Are you using an enviro-sealed regulator?

[-Aaron-]

I am in the market for a new regulator and I was wondering whether people are using environmentally sealed first stages for Pacific Northwest diving. The bulk of my diving is in the Puget Sound and on the Oregon coast, though I have done a few fresh water high mountain lake dives (no ice). My current regulator is an unsealed Atomic Z1 and I haven't noticed any issues with it on my dives so far. Should bother paying the extra money for a sealed regulator on my next purchase?

 

[scubaduber]

I have been using an Oceanic Alpha 7 regulator for many years. I got the environmently sealed 1st stage as kind of a "no brainer", since I normally dive in the Puget Sound and various lakes in Oregon and Washington. I have never had any problems with it. So, if we are not talking about really big bucks, I would recommend the environmently sealed reg.

Paul

 

[-Aaron-]

I picked up an Apeks XTX 200 for a nice deal and have moved my Atomic to my Octopus. So now I now have a sealed first stage. The ocean is about 46 right now, so freeze ups aren't a huge threat, but it is nice to have just in case. I dove the Apeks for the first time yesterday and it was really good. It doesn't pull quite as "easy" as my Atomic, but the air feels really natural and less forced. Overall it seems like a really solid reg and the hose routing on the FSR is much better than my Z1 was.

 

[brutus_scuba]

Aaron for anyone doing any serious diving I always suggest enviro- sealed regulators. It is true that you are less likely to have a freeze up in salt water, but in freshwater it's more common that most Northwest divers seem to realize. I hear about people making dives in Lake Crescent all the time without making sure they have the right gear.

Here's the key item to remember. When we fill our tanks they get hot right? It's because gas will heat up as it goes from low pressure to high pressure. Well in the reverse as the gas goes from the high pressure of the tank (say 2400 psi) to the low intermediate pressure (135 + ambient) the gas is actually going to cool down a little. So if the gas is already at 45 degrees after being in the water for a few minutes it will cool the regulator even further which is when ice becomes an issue.

In diaphragm regulators that aren't sealed there is a spring that actually provides the 135 psi resistance that is in a chamber that fills with water (adding the ambient resistance). As an internal chamber fills with air it pushes a diaphram down (against the resistance of the spring and water) and when it get's down far enough it cuts off air supply to the lower chamber which providese the intermediate pressure air. Anyways, you have to worry about debris in that water filled chamber as well as corrosion and whatever else. Espeically corrosion the salt water.

Look up Gilboa Quarry accidents last year they had a couple and at least one is attributed to regulators.

 

[RAWalker]

I dive Lake Pleasant all year long. It can get down into the high 40s during the winter. My regulator of choice is Oceanics Delta 4 FDX10.

 

[Wetsuit 4 life]

I have been diving around Vancouver BC for the last 3 years now, year round and have had no troubles with my first stage freezing up, which is a Scubapro Mark 2. But if I was to start any fresh water diving in the mountains then I would strongly have to consider an environmentally sealed first stage.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm not so sure the issue's as big as some folks make it out to be.

I dive Puget Sound regularly, as well as Vancouver Island, Lake Washington and occasionally Lake Crescent. My regs are Scubapro MK25's, which are not environmentally sealed ... and I've never experienced a freeflow.

I don't think it's much of a concern till you start diving in water a bit closer to freezing than the low 40's we typically get here in winter, as long as you keep your regs properly cleaned and maintained.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[brutus_scuba]

I'm not so sure the issue's as big as some folks make it out to be.

I dive Puget Sound regularly, as well as Vancouver Island, Lake Washington and occasionally Lake Crescent. My regs are Scubapro MK25's, which are not environmentally sealed ... and I've never experienced a freeflow.

I don't think it's much of a concern till you start diving in water a bit closer to freezing than the low 40's we typically get here in winter, as long as you keep your regs properly cleaned and maintained.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well the MK25 is exempt from the conversation because it too is a Cold Water regulator. But the technology there is patented and when you're talking outside the Scubapro world the enviro seal is what makes the difference....

From the scubapro MK25 website...

//**** From Scubapro *****/
Diving conditions can be drastically different, including extreme cold water and outside temperatures, posing the possibility of a regulator "freezing." Therefore, resistance to freezing is imperative for the diver. SCUBPRO regulator systems are CE approved for 4300 psi cold water diving. Some models go even beyond this super stringent qualification and have successfully been tested in extreme cold diving conditions at less than 36 degrees Fahrenheit. As a specific anti-freezing measure, SCUBAPRO enginers have designed a patented finned cap for both the MK17 and the MK25 first stages for optimal cold water diving. The ribs act as a radiator to increase the surface area of heat transfer from the water to warm up the internal parts that have been drastically cooled down by the gas pressure drop.

/***** End of Scubapro's quote *********?
The Mk25 is a much better regulator than the ones I dive, because I can't afford the MK25, but if I could afford it I would give up enviromental seal in a heartbeat, but if that isn't in the mix and I'm looking at aqualung, oceanic, cressi regulators then I'm going to want it to be enviromentally sealed. And while I couldn't find it on the scubapro website and



I lurk this board a lot and know that NWGratefulDiver knows his stuff and have a lot of respect for him, but a MK25 is the Cadilac of regulators and I would say that it would not be prudent to think that because a MK25 doesn't freeze up at depth in Lake Crescent that an Aqualung Titan would act the same way.

 

[brutus_scuba]

Another thing that I would add to this conversation is that if this is the same Aaron that is on Nwdiveclub than I know he's diving a lot and I've been to a 100 ft. with him and know that he probably wants a good work horse regulator. I don't mean to blow this up and make it sound like Darwin dives with a wet reg, I think that it is safe to dive the waters of the Puget Sound without the enviro seal. I just think that if you're diving a lot, you're diving dry with longer bottom times and diving agressive that the type of diving you're doing probably warrents a regulator with some cold water features, weather it's an enviro seal or Scubapro Mk 25 or whatever.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Aaron, if a new reg is what you want then go to leisure-pro and get the R295 scubapro, last weekend after the Diamond Knot the wife and I dove Crescent lake down pass 200'. They are $169, most dive shops want that to rebuild.

The MK/25 S600 is the greatest reg I have owned for deep water diving, yet that 295 breathes great at depth as well.

HAPPY DIVING