Would YOU thumb this dive?

[DanielRJones]

This is hypothetical and has not happened to me yet and hope it never does but what would you do.

Team of 3 diving on the wreck they have traveled half way across the world to see and last chance to get on the wreck.

You decend down and 5 mins into the dive you get a freeflow on your necklaced secondary nice easy fix you isolate left post having lost very little air.

Do you thumb the dive or do you put yourself into position 3 of the team so that you are not donating to anyone and carry on the dream dive?

 

[tbone1004]

what's the rest of the dive plan? depth, time, deco obligation, sea conditions?

 

[EireDiver606]

If it’s shallow I’d probably continue the dive, if my friends were happy.

If it’s deeper than 60-80 feet, I’d definitely thumb the dive no matter what. You simply can’t fool around with your teams safety IMO.

 

[aquacat8]

You got 3 people, 5 second stages, plenty of air. If it’s not deep, not a decompression dive, not a single file penetration. I’d continue... as long as I was diving with old timers: they know how to buddy breathe LOL. Buddy breathing is not rocket science, but I bet no one under 50 would even remember it existed.

 

[northernone]

To be candid...

Team of 3 isn't in my training, so I'd likely notify my buddies and keep diving as the odd man out. (One who isn't donating a second reg and it is unnecessary in my primary plan)

Feathering a free flow reg is easy if necessary and given this is a hypothetical technical dive, I'm assuming my buddies are equally alert and able.

Depends on the situation and dive profile.

Cameron

 

[DanielRJones]

what's the rest of the dive plan? depth, time, deco obligation, sea conditions?

Lets say a 45m for 30 mins with 20mins deco in calm seas with 20m viz

 

[DanielRJones]

If it’s shallow I’d probably continue the dive, if my friends were happy.

If it’s deeper than 60-80 feet, I’d definitely thumb the dive no matter what. You simply can’t fool around with your teams safety IMO.

As 3rd man in the team you would not be donating to 1st or 2nd man as 1st would turn to 2nd and 2nd would swim into 1st man. Theoritically 3rd man woukd recieve off 2nd man but not donate.
I dont know what i woukd do. I would like to assume i would thumb the dive

 

[tbone1004]

Lets say a 45m for 30 mins with 20mins deco in calm seas with 20m viz

I would not continue the dive. 5 minutes in with calm seas would be a request to head up, swap the regulator over with a spare in the gear bin, and then restart the dive

 

[Caveeagle]

So, shutting down your left post also cuts off your Drysuit inflation and SPG. (Assuming a typical setup). *you could have backup dual bladder BC...

I would not continue a 45m, deco dive under those conditions. I think you are asking for trouble. I tend to respect Murphy's law, and maybe my only superstition is that gear failures are somehow linked by cosmic interdependency.

I will also add, that (in your given scenario). I would have at least one of the 3-diver team slinging a stage/safety bottle. The more people in a "team", to higher the chance something me this can happen. An AL72 or AL80 with bottom mix should be easy to sling and might save your dive given such circumstances.

 

[Jack Hammer]

First off, I'd try to resolve the free flow at depth. That includes re-opening the left valve. If problem resolved I'd continue the dive, if not, ask a team mate to help resolve it. If problem still not resolved, I'd thumb the dive. If able to fix it on the surface and time and gas are still good, I'd make the planned dive or a shorter one.

Continuing with faulty/failed/missing/non-functioning gear is not a good plan and a really bad habit to fall into. Considering travel time, cost, and only opportunity are another trap to fall into. They're not a factor on whether it's safe or wise to continue. It's all great until it isnt.