Quote: (Originally Posted by
lizardland)
That should be printed and posted to all divers once a year. I licked my finger after filling my scrubber once and vomited for ten minutes, I can't imagine having that happen underwater with a full gobful of lime, I have the utmost respect for those insignificant little white grains -- and for anyone that survives a full cocktail. I've also got no doubt that it's going to take feck all lime contamination to render a DSV useless.
A cocktail and a CO2 hit are the two things that genuinely scare me on a rebreather, and the two things that only reliable bailout is going to save you from. Likewise, I won't go in water I can't stand up in without bailout either.
Tom Mount also received a caustic on a BOV. BOVs have their good points & their bad points- I'll be certified to teach on the Pelagian, a DCCR which can be ordered with a neutral-bouyancy BOV. Mine will not have one, mainly as I have access to one with a BOV if I need it for teaching purposes & I'll train with and without the BOV.
If the unit is already flooded (caustic mterial coming your way if you don't watch it), switching to a BOV seems to = drinking a cocktail.
You are also right that this is not a well-known fact re: BOVs
My overall knowledge, at this stage, of BOVs is minimal- please forgive me here- however, I like to know that I can go to an independent gas source (my bailout) for a sanilty breath if things start getting weird. Then I can make decisions with a clear head- including staying completely off the loop (yuch) given a CO2 breakhthrough that time will not fix (no chance of scrubber recovery) or a full flood that is out of my control & is affecting the scrubber big-time, leading to a definitlve CO2 hit.