Home Tournaments Calendar Weather Merchandise Sponsors

Go Back   Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum > General Topics (Non-regional) > Diving Safety, Accidents and Incidents

Diving Safety, Accidents and Incidents Post here to discuss accidents, incidents, ideas, gear, or anything else to improve spearfishing safety. Memorials and condolences threads should be placed in that separate forum.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 08-06-2017, 06:21 AM   #1
jfjf
.
 
jfjf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Palm Bch County
Posts: 11,256
Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

A video from a recent solo dive. Supposedly the regulator had been serviced within about 2 years. No leaks, intermediate pressure was perfect, seemed to perform perfectly and used the regulator for 3 dives last weekend in 75-90 ft.

I was at about 180 feet and there was a huge explosion. Very loud, the Go Pro cameras do not capture the audio of explosions accurately at all. In any case, zero apparent warning and then bang and a huge air loss. I assumed a LP hose exploded, I had around 2400 psi at the time and had been down about 8 minutes at a depth of 160 to 170' or so. I had a 120 cu-ft steel tank and small pony bottle.

I was pretty much freaked out and instantly laid on the inflator and just continued to use the regulator. I could get air, but could feel increasing resistance as a huge amount of air was lost.

I switched over to a 13 cu-ft pony bottle and then shut the main tank down because I didn't want water inside the regulator or tank. I was ascending way faster than my bubbles and slowed down a lot around 70 feet and deployed my surface marker from a reel (since this was a drifting dive).

Video doesn't show it, but my compass (which also worked last weekend) was really screwed up and I was lost and there was so little current on the bottom, I was pretty much guessing which way to go. I was dropped around 600 ft from my target and had planned on drifting into it. Another "problem" with the dive.

I had the pony bottle second stage on a necklace strap, but I never thought about this before, but it was really hard to purge the reg into the bag when the reg is held tightly to my neck. I did not have air to waste, so after one quick try with the purge button, I just exhaled into the bag with the regulator out of my mouth and sent it up.

I was right at my No-Deco limit, so I didn't try to hang that long and as I approached the surface, I found a long shallow fishing line on my marker that I assumed must be from some other boat trolling or drift fishing. I was concerned about being hooked. (another "problem")

So to make the dive even more eventful, I ascend to find the dive boat was wrapped up with a ton of fishing line and my boat was dragging the fishing line - not a fisherman.

Pretty damn scary! Took it to the shop and the technician took it apart and showed me the blown out diaphram in the Zeagle DS-IV model. Inside looked perfect, no corrosion. The external plastic sealing cap was completely missing from the explosion. Tank was nearly empty when we checked on the boat.

https://youtu.be/AqKUUrlK2tM


Last edited by jfjf; 08-10-2017 at 05:38 AM.
jfjf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 07:32 AM   #2
HeadHunter
Dan MacMahon
 
HeadHunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hudson, Fl
Posts: 1,904
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Had the almost exact thing happen to me a month ago. Luckily mine was on the pony bottle and not the main. Pony was only half full. Loud bang just like your incident. Immediately inflated BC, then checked PG and saw main pressure was holding. Did a lazy ascent due to no pony. Complete diaphragm failure.

In all the diving I've done using Zeagle regulators exclusively, this is the first catastrophic failure I've encountered.

When we did a rebuild on the reg, it was def a diaphragm failure. Not good.
__________________
If you stay in this sport, and really apply yourself , in 10 years you might be the diver you think you are today.

Smart people realize they know very little.
Stupid people think they know everything.
HeadHunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 08:08 AM   #3
Spear One
Retired Comm. Shooter
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Largo, Florida
Posts: 5,140
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Wow, very scary situation when that happens, especially in 160 plus depths. What typically causes diaphram failure in a regulator. Any idea what may have caused the failure in each of your cases?
__________________
Ocean Rhino Spearguns: Designed & Built By Commercial Spearfishermen

Manufactured By: Spearfishing Specialties (727)-548-7686

E-mail: oceanrhino@gmail.com Web: OceanRhino.com
Spear One is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 08:17 AM   #4
sealark
Registered User
 
sealark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Pensacola Fl
Posts: 512
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

You could have turned the tank valve off and on slightly as you breathed in and out to conserve the air. But with that said you did just fine. Something to think about.
sealark is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 09:48 AM   #5
CuzzA
Registered User
 
CuzzA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Posts: 953
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Wow. Glad you're ok. What a cluster F on all fronts. Looks like you had a shark hanging with you too.

