... what if I don't dive a long hose or bungied back-up?

(You mean, of course, that a diver shouldn't be diving that sort of conditions unless tech-trained and -equipped... right?)