What to do with a runaway BCD inflator

[rongoodman]

The only time it happened to me was a slow leak. I just kept dumping the excess air until the dive was over and then replaced the inflator with a spare. It did take a little while to figure out what was going on, though.

 

[steinbil]

Don't go vertical while doing this. Stay in trim as that will slow down an uncontrolled ascent. (Maybe go slightly head down if that makes reaching your valves easier.)

Going slightly head down also allows you to swim down while finding the dump and closing primary valve, as well as facilitating dumping.

 

[Belzelbub]

I was taught this, but I think it was in later courses. It definitely was not covered in my initial OW course. It may have been covered in my 2nd OW course, but that was a long time ago, so I honestly don't remember. It was definitely covered in more recent courses.

 

[Landau]

In my original certification this was definitely not taught.

Possibly because it was 1979 and we were using horse collar/ Mae West type BCDs with no inflator hose. We had a choice or oral inflation or a CO2 cartridge inflator.

New BCDs with inflator hoses and integrated weights were starting to appear, but my instructor said “Those are only for rich guys, and you’re not rich!”

After a decades long surface interval I retook Open Water in this century and a modern BCD and the skill was definitely taught.

 

[crofrog]

Disconnect the LP or if in doubles shutdown the right post.

 

[Wheeler925]

I was not taught this in the context of runaway BCD, but did indeed practice removing and reinserting the low pressure valve on the BCD while underwater.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Disconnect of the LP inflator in case of runaway was a required OW skill and like @tursiops...... I taught it 100% of the time in EVERY OW class and then reinforced in subsequent courses.

PS.... Let's not forget that the same concern and same solution exists for drysuit inflators.

 

[rjack321]

In OW I was taught to disconnect, there wasnt much of a discussion about how difficult that might actually be to do.

 

[ReverendAnthony]

Yeah I learned this maneuver when my Aqua Lung BC had the infiltrator hose recall several years ago. I took it to the "authorized AquaLung Dealer" here in town for the recall fix and they told me, "I wouldn't worry about it. If you get an uncontrolled ascent just disconnect the hose."

 

[Kendall Raine]

Evolving on this is the question of maintenance/prevention. Removing the cartridge and soaking it in fresh water/diluted white vinegar after the dive day, plus replacing/lubing the o rings, will help prevent sticking.

Often times the sticking will start slowly (barely noticable over the course of a dive). Once sticking starts, even a little, repair and maintenance is over and the cartridge needs to be replaced. If you simply soak/replace the o rings on a sticky inflator it may seem OK but will sooner or later unfix itself. Why risk it.

A "K" inflator cartridge costs about $15. That's the part that sticks. I replace mine every 150-200 dives no matter what and carry spares on trips.