Swapping regs

I took an advanced OW class many years ago where one of the drills was 10 tanks strewn on the bottom of the pool. You had to swim to each tank without a mask and get gas from the tank, get a breath or two and move on to the next. Each tank had it's own regulator with some sort of problem, ex: free flow, no diaphram, no exhaust mushroom valve, leaking water, no 2nd stage but a LP hose to slurp off of, etc. The last tank had no regulator and required valve breathing. I found it easiest to open the valve and create an air plume to draw a breath from versus wrapping my mouth around the valve and opening it.

I have since had to swap out regs during deco from one tank to another in order to access all the planned mixes due to a failed reg enroute to the surface.

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Originally Posted by OutlawCaver

I have since had to swap out regs during deco from one tank to another in order to access all the planned mixes due to a failed reg enroute to the surface.

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I think i watched you do that...was it at diepolder?

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Originally Posted by OutlawCaver

I took an advanced OW class many years ago where one of the drills was 10 tanks strewn on the bottom of the pool. You had to swim to each tank without a mask and get gas from the tank, get a breath or two and move on to the next. Each tank had it's own regulator with some sort of problem, ex: free flow, no diaphram, no exhaust mushroom valve, leaking water, no 2nd stage but a LP hose to slurp off of, etc. The last tank had no regulator and required valve breathing. I found it easiest to open the valve and create an air plume to draw a breath from versus wrapping my mouth around the valve and opening it.

I have since had to swap out regs during deco from one tank to another in order to access all the planned mixes due to a failed reg enroute to the surface.

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I remember doing a similar circuit, not in an advanced OW course though (I guess yours wasn't PADI ;-) ). Good fun. I swapped regs once in the pool. It works...how happy I would be doing it under real stress remains to be seen (or not hopefully).

Cheers, Marc

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Originally Posted by OutlawCaver

I took an advanced OW class many years ago where one of the drills was 10 tanks strewn on the bottom of the pool. You had to swim to each tank without a mask and get gas from the tank, get a breath or two and move on to the next. Each tank had it's own regulator with some sort of problem, ex: free flow, no diaphram, no exhaust mushroom valve, leaking water, no 2nd stage but a LP hose to slurp off of, etc. The last tank had no regulator and required valve breathing.

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Forrest made us do that in cave dive class. 1977.

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

I mean, remove a reg from one sidemounted cylinder, hold your breath, remove the other reg, and install it on the first cylinder.

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Hi Russell,

Which reason to hold the breath?. At least can re-breath from the inflator/ corrugated hose safely for three or four times. In the other hand, removing a DIN first stage underwater is the best way to lose the o-ring (I always carry one extra DIN oring for each second stage; can upload a pic if useful), but...

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Originally Posted by argyris

I think this is a very desperate technique.

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I agree. As read, it is best recipe for serious problems. What reason to change regs with a proper gas planning?

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Originally Posted by Merlin Rhoda

Phillip: did you rebuild your regs after practicing this skill? Did your spg's get moisture in them?

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Good input!

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Originally Posted by Igor Beades

I agree. As read, it is best recipe for serious problems. What reason to change regs with a proper gas planning?

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This is the point I think many divers here are missing. In order for reg swapping to even show up on the horizon as something you might have to do, you have to have a catatrophic gas loss / reg failure on top of improper gas planning or management. So if you need to do it, you've already seriously screwed up on top of having an unexpected failure.

My concern is that a few divers may decide that proper management of SM cylinders (i.e. maintaining enough reserve in either tank to exit or reach your deco gas in the event the contents of the other are lost) is no longer as important as a reg failure becomes something that is manageable by swapping regs.

Indeed it was Bill.

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Originally Posted by wingman

I think i watched you do that...was it at diepolder?

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Originally Posted by phillip1

I did it in training with my eyes closed (zero viz sim), and in my pool on occasion for good measure with a sacrificial reg, really it is very easy to do, in fact the hardest thing about this drill is keeping good trim during the swap, the actual swap is easy, and if need be you can take a breath of the valve if you need more time (also very very easy to do) this is were breathing off the valve comes in very handy, you can take as long as needed to do the swap, no need to do it in one breath or if take too long

This would be an extreme last resort solution but still a good skill to have, at least if sh!!t hits the fan you would know it is an option and much better than breathing off the valves (the absolute last resort but also doable too).

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Phillip,
The next time you practice this drill, get a buddy to video it. Not that I want to see you get slammed or anything like that, but it would generate some interesting comments I'm sure.

I will and I won't get slammed cause I will do it in style, in fact it might even be part of the Sidemount Tips and Tricks vol.2 video, so there.lol...