Could Have Been A Lot Worse

dwashbur · Post by **dwashbur** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 8:53 am

Our usual gang headed to Les Davis yesterday for a nice easy dive. We geared up, got in the water, swam out to where we could drop, and went down in about 12 fsw. We were poking around, looking in the eelgrass and generally getting ourselves situated for a moment or so, then we started toward the slope. I was just moseying along, breathing like I usually do, when without warning the next breath gave me nothing but water. Confused, I reached up to make sure my regulator was solid. It wasn't there. All I had was the mouthpiece. I reached for my octopus, but my primary kept getting in the way and I couldn't get to it. Meanwhile, my lungs were saying, "Hello? Running out of O2 here!" Everyone was too far away for me to grab one of their octos, so since I was only 12 feet down I bolted to the surface. I thought about finding my octo and going back down, but I realized that after that little fiasco, I didn't trust my reg. So it was time to go in.

I just had this reg serviced; this was its second dive since being worked on. So we drove to the shop that worked on it and told them what happened. As it turned out, they had forgotten to put the zip ties on both mouthpieces; the octo didn't have one, either. It happened because the one on the octopus was starting to tear, and they had intended to ask me about replacing it. But there was a lot of confusion surrounding this thing's servicing, so that got overlooked. I can understand how that process occurred. They gave me a new mouthpiece, fixed everything and apologized profusely. I know this shop, and that was definitely a fluke, so I'm not even going to mention who it was because I'm not going to damage a shop's reputation over a fluke. Or, to put it more biblically, let the one who has never fluked cast the first stone. It sure ain't gonna be me.

The main thing I learned from this is, I need to relocate my octopus. If I can't get to it in an emergency, whether it's I that need it or someone else, then it's not going to do me or anybody else any good. I have a lot of crap on my BCD, which basically can't be avoided, so I'm considering a necklace. I would want something that is easy to tear away in case a buddy needs it, but is where I can find it if I need it. So I'm looking for ideas and suggestions. I'm open to anything that has the potential to make our diving safer, so nothing is off limits. What are everyone's thoughts on the best place to mount an octo, necklace vs some other way, other ideas that I haven't through of yet, and anything else that I haven't thought of yet?

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:04 am

Glad that worked out ok without an embolism or drowning!

You can use a 40" (or longer) hose on your primary reg and donate that to an OOA diver. The reality is that OOA divers go for where the bubbles and gas is in your mouth anyway. Just give it to them. The necklace hanging under your chin is for you and need not break away.

Common primary reg hose lengths are 40", 5ft and 7ft. Even in open water, 7ft is pretty nice and not as annoying as commonly imagined. Either tuck it in your waist band or loop it under your canister light. 5ft is actually the most difficult length for normal sized people to stow as it generally is long enough to flop around but not so long that you can tuck it in. 40" just has a bit of a bow in it.

60south · Post by **60south** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:22 am

Glad you're okay! Good call on ending the dive.

One lesson I've learned over and over again: most of my reg failures have happened immediately after servicing. Funny, that.

I use a piece of thin bungee cord as a necklace for the octo. It's cheap, adjustable, works well, and can rip away easily in an emergency. YMMV.

GearHead · Post by **GearHead** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:53 am

The best way I've found to make a necklace for my backup reg is with a piece of 1/4" or 6mm bungie. I tie a fisherman's knot and cinch the base of the mouthpiece between the two overhand knots. This can be pulled loose if necessary, but doesn't slip off too easily.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisherman%27s_knot

johndo88 · Post by **johndo88** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 10:41 am

