What to do when regulator free flow in cold water?

[Divin'Papaw]

First off - have regulators suitable for cold water...

Secondly, you can breathe off a free-flowing regulator, and can make your ascent using it.

Additionally, this is where an auxiliary air source allows you to shut off the offending regulator and see if it thaws. This can be a pony. doubles or a buddy. I'm not a fan of the buddy option as it stresses the regulator, and can lead to the same thing. It does however beat doing a CESA - the last resort.

This is our SOP for here in the Great Lakes where most diving is cold water diving.

YMMV

+1

When I used to dive cold water, I always had some form of redundancy. Doubles or a pony. I also used regs that were designed to handle cold water. In an uncontrolled freeflow, switch air sources and shut down the free flowing regulatory. It's simple as long as you practice it frequently. CESA should be your last resort regardless of depth.

Also +1 on the downside of the buddy option as your alternate air source. This option doubles the load on the one regulator and can easily trigger another freeflow. There was a double fatality at Gilboa years ago where they believe this is what happened to two divers at depth. One had a freeflow, switched to the alternate air source provided by their buddy, that reg then freeflowed, and they both died. This was at least the leading theory. Given that both died, no one was left to say exactly what happened.

 

[rhwestfall]

@Divin'Papaw - It is ironic you bring up Gilboa. The only place I experienced a free flow in over 25 years of diving. It was in a drill switching to a shared long hose to swim the trailer in a simulated confined space exit. My bungied second stage decided it was done and went into a free flow. It needed a rebuild...

 

[newman_diver]

This is a very good idea. But do you feel like breathing from my buddy is a better idea or should I just perform emergency swimming ascent? As for the redundant source, do you use a pony bottle or doubles?

You can breathe off a free flowing regulator, should have been taught in your OW course. Doubling the demand on another regulator may cause that to free flow as well.

A small pony bottle with a stage type regulator setup is sufficient. Can also use doubles with an isolator manifold.

 

[Kylebee]

You can breathe off a free flowing regulator, should have been taught in your OW course.

Is it like tilting your head and sip the air?

 

[rhwestfall]

You have asked a couple times....

The concept of tipping your head is to create a path of the escaping gas to vent out the exhaust possibly lessening the impact on vision. It may or may not be necessary...

 

[Kylebee]

You have asked a couple times....

The concept of tipping your head is to create a path of the escaping gas to vent out the exhaust possibly lessening the impact on vision. It may or may not be necessary...

Sorry about that...
I just wanna make sure that when this happens to me, I will be able to do it correctly. I am also scared that trying to breath from a free flowing regulator will lead me to having too much gas in my lung and thus lead to lung overexpansion.

 

[rhwestfall]

Have you ever purged your reg while it is in your mouth? It is something that should have been done in class with learning to deal with a free flow.

 

[Kylebee]

Have you ever purged your reg while it is in your mouth? It is something that should have been done in class with learning to deal with a free flow.

I have, just wanna review it before I actually go out this winter.

 

[Bowers]

This is a very good idea. But do you feel like breathing from my buddy is a better idea or should I just perform emergency swimming ascent? As for the redundant source, do you use a pony bottle or doubles?

Breathing the buddies while heading up in a controlled manner is safer than a cesa.
I personally am partial to sidemount for many reasons. But twinsets and ponies are also both good options.
If using a pony i recommend slinging it on you rather than tank mounting.

 

[Kylebee]

Out of sidemount, twinset, and pony, which do y'all think is the safest option?