Dealing with a Free Flowing Regulator

[Kidder]

I have heard some talking about free flowing regs being potentially fatal if not handled properly. I was wondering if you could share your experiences and techniques for dealing with this problem? I found this video on-line its seems like a good one. Everyone keeps thier head and the issue is solved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp22x74SyEc

[DivingsInMyBlood]

Ive seen that clip before, i bet he wanted to bolt in his head so bad for the first few seconds. Good job he kept his head and had some buddies that had his back.

[jwdizney]

another strong argument for buddy diving... we learned free-flow breathing in OW class, but how could you deal at 120'? without a buddy, your air would be gone long before you could safely ascend.....gotta be terrifying!

[Kidder]

Originally Posted by jwdizney

another strong argument for buddy diving... we learned free-flow breathing in OW class, but how could you deal at 120'? without a buddy, your air would be gone long before you could safely ascend.....gotta be terrifying!

Yup pretty scary you can almost feel the tension. Just gotta keep your head. Its why I'll never solo that deep and why I'm thinking hard about a pony bottle some time in my future. I noticed that he was trying to reach around and shut off his air, but would he have been better taking his BC off and doing it that way?

[BuzzGA]

All the training will let you get a couple of breaths and keep you out of a panic, buddies in that case will get you to the surface. I can't see anyway that a free flow would last all the way up.

[in_cavediver]

Originally Posted by BuzzGA

All the training will let you get a couple of breaths and keep you out of a panic, buddies in that case will get you to the surface. I can't see anyway that a free flow would last all the way up.

Actually, this past summer, a free flow killed two divers in around 110' feet of water in a quarry. First reg free-flowed, then buddies reg free-flowed.

Personal opinion - dive deep means needing redundant equipment, be it a pony, H valve or doubles. I've had a couple free flows that were handled by a simple valve drill. No emergency, no significant loss of gas. (and the reg thawed and worked again)

[Kidder]

Originally Posted by in_cavediver

Actually, this past summer, a free flow killed two divers in around 110' feet of water in a quarry. First reg free-flowed, then buddies reg free-flowed.

Personal opinion - dive deep means needing redundant equipment, be it a pony, H valve or doubles. I've had a couple free flows that were handled by a simple valve drill. No emergency, no significant loss of gas. (and the reg thawed and worked again)

would an adjustable reg help? by valve drill you mean you turned off your air and thawed right?

[in_cavediver]

Originally Posted by Kidder

would an adjustable reg help? by valve drill you mean you turned off your air and thawed right?

Had adjustable regs - still froze. I caught the problems before it became a violent free flow. I simply swapped regs and gave the primary a chance to thaw in the 'warm' 40 degree water.

And yes, by valve drill I turned off the offending post on a set of doubles.

[Kidder]

Originally Posted by in_cavediver

Had adjustable regs - still froze. I caught the problems before it became a violent free flow. I simply swapped regs and gave the primary a chance to thaw in the 'warm' 40 degree water.

And yes, by valve drill I turned off the offending post on a set of doubles.

Ah so you weren't relying on your octo, but a back up reg. Did you turn your reg off at the adjuster?

[in_cavediver]

Originally Posted by Kidder

Ah so you weren't relying on your octo, but a back up reg. Did you turn your reg off at the adjuster?

Nope. The adjuster on a 2nd stage will not stop a free-flow. It merely adjusts the spring pressure on the 2nd stage valve. To shut down a free flow, you have to turn off the tank valve.