You are the second person that I have heard about this happening to. I was the first person that I've heard who had this problem. This happened to me many many years ago. Like you, I had just had my regulator serviced. I was at 40 feet at Richmond Beach.. I was diving a Poseidon regulator at the time, the kind where the exhaust was on the side of my face, not under my chin. Fortunately, we were NOT swimming very hard, hence I wasn't breathing hard. By buddy was about 15 feet ahead of me and to my right. I was in the middle of a long exhale when my buddy turned and looked at me with a inquisitive look on my face. I was timing my long exhale such that my exhale ended at the same time I was feeling the urge to breathe. What I didn't know was is that during the exhale, my regulator had fallen out of my mouthpiece and from my buddy's point of view, I was blowing bubbles into Puget Sound. Like you, when I went to inhale, nothing but water. In my mind, my buddy was too far away; later he said that he didn't think a weight belt could come off that fast. I dumped the belt and went to the surface. To this day I vividly remember NOT needing to breath on the way up, in fact, I remember thinking about how could this regulator have failed so bad to leak that much water. Part way up I decided to try another, very cautious inhale, still nothing but water so I spit out my reg. When I surfaced, I found exactly what you found, both zip ties were missing.

Fast forward some 30+ years and now I dive with my primary on a 7-foot hose and that will by the reg I donate to an OOA diver. My secondary is around my neck on a bungee cord just below my chin where is sits, always in the same place. Hardly a dive goes by where I don't test myself to see if I can put my hand on my secondary instantly without thinking about it.

Trust me, for the rest of your diving career, you will find yourself ALWAYS checking the zip ties on your regulator when it comes back from service, or anytime you use a different reg.

I'm glad your event turned out well.

ljjames · Post by **ljjames** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 1:40 pm

the take home... (and great reminder to all of us)

a) Know where your back-up is AT ALL TIMES (RJack covers this nicely), for both your own safety and potentially your buddy's life. Know where your buddy's back up is.

b) Dive with a slightly less stretchy rubber band - meaning this is why we dive with a buddy, if they are not close enough to help in an emergency, why bother? This isn't DIR or GUE or anything like that, it's just reality. If you choose to 'same ocean' diving as your norm, well, that is your choice, just don't expect anyone to be there when you need em.

and c) know your gear, always check it, just serviced or not... You should be checking your mouthpiece for bites and holes before every dive anyway, never hurts to take a gander at the the zip tie.

diverden · Post by **diverden** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 3:58 pm

This happened to a buddy of mine on a dive and I've seen it on Youtube videos (where the cameraman is attacked for their reg.) This would be a really shitty way to die! It's easy to overlook reg testing if you dive a lot or hardly at all. I can't say I check mouthpieces enough. Thanks! Move to a necklace and/or fondle your regs regularly and not a bad idea to switch regs once a dive to keep in practice of switching.

What's overlooked very frequently is not breathing off all of your regs, underwater as a pre dive check. This is easy to do on a shore dive. If it's not feasible before you hop in, try to "pull a negative" on the reg before the dive: try to inhale with the line purged and the gas off. If you can get any air, you have a leak and it will breath wet or won't function at all when you need it.

Scubie Doo · Post by **Scubie Doo** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 4:15 pm

Great post, thanks for sharing. I have a necklace and I often descend and ascend with my necklace and switch to my primary during each dive. I will now make this a regular practice. It helps engrain the switch.

Dusty2 · Post by **Dusty2** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:53 pm

"It helps engrain the switch"
It does indeed. there is no substitute for muscle memory. By definition in a panic situation your brain isn't hitting on all cylinders so practice makes it automatic. Dave I have a silicone necklace that you are welcome to.

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Sat Jul 18, 2015 9:08 am

dwashbur wrote:I just had this reg serviced; this was its second dive since being worked on.

How on earth did you make it through an entire first dive without it coming apart?

Thanks for posting this - you can bet I will be checking those zip ties from now on!

- Janna

dwashbur · Post by **dwashbur** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 6:37 am

I was wondering that myself, Janna. Dusty, thanks, I'll take you up on that. I also need to buy another diffuser disc from you, so I'll try to call you later.

fmerkel · Post by **fmerkel** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 11:31 am

The regs usually have a bit of a raised flange on them and the mouthpiece has a mating groove. If it's a tight fit it can be pretty secure. People swap out mouthpieces so initial fit is often changed.
I've had tiny holes on the spot where the zip clamps down, which is the high stress area. The reg sometimes seems to breathe a bit wet, then it's OK, then wet. I've learned that's a sure sign to check for holes. If you have a mouthpiece like this, try to tear it. They are pretty tough.

Northwest Dive Club