CCR Accident Croatia June, 9 2014

Please keep in mind that some people are speaking from the viewpoint of a leaky valve mCCR or hCCCR and others only from eCCR. The philosophy of "never turning off the O2 while the unit is on my back" can result in a hyperoxic loop on a leaky valve system any time you go off the loop for a bit, whatever the reason. A leaky valve that continues to bleed O2 into the loop also changes buoyancy. This is not meant to start a debate on whether you should ever go back on the loop once you've come off. I'm just pointing out that different philosophies work for different systems.
Are you not supposed to flush with diluent if you think there is a risk of hyperoxia upon returning to the loop?
 
This is mainly for eccrs.When kitting up I don't flush with o2. I set the rebreather to .7 and let it get the loop to po2. That way I verify o2 is on and the solenoid works. I only flush manually a moment before hitting the water. By then I know I have working po2 control and not just an o2 filled loop.
 
I know it should be open before jumping, but if you check the HUD en Controller.
You will see the PO2 go to low, then you still can open the O2 valve and problem solved.

so did they ignore the HUD and controler ?
 
I know it should be open before jumping, but if you check the HUD en Controller.
You will see the PO2 go to low, then you still can open the O2 valve and problem solved.

so did they ignore the HUD and controler ?

Obviously, he ignored both. The fact that divers get distracted while at the surface shouldn't be a big surprise to most people. The only reliable solution in my opinion to ensure that the loop doesn't go hypoxic at the surface is to ensure that the loop is active (O2 turned on), flushed with a high percentage of O2 before entering the water and running the unit as an O2 rebreather while at the surface and in the shallows.

This is where the checklist come into play. Whether the checklist is written or is a memorized acronym, or whatever is immaterial to me. The point is that the diver must have a workable protocol that is followed religiously every single time before he jumps in the water. Without this zealot type adherence to these protocols, we will continue to have these types of accidents. Very sad, but very preventable.
 
This is much more than a matter of getting distracted. If you do a prebreathe, you are confirming that the unit is working and gasses are turned on. I don't care what you do after that. Call your wife because you forgot to make a dinner reservation. Help a friend with a problem with his gear. Or wait for the great white to swim by before you jump. It doesn't matter. Once you have verified that everything is working, the only way problems come up are by
1. You actively changing something from its ready state, like turning off a gas; or
2. The highly unlikely coincidence that Murphy will strike and something will break during that brief interval between your prebreathe and your splash.

Get distracted or skip the entire checklist, it doesn't matter. A couple of minutes prebreathing will tell you that you screwed the pooch and wake your arse up. To me, the prebreathe is the single most important step before entering the water. Those who disagree are just plain wrong.
 
On a rocking boat this would also work because you don't have to remove the loop from your mouth before you are somewhere secure.
I guess one reason is, as Garth already mentioned, to have a a standardized process.
 
And then there is reason 3 - a standardized, systematic, ritualistic process that is done the same way every time promoting safety and reliability (that Don is known for).

Sorry, had to throw that last bit in there because I miss my buddy. Hope you are well Don. :-)

Garth




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But also with a standardized process someone can and will forget one step.
One thing I learned as software developer is that only things that are automated get never missed.
Or make a HUD that can not get missed.

Chris
 
Sounds like the HammerHead "DIVA" to me. I would love to see Kevin Juergensen license that technology to all CCR manufacturers worldwide. I feel strongly that it would save lives. Pretty hard to ignore a vibrating alarm in your mouth! You would have to make a conscious decision to ignore the alarm.
 
Sounds like the HammerHead "DIVA" to me. I would love to see Kevin Juergensen license that technology to all CCR manufacturers worldwide. I feel strongly that it would save lives. Pretty hard to ignore a vibrating alarm in your mouth! You would have to make a conscious decision to ignore the alarm.

I've made my share of complaints about the HH but the DIVA really is impressive. It's hard to ignore, I find it an unpleasant feeling. Flashing lights and sounds you can tune out, having your teeth rattled is something else. I dont think I could continue a dive with it going off.

