If the valve of a low-pressure
inflator on a buoyancy compensator
or a drysuit sticks open, a
dangerous, out-of-control ascent can
result. What can be done to
minimize problems with stuck
inflator valves?
The best thing, of course, is to prevent problems from arising in the
first place. Proper maintenance and frequent inspection of the valve can
go a long way toward preventing the valve from sticking.
The second way to minimize potential problems is to have a high level
of awareness while diving: the faster you recognize a problem, the faster
you can deal with it. If your valve should stick during a dive, take the
following actions:
First, disconnect the low-pressure hose. Don't waste time fiddling with
the inflator button. Instead, unhook the hose. Continue the dive using oral
inflation techniques. (Remember how?) Don't reconnect the inflator hose
until you can inspect the entire mechanism out of the water after the dive.
Second, maintain buoyancy control. If you've become positively
buoyant from air admitted to your suit or BC, immediately swim
downward as hard as you can while disconnecting the hose. Use pressure
to reduce the volume of any extra air. The shallower you are, the more
important this becomes, because the rate of expansion becomes greater
the closer you are to the surface. Swim down hard, grab something on the
bottom, turn to an upright position, and vent excess air. Avoid rising
passively. Fight to remain at depth.
Finally, if you do lose control and begin rising toward the surface,
maneuver yourself into a face-up position and flare your arms, legs, and
fins to create the maximum cross-sectional body area. This will slow your
ascent rate dramatically. After achieving this position, attempt to vent
excess air. Maintain normal breathing and ride out the ascent. Always
disconnect the low pressure hose, even if you have to do so during an outof-
control ascent. Do this as soon as you realize that you'll be unable to
swim down hard enough to overcome excess buoyancy. If you simply try to
swim down the whole time you're rising toward the surface, you'll
eventually reach a point where you'll lose directional control due to
buoyancy problems. Once you lose control, you'll be unable to achieve the
flare position, and your overall ascent rate will be much greater than if
you had flared earlier in the ascent.