February 2021 Safety Message: My Valve is Stuck!
Scuba Cylinder Valve Malfunction
I recently found a fully charged scuba cylinder on my boat that was full of air, but the valve handle will not turn. I exerted as much force as I dare, but the valve will not open. What should I do? I did some research online and found very little guidance.
Has this ever happened to you?
After some thought, I have decided that my currently known options for depressurization of the cylinder are as follows:
Apply “excess” torque to the valve handle in an effort to open the valve, despite the possibility of breaking the valve stem.
Slowly unscrew the over pressurization disc retainer until air begins to escape.
Suspend the cylinder upside down and immerse the valve in an ultrasonic cleaner in an effort to free the valve stem.
Transport the cylinder to a hydrostatic testing facility and let them solve the problem.
Action Plan: I consider both option 1 and 2 to be slightly risky. So, I plan to try option 3 (as I have access to an ultrasonic cleaner, and the attempt will not damage the components or put me at risk). If this is not successful, then option 4 is next in line (I will telephone hydrostatic test facilities in an effort to find a professional who is willing to solve this problem).
Stay Safe!
Dave Wills
January 2021 Safety Message: Does your Favorite Dive Boat have O2?
Does Your Favorite Dive Boat Have Oxygen on Board?
Have you asked if your favorite dive boat has oxygen on board? Does your favorite dive boat have enough oxygen on board to get a diving casualty back to shore-side EMTs before the oxygen supply is exhausted?
Divers Alert Network (DAN) sells oxygen kits that contain from 20 to 105 minutes of O2 at a delivery rate of 12 liters/min.
This delivery rate is about 3 times the O2 delivery rate used for patients receiving supplemental oxygen for acute respiratory illnesses.
Both DAN and PADI offer a course entitled Emergency Oxygen Provider (or something very similar) that helps you recognize scuba diving illnesses or conditions that are treatable with emergency oxygen. Has anyone aboard your favorite dive boat received this training?
All these questions are worth asking as you next board your vessel of choice.
Breathe Easy My Friends!
October 2020 Safety Message: Weight Control.... Don't Lose your Weights!
When you were taking your dive certification class, you are undoubtedly taught to wear your weights in a manner so that you could easily jettison them and get to the surface in an emergency.
The traditional diver wears his/her weights on a weight belt that is secured around the waist by a single buckle. A quick pull on the tail of the belt or on the buckle lever and the weight belt drops.
Many current buoyancy compensators have weight pockets on each side. The weights are typically secured in the pockets by Velcro fasteners that are designed to be rapidly released. Sooo, how many of you have ever needed to jettison weights at any time during your diving career? Not very many of you I bet.
However, I’ve seen numerous people inadvertently lose their weight belt while diving. This has happened to me once or twice. An accidental tug on the free end of the weight belt or on the buckle and your weight belt is gone. This is not an issue if you’re on the bottom and you can swim and pick up your weights, but it can be a major issue if you are finishing your dive and are approaching your safety stop when you suddenly lose some or all of your dive weights. You may rapidly and uncontrollably bob to the surface.
Not a good situation if your dive computer shows that you are near decompression requirements. Don’t let this happen to you! It could ruin your day! I recommend you carry your weights in several locations, such as the 2 side pockets in addition to a weight belt. This way if you accidentally lose one of the weight packs, you probably can maintain control of your buoyancy.
Be Safe!
Dave Wills
September 2020 Safety Message: Lionfish Spines…They Can Ruin Your Dive and Your Day
In keeping with our presentation this evening, I’d like to briefly comment on lionfish spine injuries.
Many of you who have harvested lionfish in the past are aware of the toxic and painful stings they can produce.
The dorsal, anal and the pelvic fins of the lionfish all have very sharp toxic spines that can easily penetrate any glove or clothing material.
If you are stung while diving its best practice to surface and seek 1st aid: take a pain killer and immerse the effected body part in hot water to deactivate the neurotoxin.
Handle with care! These spines can ruin your day!
Be Safe
Dave Wills
August 2020 Safety Message: Captain Dave's 5 Favorite Diving Safety Devices
Knife and/or Scissor:
Cut lines when you become entangled. Cut the drift diving line if float fails. Remove spines from lionfish. Trim your fingernails.
Flashlight:
See into holes and under reef ledges. Signal your dive buddy. Night rescue signal. Learn SOS signal (3 short – 3 long – 3 short). Some lights have a built-in SOS strobe pattern.
Safety Sausage with line attached:
Visual device for daytime rescue. Can be deployed to the surface while diver is at safety stop 10 or 15 feet down. These brightly colored safety sausages are very conspicuous on the surface.
Whistle:
A loud whistle can be heard from a greater distance then a yell. Easy to carry and use if attached to the upper part of your BC.
And, Drumroll….Dave’s ultimate dive safety device:
Nautilus Lifeline Satellite-Based Electronic Rescue:
This is a very small waterproof VHF radio with DSC function. After surfacing, you can open this case and call the boat using the tiny VHF radio. Make sure you know what channel(s) the boat will be monitoring and preset the unit before diving. You can also push a button and send an emergency alert to the USCG with your location data.
A few years ago while at the helm following some drift diving flags I received the following VHF radio message, “Boat Name, Boat Name, this is your dive group on the surface 250 yards to your northwest. Can you come pick us up?” It turned out they had become detached from the dive flag much earlier in the dive. I had continued to monitor the flag on the surface, and the divers had surfaced 300 yards away from the drift dive flag in an area I was not monitoring. The little radio worked exactly as it was designed to!
Be prepared and be safe!
Dave Wills
June 2020 Safety Message: Accuracy of Tank Pressure Gauges
John Edmonds recently recalled a story about a brand new, but inaccurate high pressure gauge (tank gauge). The gauge displayed 300 psi more than the pressure that was actually in the tank. This condition is not very significant at full tank pressure, when the gauge would read 3300 psi on a tank that actually contains 3000 psi (a 10% error).
Unfortunately, things are much different as the tank nears the lower end of the pressure range (where accurate pressure information is most critical). When the gauge displays 500 psi the tank would have only 200 psi, and the tank would be empty when the gauge displayed 300 psi…not a good scene.
If you suspect one of your tank pressure-sensing components is inaccurate, the best way to check it is to work with your dive buddy. If you each check a tank’s pressure and your equipment agrees, both units are probably accurate. If, on the other hand, the two units don’t agree, it’s time to find a third pressure gauge, which will almost certainly agree with one of the first two and confirm a problem with the suspect device.
If you suspect there is a problem with any piece of your dive gear, discuss the issue with a dive buddy or dive shop technician. Reach a resolution before you next go diving with that gear.
Dive Safe!
Dave Wills