Honest question... Do you think a 13 cu.ft. pony is the right size for that dive? Were you planning a deco dive? Seems like if you would have been deeper or later in the dive and the failure occurred you may not have had enough gas to satisfy a deco obligation. Not being critical, just curious what the plan was.

Thanks for sharing this.
CuzzA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 12:18 PM   #6
sacha58
Senior Member
 
sacha58's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Rome, Italy/West P B Fl.
Posts: 2,351
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Bravo, you kept cold blooded.... I did not hear any scream..
__________________
Alessandro, once Rome, Italy/ now West Palm Beach, Fl
" The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys "

www.c4carbon.com
www.palmbeachfreedivers.com
www.flfreedivers.com
www.polosub.com

sacha58 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 01:10 PM   #7
HeadHunter
Dan MacMahon
 
HeadHunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hudson, Fl
Posts: 1,904
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Here's a short video of mine blowing....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZD3...ature=youtu.be
__________________
If you stay in this sport, and really apply yourself , in 10 years you might be the diver you think you are today.

Smart people realize they know very little.
Stupid people think they know everything.
HeadHunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 01:27 PM   #8
HeadHunter
Dan MacMahon
 
HeadHunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hudson, Fl
Posts: 1,904
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

I doubt Jim was doing a planned deco dive. Maybe he was, but I doubt it. Sounds like he was wearing a redundant system for safety. In which the 13 would usually be adequate for that type of dive.

It's tricky giving diving advice on a forumn like this due to the vast differences between the divers on ability, experience, gear, depth, etc., etc.

What might be a solid option for one guy during an "event" and be implemented with ease might get a more inexperienced diver injured or killed.

My advice is to get training and practice for bad events when you can. Learn to dive with a small pony and use it occasionally to get comfortable with it.

Safe seconds are fine when diving with a buddy but if you're soloing, a pony system can save your life.

Looked like Jim did a good job of not panicking and got out of a mess in good shape. Nice going.
__________________
If you stay in this sport, and really apply yourself , in 10 years you might be the diver you think you are today.

Smart people realize they know very little.
Stupid people think they know everything.
HeadHunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 02:22 PM   #9
sealark
Registered User
 
sealark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Pensacola Fl
Posts: 512
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Mine was? Just a suggestion from experiance with conshelf freeflows while at depth. I have even finished a dive by controlling the flow out with the tank valve.
sealark is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 03:11 PM   #10
Coos-spearo
Registered User
 
Coos-spearo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: North Bend, Oregon USA
Posts: 103
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

I will order a pony tonight! Thanks for sharing.

Our local scuba shop is going out of business. Found a 13 cu ft pony for $40, in hydro. Bought the Oceanic first and second stage (current model) used, in great shape, for $100. Watched your video. Bought two stainless hose clamps for $5.00 each. The tank strap clamp I found at the local shop for $14.00 and a pressure gauge for the first stage for $10. All in for under $175 on a redundant air supply. Not a bad investment.

I was able to take the pony bottle out and test it. It seems to me it is a no brainer and a must have. Thanks again for sharing.

Last edited by Coos-spearo; 08-15-2017 at 07:24 PM.
Coos-spearo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 03:14 PM   #11
jfjf
.
 
jfjf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Palm Bch County
Posts: 11,256
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Dan: Your video IS similar to mine. We can probably both agree that the go pro does not capture how loud it is. Your instincts appeared to be the same as mine...Proceed to exit IMMEDIATELY. You were also super calm and smart to grab the primary pressure gauge and monitor for a confirmation that it was only a stage bottle.

For me, I knew it was my primary just from the restriction in breathing effort. So I think my mindset was to use the leaking tank to get some air in the BC, get a few more breaths while I still could and then move to the bail out bottle, also securing the speargun was a priority for me.

James: I have done short deco dives with that small pony, telling myself if the main tank blows, I could get to the surface from 180 and probably do about 3 minutes of a stop. So somehow, I have rationalized this as "safe enough" for deco dives that are less than maybe 5-8 minutes deco. Assuming I could grab an oxygen bottle off the boat and go back down and probably be OK. Again, I am definitely NOT recommending this to anyone and there are no training agencies that would support this kind of planning.

