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It a good idea to check out the wine of the area
Scuba Valve Drill
The valve drill is a key skill when diving a twinset and something that is taught as part of the GUE fundamentals course. The purpose of the valve drill is to make sure your valves are in the right position (fully open if all are working properly) and that you can open and close them while in control. Make sure you have the full attention of your buddy when manipulaing valves in the water.
Do not underestimate the importance of a quick and efficient shutdown if a problem occurs. Those who struggle to shut down, yet rely on their twinset for redundancy, are fooling themselves, and those they dive with, that they are in some way safer than if they dive with a single tank. At 60 metres a low pressure hose failure will empty a twinset in around 20 seconds. It is a skill worth refining to the point that it is quick, effortless and instinctive. So how?
Diver
The basic doubles valve drill involves closing and opening all three posts on a twin set starting with the right post, then the isolator, then the left post.
Process Details
1. Signal to your team you are going to perform a valve drill
2. Wait until your team is in place and then continue
3. Purge Backup regulator
4. Shut down the right hand post whilst simultaneously signalling you are manipulating a valve to your team
5. when the post is shut down, breathe down the regulator until it "locks".
6. Remove the regulator and replace with your backup regulator
7. clip off your primary regulator on the right chest D ring
8. Open the Right post
9. Unclip the primary regulator and purge it
10. Remove the backup regulator from your mouth and replace with the primary regulator
11. Shut down the Isolator whilst simultaneously signalling you are manipulating a valve to your team
12. When the Valve is closed, Re-open the isolator
13. Move your torch to your right hand
14. Shut down the left hand post whilst simultaneously signalling you are manipulating a valve to your team
15. When the post is closed, purge the backup regulator until it "locks"
16. Open the left post and purge to confirm it is working
17. Move the torch to your left hand.
18. Check the position of your right hand post
19. Check the position of your isolator
20. Move the torch to your right hand and check the position of your left post
21. Signal that your drill is complete
The three greatest problems that people incur when struggling with shutdowns are drysuit fit (so many just don't fit) trim and technique. Trim and technique are at least free to sort out but take time and practice, drysuit fit is quicker but more expensive.
It is natural to lean back when stretching to reach something which is on your back - yet this has the effect of moving you out of trim and letting the tanks slip down your back away from your grasp. Stay flat in the water, or even slightly heads down - as long as you can maintain visual contact with your team.
If you can reach back and touch your valves whilst swimming but not when staying still to do a drill, you should consider that it is perhaps your trim when stationary which is working against you. (It is easier to be horizontal whilst moving)
Feeding the Fish
Hunching your shoulders over to bring the valves closer is another natural act - but stop and think about it. Those tanks are attached to a metal plate which is not going to bend with your back! Keep your head up and back arched to hold trim and the tanks stable and within reach on your back.
Your shoulder moves more efficiently if you work with the joint rather than against it. Rotate your shoulder in the same way as if you were combing your hair rather than saluting - your elbow should be close in to the side of your face rather than sticking out the side. Most people gain up to an inch of movement like this - which can be enough to reach that valve.
Get feedback. It is common to feel that you are miles away form the valves when you are within a hair’s breadth of reaching it. Get friends to tell you how you are doing, remind you to stay flat and arch your back.
Dive Decent
Stretching out at the start of a dive means that you can get any excess material in your suit and undersuit up to the torso where if will assist you in moving. If you are diving dry make sure that you equalise your suit regularly to maintain this degree of movement. It does not need a lot of gas to do this, ambient pressure or just below is fine, just regular adjustments.
Stretching between dives helps too if your shoulders are not that mobile.
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