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Had a regulator free flow at 80 feet on a bridge job in Mobile
Working under the I-10 bridge last month, my primary reg just started dumping air. Couldn't stop it. Switched to my octopus immediately, no panic. Did a controlled ascent up the downline, venting the free flow the whole way. Surface team saw my bubbles and had the boat ready. Anyone else had a reg fail like that in cold, murky water?
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umaf201mo ago
Yikes, @blakecampbell, my buoyancy is a joke on a good day.
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blakecampbell1mo ago
Seriously? A controlled ascent on a free flow at 80 feet is just asking for trouble. You got lucky. That much air dumping can rocket you up way too fast no matter how much you try to vent. I've seen guys try that and end up with a real bend, not just a scare story. In that cold murk around a bridge piling, you should have just gone straight to your buddy or shot a bag to signal the boat first. Relying on a downline while your reg is blasting is how simple problems turn into real emergencies.
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