My little accident sorta validated my assumptions, but I did come up fast. I could have hung at the safety stop for a little longer, but the horizontal fishing line had me confused and I thought maybe someone was going to be dragging a trolling lure through me, so I figured I should come to the surface and see what the hell was going on.

I just might start using a 30 cu-ft pony for short planned deco dives. I have to admit, it was a very uncomfortable feeling at the start of that ascent and was very glad to see that I was NOT in deco yet. Plus, I have no gauge on the pony that I can read underwater, so you really can not be sure what air you have left for the ascent.

I rarely do "real" decompression dives, but if I do, then I will generally carry a small third bottle (of oxygen or 80%). With three tanks, I should be able to complete the deco with loss of any one bottle and in some scenarios, the loss of two bottles.

If anything, the two incidents should not be perceived as promoting aggressive diving, but rather to allow others to seriously think how, in less than one second, a dive can turn from complete control to life threatening - and what options they have if this occurs.

I think I may go back to piston first stages, which I have been using for a long time. Never had a scuba pro freaking EXPLODE!
jfjf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 03:49 PM   #12
Megabeast
Registered User
 
Megabeast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Age: 44
Posts: 2,531
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Damn.. that was gonna be a sweet dive. You made the best out of a shitty situation. Tight work.
__________________
Spearfishing is underwater grocery shopping
Megabeast is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 04:21 PM   #13
HeadHunter
Dan MacMahon
 
HeadHunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hudson, Fl
Posts: 1,904
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Yep it was much louder than the go pro audio indicated.

Like SeaLark said, using the tank valve as a on/off control is a great way to go in some cases. He's done it, I've done it, and I'm sure we both know a few other older divers that have done it. The equipment we had 30 years ago wasn't near as good as today's and you just did what you had to do.

It can be tough for older/heavier divers to reach over their back and control the main's valve. For some, it might be better to shuck the pack and bring it around up front. That would allow easy access to the valve.

However, everybody has different levels of skill and in a tight situation, you don't want to swing the pack around and really make things worse by dropping it or some such. A little forethought about "your" plan of action before a major problem will go a long way.

I really believe that a small redundant pony system for solo diving is the smartest way to go. Going to a 30cf tank could be the right choice for some but the bigger/heavier/bulkier it is translates to a bigger pita to wear and chances are if it's a pita it won't get worn.

The Luxfer 13 -14 or 19's are all good choices for a pony system. I prefer the 14's as they achieve their rated CF at 2015PSI instead of 3000PSI like the 13 and 19CF models. They're also more buoyant than the 3000psi models which may be a good thing if you're wearing a steel main. One other nice thing about the 2015psi model is that it's much easier to top something to 2015 than to 3000.

It's also highly desirable to keep the same type of tank valves on both tanks. Either both yokes or both din's.

I own a lot of Zeagle regulators and have never had a blow out before. Hopefully it won't happen again.

Safe Diving, Dan
__________________
If you stay in this sport, and really apply yourself , in 10 years you might be the diver you think you are today.

Smart people realize they know very little.
Stupid people think they know everything.
HeadHunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 04:42 PM   #14
jfjf
.
 
jfjf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Palm Bch County
Posts: 11,256
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Thanks Dan...I've seen a lot of people buy 30 cu-ft ponies and then just leave them on the boat. A 13 got me from 180 to the surface, so it should be reasonable for recreational depths and within the no-deco limit.

I made a video a while ago about how to make a cheap and simple back mount that works with any BC and any tank and uses no special hardware.

https://youtu.be/j0sdSL-ng-g

jfjf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2017, 04:58 PM   #15
CuzzA
Registered User
 
CuzzA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Posts: 953
Re: Zeagle Regulator Blows at 180 ft

Great contributions. Threads like this are great to illustrate how quick things can go pear shaped and if you keep your cool and practice redundancy, you'll come home for dinner.

Jim/Dan, thanks for the explanation. I definitely don't question either of your ability to make a 13 work from 170 fsw, especially from a bounce dive.

I own a 13 and 19, both set up for back mounting. I never bring them for <60 ft. dives, but I really should since I want to dive deeper and it would be good to develop the muscle memory.

I've got some 100 ft. dives planned here soon and the 19 will be coming with me.
CuzzA is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:17 AM.


The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Social Media Forum Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2002 - 2014 Spearboard.com