My old drysuit inflator valve failed during a 60 foot trimix dive near Panama City Beach

I always thought the cheap rebuild kits were a waste of money until that cold water blast convinced me otherwise last weekend, has anyone else had a budget part nearly cost them a dive?

2 comments

2 Comments

brookekelly9d ago

Did you dry the whole thing out after and check the actual seat for wear? I had almost the same thing happen off Venice, Louisiana a couple years back, but it was my exhaust valve that stuck open on a deep wreck dive. I started flooding through the neck seal before I even realized something was wrong. Now I just grab the whole OEM valve assembly instead of messing with rebuilds. I know it costs more up front but having that thing fail at depth is not worth saving thirty bucks. The cold water shock alone can mess up your focus for the rest of the dive.

anthony4269d ago

Honestly, did you ever track down exactly which part of the valve seat was worn down, or was it just generally shot? I always wonder if it's the seat itself or if the little spring just loses tension over time and lets stuff slip by. Tbh, that cold water shock thing is real, I had a similar moment on a deep ledge dive and it took me a solid minute to even think about checking my OPV. Ngl, you might be right about the OEM assembly, I've been burned by rebuilds where the new poppet didn't quite seat right, and it's not a gamble I want to take again.