Playing with Silicone Grease! Ballroom Suggestions?

[Goober]

So...my dive buddie wants to hit the Ballroom at Ginnie Friday. As a result I've been laying the lube on threads, O-rings and inner lip of lens on both lights. As messy as this stuff is I enjoy doing it. Keeping a toothpick handy to dig out lint that sometimes gets in the grease. I like to insure that there are absolutely no voids that my cause a light to instantly flood at depth.

Seeing that this will be the first time I'll be entering a cavern, I'm very keyed up. My LDS is full of cave junkies. This type of thing is second nature to them, they live for it. But I'm not a junkie persay as of yet. Besides the norm of bouyancy control and being careful about silting out or bumping the melon, anyone have any suggestions?

I'll be very focused as we decend as not to be huffin gas like there is no tommorow. I want to stay as calm as possible to insure that I'll get some time inside as I'll head back out with 2000 psi.

[JahJahwarrior]

Eh, the ballroom isn't that deep. 50 feet or so max, I want to say it's more like 46. You shouldn't really have any problem with your lights that you wouldn't have in normal water.

There is a line run through the cavern there. Just know it's there, if you run into it, by ascending with it above you, it can get confusing It's a thick rope, you'll see it for sure.

There ARE CAVE ZONES in the Ballroom. STAY OUT OF THEM. If you cannot see daylight, you are in the wrong spot Even though they let OW divers in, there are places you cannot see OW, and then you are in a cave. Now, there is no cave system accessible, it'd be hard to get lost or anything....just don't go wandering around too much and you'll be fine


You'll need to know your tag number, I think, but thatmight only be for camping. Make sure to have your cert cards and all. They are pretty strict there.

Don't need to worry much about silting out. It's a large cavern with moderate flow, and the bottom is sandy, not silty. It won't be tight at all, you will always have plenty of room to move around in, so no worries about feeling closed in. It will be bright enough to see for the most part without lights, as well.

If you have a spool or reel and run a line for yourself, remember to run it low, and out of the way. Lots of OW divers with poor bouyancy skills go in and out, and you do not want to have any type of entanglement hazard in there for them. If you don't have a spool or reel, that's fine.

Enjoy yourself!

[Suther2136]

I trust that you are not diving nitrox since you are gooping up with silicone grease. Wouldn't feel right if I didn't say anything. Have a great time.

[Goober]

Originally Posted by Suther2136

I trust that you are not diving nitrox since you are gooping up with silicone grease. Wouldn't feel right if I didn't say anything. Have a great time.

Ginnie does not do nitrox fills, I've yet to take nitrox. However, I'm not following you at all. Please be more specific if you have concerns.

[Aussie]

I think Suther was referring to the use of Silicon on your regs with Nitrox.
But your lubing up your dive lights arnt you? Putting extra silicon does more harm than good. All you need is to coat the o-ring with a very thin layer of grease. Excess grease will attract dirt and crud and cause a flood.

Have fun and be safe.

Aussie

[Goober]

Correct. Just a thin coat on head threads and o-ring, and the inner lip of the lense.

[Suther2136]

Originally Posted by Goober

Ginnie does not do nitrox fills, I've yet to take nitrox. However, I'm not following you at all. Please be more specific if you have concerns.

Special greases are used for higher O2 contents. Silicone and other greases used for air service can cause issues with nitrox cleaned equipment. In the extreme high O2 levels with normal greases can cause the grease to burn. This is not a good thing in scuba equipment, more likely the grease will deteriorate rapidly and lose it's sealing properties.

[Goober]

Originally Posted by Goober

So...my dive buddie wants to hit the Ballroom at Ginnie Friday. As a result I've been laying the lube on threads, O-rings and inner lip of lens on both lights.

I appologize if this post or any text in it gave you the impression I was greasing anything other than a flashlight. I had no idea what you were talking about.

[Suther2136]

No biggie, just want you to be safe. Perhaps I misunderstood. NHNF

[Goober]

You may have misunderstood, but I learned something