Atomic Scuba Heat. Does anyone else say WTF?

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Has anyone used this?

Scuba Heat - Diving Equipment | Atomic Aquatics

Scuba Heat is made to ensure your second stage regulator stays protected from freezing and free flow even in extremely cold conditions.

www.atomicaquatics.com

While I have never dived in Antarctica where the water can be -2 C, the people I know who did simply had diaphragm first stages. I don't see a need for this at all.

Thoughts?

 

[tursiops]

It is not the cold air entering the first stage that is the primary problem, it is the temperature of the first stage, which if below freezing can quickly freeze any moisture in the air. My background (Mechanical Engineering) in heat transfer makes me think that heating the air -- unless VERY hot -- will have insignificant positive effect.
Not that it matters, but my regs (DiveRite) did not freeze up in Antarctica and I didn't have one of these gadgets. Nobody else's regs froze up either. Nor when ice diving in Canada.

 

[TrimixToo]

I had a reg freeze up once. I switched regs (on doubles) and gave it a few minutes and it worked fine for the rest of the dive.

 

[davehicks]

That gadget seems pretty extreme and probably not that useful. However, a second stage can freeze up pretty quickly if there is too much air flowing and the regulator can't exchange heat quickly enough. There are lots of design elements in some second stages to mitigate this. (barrel material, radiator vanes on the external nut, etc.) Setting a lower IP on the 1st stage and not breathing the reg until underwater in ultra-cold weather are common work arounds.

FYI: If you do a web search on this topic almost all of the answers reference ScubaBoard posts.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I had a reg freeze up once. I switched regs (on doubles) and gave it a few minutes and it worked fine for the rest of the dive.

Piston or diaphragm? What was the water temp? Just curious.

That gadget seems pretty extreme and probably not that useful. However, a second stage can freeze up pretty quickly if there is too much air flowing and the regulator can't exchange heat quickly enough. There are lots of design elements in some second stages to mitigate this. (barrel material, radiator vanes on the external nut, etc.) Setting a lower IP on the 1st stage and not breathing the reg until underwater in ultra-cold weather are common work arounds.

FYI: If you do a web search on this topic almost all of the answers reference ScubaBoard posts.

I did and did notice that!

 

[TrimixToo]

Piston or diaphragm? What was the water temp? Just curious.

I did and did notice that!

Diaphragm. 42F.

 

[geoff w]

I have one, and dive with it regularly in So Cal. When I first got it, I put it on late fall, took it off in the spring when the water warmed up. Then I just left it on. I notice I don't get nearly as cold as my buddies, and doing a side by side comparison of second stages with and without running through the Scuba Heat, the air breathed is noticeably warmer in water in the 50s and 60s.

It goes between the first and second stage, so won't do anything to prevent your first stage from freezing up. When I went ice diving, I left my Atomic (piston) reg at home and borrowed a Poseidon (diaphragm) and didn't have any issues. One of my buddies who brought his Atomic reg did have an issue with the regulator freezing up, even though it was environmentally sealed.

If you're diving with a long hose, you should get a 90 degree swivel connector and mount it on the side of the Scuba Heat instead of trying to connect it on top as provided by Atomic