Remember to check your alternate.....

[Smudge]

Ok, sod the embarrassment, I should know better, so here's my mistake of the day to hopefully save someone else the drama :o

Had a fab days diving today, and for a change I was back on my twinset checking out a stage bottle as the opportunity presented itself.
Well as it was a while since I'd dived OC for fun, I decided to practice a shutdown, and at about 35m said ok, lets assume my main just freeflowed...
So I closed the manifold, closed my main and put the alternate in my mouth... nice easy, quick but steady... feeling quite smug I took a deep breath....

and got what felt like 50% seawater 50% gas :eek:

Ok, I have *some* gas... but I'm choking a bit and I'm no longer comfy or particularly happy, I know I can have my main back in seconds and I have the stage if need be (only filled with air for the tryout) but when your buddy is happily finning away and suddenly you breath seawater believe me you will be paying attention :rolleyes:

Anyway, it was the work of a moment to switch back to the main and turn the gas back on, I tried the alternate again (cautiously!) and it seemed a bit better, so I purged it and tried again, much better. Tried again a little shallower and it was fine again. I reckon a bit of sand/dirt/crap had got in it and allowed water past the diaphragm. (guess, but I don't know what else would cause a temporary problem like that)
As it was a drill, it was no problem, if I'd found it in 50m or whatever as I did a shutdown for real it could have been a much bigger problem :(

Soooo, lessons learned?
1 If you're going to try a drill it's probably best to let your buddy know
2 Just because your reg works on the surface doesn't mean diddly. Check them ALL periodically, and check them at depth.
3 I *can* still reach my valves in a rush and when things aren't going well,( inverts rock )
4 Get a fright and breath some water like that and your gas consumption will skyrocket for 5 to 10 mins!
5 even embarrassing f***ups are worthwhile learning experiences/reminders :o

Of course I knew all the above already, and should know better, but evidently I needed a reminder!! :o

So guys, girls, stay safe out there and next time you're in the water, grab that pony reg/alternate reg/bailout and make sure it works at depth as well...
(both were checked on the surface as usual before the dive)

[Gord]

gulp ...

I would also prefer to stick to shallower depths for drills etc. On your own ... 35m .... drill goes wrong ... :eek:

[Smudge]

gulp ...

I would also prefer to stick to shallower depths for drills etc. On your own ... 35m .... drill goes wrong ... :eek:


In fairness I was buddied and not alone, I just decided to do the drill during the dive rather than make an "exercise" out of it, you could argue that it was better to find out as a drill than when I *needed* the gas, and the buddy would have had just as little warning had it happened for real, therefore it was a more realistic drill than doing the stop, get ready, practice skill* style exercise.

I would also say in my defence, I did still have an alternate supply!

25m, 35m, deeper... I think sometimes we feel comfort in "shallow" water, if you're doing drills in 10m of water after a longish dive would you bolt for the surface? Is it safe? Or would you stay and sort it out down there..?
That's what we're training for with twinset shutdowns after all, if we just need a bailout straight to surface then why not dive independant and don't bother with shutdowns? If we are going places where we have a need to do shutdown drills then we *need* to be able to sort ourselves out in the water, losing half your gas, or even cesa is not an option!
I have done a variety of drills in depths from standing down to 35-40metres, if I'm going to dive in these depths then I have a responsibility to my buddies and others to be able to do the skills at *any* depth I am diving at, imho we should all be prepared to practice any skill at any depth we are diving to.

*Having said all that, I was stupid to do it without warning off my buddy as it created an avoidable risk, which mother nature quickly reminded me of! My mistake, guilt accepted! :o

edited to add: I also had the option, which I took, of aborting the drill and going back onto my primary regulator, the number of ways the drill could fail are *relatively* limited, although it is never without risk.

[loudy331]

I had the 50% air and 50% seawater once and it was a tiny bit of seaweed jammed in my exhaust diaphragm allowing water in when inhaling :(

[stew]

its good to know you can execute a shutdown at any depth,
generally try and reach my valves on the bubble check, also a double check to make sure its all open.
do the same at max depth (if i remember).
i dont do a full shutdown drill at depth but i do isolate individually and make sure the valves work.
having done this i know everything is working without as much risk.

with that said i just did a week loaded with shutdowns at 40m while having my DV purged constantly until i did the full shutdown and swap over.
40m being the deepest limit for any drill by TDI.
my instructor didnt suffer fools gladly.:D

[Smudge]

...with that said i just did a week loaded with shutdowns at 40m while having my DV purged constantly until i did the full shutdown and swap over.
40m being the deepest limit for any drill by TDI.
my instructor didnt suffer fools gladly.:D

and people will call you weird for paying someone to do that to you :p:D

Joking aside, I bet you're more confident about them after a week practicing at depth, get a FF at 35m now and it'll just be a yawn for you... probably ;)

[Smudge]

ok, for "probably" read "hopefully!!"