What should I do if the Divesoft Liberty rebreather floods?
If a Liberty floods significantly, switch immediately to bailout, manage buoyancy, and do not breathe from a loop containing fluid because caustic solution may be present.
The probability of the unit to flood significantly is very low if proper procedures are followed. After carefully assembling the apparatus and performing the prescribed pre-dive procedures, flooding can be ruled out unless there is a major disruption of the breathing loop’s integrity due to mechanical damage. In the event of significant flooding, it is necessary to immediately switch to the bailout breathing apparatus and to use the compensator (BCD) to prevent loss of buoyancy.
Do not inhale from the loop if the mixture from the rebreather’s DSV contains fluid. In extreme cases, this could contain a so-called caustic cocktail, i.e. a caustic mixture with dissolved lye from the sorbent.
A smaller amount of water can enter the loop through an open DSV when the mouthpiece falls out of the diver’s mouth. In such a case, water enters into the exhalation bag. Though this does not represent an catastrophic emergency, it is advisable to expel water from the exhalation bag via the overpressure valve as soon as the opportunity arises. Open the overpressure valve completely. Be sure to stabilize your buoyancy in order to avoid a significant loss of buoyancy control.
Add diluent to the circuit with the manual bypass valve and perform a diluent flush. Assume a position that brings the overpressure valve to the lowest point of the exhalation bag. Expel the water from the bag by exhaling and pressing on the bag with your hand. This skill will be taught to you by your instructor and it is important to be adequately performed with routine practice.