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But also with a standardized process someone can and will forget one step.
One thing I learned as software developer is that only things that are automated get never missed.
Or make a HUD that can not get missed.

Chris


Something I have learnt as a CCR diver is that automated proceseses get ignored and they can fail.

When they fail its totaly unexpected so people usualy die.

Another vote for the DIVA but without a lumberg conector please

ATB

Mark
 
At first I didn't want to respond to this thread as it's off the original topic - maybe it's worth starting a new one?

I got shot down for sharing this story on another forum - but if anyone can learn from it then so be it...

We were diving some u-boats in the English channel, quite early on in my rEvo diving days. I had the mini with 2L cylinders, and I was very conscious of trying to save o2 in those small cylinders. I'd done my initial checks and pre-breathe, and was ready to go. We were then sat on the boat in extremely hot temperatures for quite a long time waiting for the tide to slacken off. The sort of temperatures where it's so hot you're sweating on the inside of your mask and your eyes are stinging! I took the loop out, switched off the o2 to save gas and removed mask to rinse it and my face.

You know whats coming... A few seconds later and we get the 'go diving' signal and everyones getting up to jump. Check PPO2 displays, all at 1.00, mask on, in the water and down we go. Down the line i'm sucking on the ADV, and PP02 is there or there abouts all the way to the bottom. The first thing I do at the bottom is to settle and get my PPO2 up to 1.3. But for some reason its gently dropping and I can't raise it. I'm listening for O2 going in when i hit the manual add there's nothing - then it dawns on me what i've done, reach back, turn O2 on and carry on with the dive.

I guess I was lucky in that I was always taught to jump with 100% o2 in loop - always works brilliantly with the rEvo, dilutes on way down and generally keeps setpoint in the area you want it. I've always dived it manually too, so the first thing I'm doing on the bottom is checking handsets/shearwater and raising the PPO2 manually - that meant I knew there was something wrong straight away and could've bailed out & aborted the dive if necessary...

I quite like the idea someone mentioned of DV in - 02 on, DV out - o2 off, but i guess the most robust option is never sitting in a 'dead' unit!?
 
Run pure 02 on the boat.

Dont exit the boat without at least 0.98% PP02 showing

Imediatly before standing up manual flush 02 and imediatly before jumping in manual flush o2

Run pure 02 to 8m to check cells will read above 1.6

Dill flush at 8m to reduce PP02 and this also checks your dill is on before you decend and need dill

do this EVERY dive and failed anything to do with o2 / dill being off is no longer a risk

ATB

Mark

Very alike of what I do with my Kiss.
 
I've made my share of complaints about the HH but the DIVA really is impressive.

From all the times I have dived with someone using a Diva, the damned thing has either malfunctioned or flooded about one out of three dives.
 
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Automated flows of actions in aviation are nearly always accompanied by written checklists. There is a reason for this.
 
Something I have learnt as a CCR diver is that automated proceseses get ignored and they can fail.

When they fail its totaly unexpected so people usualy die.

Another vote for the DIVA but without a lumberg conector please

ATB

Mark

+1 Agree 150%!!

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I have a simple mantra that I brought over from my SCR Dolphin days:

I turn the O2 on when I put the DSV in my mouth,
I turn the O2 off when I remove the DSV from my mouth.

This method has served me well for several years now.

I am not going to get in the debate over whether you should shut down O2 for mCCR or not but I do think that no matter what you do the O2 should be turned on prior to strapping the unit to your back. Haven't you seen any of the pictures posted on these forums of a rebreather catching on fire when the O2 was turned on. Now it is always a bad day when your rebreather lights on fire it is an even worse day when you are strapped to it. But hey I guess a flame ball on your back would give you a valid reason to jump in the water without finishing your predive sequence :flame:

http://www.ccrexplorers.com/showthread.php?t=15522&referrerid=15901
 
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