Something to add to your pre-dive checks

UKSteve · 31st May 2008, 07:31

....that your manual inflators are screwed on tight!!

Second dive of the day.. simple 15m bimble to harass a few plaice.. and a gurgle while breathing. Not uncommon and usually a simple loop clear. Only this time it didnt clear after a couple of attempts.... and then I realised it was gurgling on the inhale not the outhale.

Quick check of loop hoses.. all tight and no visible bubbles ... then the dil manual inflator ...and it was about a turn loose!

Running minimum loop volume results in the water on the inhale side getting into the hose and across the mouthpiece. Strangly tho I didnt feel any water while breathing.

After tightening the fitting and clearing the loop the dive was fine.. quite a lot of water in the exhale lung and bucket tho (about an inch!!). Fortunately nothing had found its way back "upstream" to the head tho.

My practise to date has been to do Pos and neg tests at beginning of day and any time I "break" the system ..but not prior to every dive. I suspect the inflator could have got loosened while kitting up or dekitting. Will add the step to tighten the two fittings to my pre-dive checks.

Steve

Kevin Swindin · 31st May 2008, 07:42

good post - thanks.

Its also worth checking that the inflator hoses are on properly too. I have had the O2 come off the inflator under water. No big deal, but I now check them!

Kevin

UKSteve · 31st May 2008, 08:56

Quote: (Originally Posted by Kevin Swindin)

good post - thanks.

Its also worth checking that the inflator hoses are on properly too. I have had the O2 come off the inflator under water. No big deal, but I now check them!

Kevin

Beanie showed me a simple trick to prevent this.. pull a pillar valve O ring over the fitting so it sits in the gap behind the slide. Use a slim tie wrap around the O ring so you can pull it out when you want to remove the fitting.

Steve

Gilles · 31st May 2008, 11:20

Quote: (Originally Posted by UKSteve)

....that your manual inflators are screwed on tight!!

...

This reminds me of an incident near the last time I was in the water...

...check that your dump valves are properly snugged...

Pulling the cord to dump a bit of wing gas resulted in the whole valve coming off.

CharlieT · 31st May 2008, 12:05

Quote: (Originally Posted by UKSteve)

....that your manual inflators are screwed on tight!!

Second dive of the day.. simple 15m bimble to harass a few plaice.. and a gurgle while breathing. Not uncommon and usually a simple loop clear. Only this time it didnt clear after a couple of attempts.... and then I realised it was gurgling on the inhale not the outhale.

Quick check of loop hoses.. all tight and no visible bubbles ... then the dil manual inflator ...and it was about a turn loose!

Running minimum loop volume results in the water on the inhale side getting into the hose and across the mouthpiece. Strangly tho I didnt feel any water while breathing.

After tightening the fitting and clearing the loop the dive was fine.. quite a lot of water in the exhale lung and bucket tho (about an inch!!). Fortunately nothing had found its way back "upstream" to the head tho.

My practise to date has been to do Pos and neg tests at beginning of day and any time I "break" the system ..but not prior to every dive. I suspect the inflator could have got loosened while kitting up or dekitting. Will add the step to tighten the two fittings to my pre-dive checks.

Steve

I was going to say "wouldn't this have become apparent during the neg/pos test" but I then read your last para

A good reminder to us all. I had my pos fail recently at home and found my O2 inflator loose. It simply wasn't screwed on enough.

31st May 2008, 07:31	#1 (permalink)
UKSteve Steve Collard Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Weymouth, UK Posts: 601	Something to add to your pre-dive checks ....that your manual inflators are screwed on tight!! Second dive of the day.. simple 15m bimble to harass a few plaice.. and a gurgle while breathing. Not uncommon and usually a simple loop clear. Only this time it didnt clear after a couple of attempts.... and then I realised it was gurgling on the inhale not the outhale. Quick check of loop hoses.. all tight and no visible bubbles ... then the dil manual inflator ...and it was about a turn loose! Running minimum loop volume results in the water on the inhale side getting into the hose and across the mouthpiece. Strangly tho I didnt feel any water while breathing. After tightening the fitting and clearing the loop the dive was fine.. quite a lot of water in the exhale lung and bucket tho (about an inch!!). Fortunately nothing had found its way back "upstream" to the head tho. My practise to date has been to do Pos and neg tests at beginning of day and any time I "break" the system ..but not prior to every dive. I suspect the inflator could have got loosened while kitting up or dekitting. Will add the step to tighten the two fittings to my pre-dive checks. Steve
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31st May 2008, 07:42	#2 (permalink)
Kevin Swindin New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 19	Re: Something to add to your pre-dive checks good post - thanks. Its also worth checking that the inflator hoses are on properly too. I have had the O2 come off the inflator under water. No big deal, but I now check them! Kevin __________________ Kevin Swindin Rebreathing since September 07, starting all over again!
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31st May 2008, 08:56	#3 (permalink)
UKSteve Steve Collard Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Weymouth, UK Posts: 601	Re: Something to add to your pre-dive checks Quote: (Originally Posted by Kevin Swindin) good post - thanks. Its also worth checking that the inflator hoses are on properly too. I have had the O2 come off the inflator under water. No big deal, but I now check them! Kevin Beanie showed me a simple trick to prevent this.. pull a pillar valve O ring over the fitting so it sits in the gap behind the slide. Use a slim tie wrap around the O ring so you can pull it out when you want to remove the fitting. Steve
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31st May 2008, 11:20	#4 (permalink)
Gilles Worship the feminine Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Den Haag (Netherlands) Posts: 762	Re: Something to add to your pre-dive checks Quote: (Originally Posted by UKSteve) ....that your manual inflators are screwed on tight!! ... This reminds me of an incident near the last time I was in the water... ...check that your dump valves are properly snugged... Pulling the cord to dump a bit of wing gas resulted in the whole valve coming off. __________________ Gilles http://www.dirrebreather.com
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31st May 2008, 12:05	#5 (permalink)
CharlieT Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London Posts: 449	Re: Something to add to your pre-dive checks Quote: (Originally Posted by UKSteve) ....that your manual inflators are screwed on tight!! Second dive of the day.. simple 15m bimble to harass a few plaice.. and a gurgle while breathing. Not uncommon and usually a simple loop clear. Only this time it didnt clear after a couple of attempts.... and then I realised it was gurgling on the inhale not the outhale. Quick check of loop hoses.. all tight and no visible bubbles ... then the dil manual inflator ...and it was about a turn loose! Running minimum loop volume results in the water on the inhale side getting into the hose and across the mouthpiece. Strangly tho I didnt feel any water while breathing. After tightening the fitting and clearing the loop the dive was fine.. quite a lot of water in the exhale lung and bucket tho (about an inch!!). Fortunately nothing had found its way back "upstream" to the head tho. My practise to date has been to do Pos and neg tests at beginning of day and any time I "break" the system ..but not prior to every dive. I suspect the inflator could have got loosened while kitting up or dekitting. Will add the step to tighten the two fittings to my pre-dive checks. Steve I was going to say "wouldn't this have become apparent during the neg/pos test" but I then read your last para A good reminder to us all. I had my pos fail recently at home and found my O2 inflator loose. It simply wasn't screwed on enough.
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