Cold water regulators

[Snowbear]

So far no free flows with "normal" use - yet. My preferred LDS actually uses these for rental gear!! I've seen a couple free flow when people "test" them on the surface in sub-freezing temp air, then jump in the 36F water. Shut off the valve and wait a few minutes and the problem goes away. I've had my secondary free-flow when I had it "upside down" when I GSed off the boat. OOPS! Hey - at least it's SUPPOSED to do that! Stopped when I flipped it over, though.
I like that they are actually environmentally sealed, so the cold water never touches the guts of the first stage.

 

[beaker]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...


But...I think that if a first stage seat goes bad something will have to give. If the concern is a free flow, IMO, the answer is redundant regs and simply shutting down the offending one.

You're very right. I'd only shut off one or the other, not both (directions include a mention to have a over-pressurization relief valve of sorts if its to be used with a single 2nd stage on a pony bottle setup.). The shutoffs aren't perfect, they only give you a slightly better alternative than shuting off your (maybe only) 1st stage.

Ice-water diving ("cold water" doesn't do it justice or properly convey importance) does take a bit more forethought and proper considerations for the envirornment, as its much easier for things to start going wrong.

And if I had a job, next time I'd be carrying a pony as well (better redundancy).

And I'd still have my buddy within reach.

 

[Thanos]

Thanks for all the input. I live close to dayton. I just started diving. Gilboa and Portage mainly. I am getting my first regulator and want it to last awhile. In Ohio it gets a tad cold. I know it gets colder other places. I just wanted to be sure of a no freeflow freeze up.

Thanks Again
Greg

 

[beaker]

Best advice (other than the standard Dive with a buddy) is to remember how to breathe from a freeflowing regulator...

 

[TechDiverSaline]

I have a older model Sherwood Blizzard and it freeflowed yesterday in 140ft of water, they are good regs, just get the yearly maintainace and let the tech who is working on them know you are diving cold water

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

A few reg's that have good service history is poseidon, apeks, mr-22 abyss. These are all good quality extreme performers.

Ed

 

[jroy017]

Hey i dive in Cananda with a blizzard wich works fine (haven<t had it freeflow yet.

One thing i can say is that the darn Yukon from genesis freeflows all the time...... (that was my first reg and wouldn<t go near it now)

 

[Waterborne]

I use the Scubapro MK16 diaphragm first stages, a G250 for a primary, and an R380 for a backup. Most of my diving is here in MI on the Great Lakes that get pretty darn cold. I also use them for inland lakes and quarry diving that gets cold as well. I haven't had a single freeze up yet. I haven't had them under the ice yet but in November here in MI the water is close enough. I also had a few Odins that I used for a few years that never froze either.

 

[divemed06]

Genesis 2000...supposed to be good for cold water.h

 

[DA Aquamaster]

A frequent dive buddy of mine dives with a Genesis 2000 and has, to my knowledge only had one freeze related free flow with it. This occurred in 39 degree water with Nitrox in a 3000 psi tank.

Personally I have used a Scubapro Mk 20 and Mk 25 for three years exclusively in cold water and have never had a freeze up using low pressure tanks. The TIS system is not as good as the SPEC system in the Scubapro Mk 3, Mk 5, Mk 9, Mk 10 and early Mk 15's, but it is also not as bad as many people make it out to be.

My personal all time favorite cold water reg though is a SPEC kit equipped Scubapro Mk 10 and either a D400 or Balanced Adjustable second stage. The D400 is not prone to freezing due to the design and the Balanaced Adjustable with it's metal case and air tube offers exceptional heat transfer characteristics - something that a newer, cheaper to produce, graphite composite or phenolic resin cased second stage can never achieve to the same degree.