regs for Maritime Canada diving?

[capercanuck]

Hi,

My son and I are newly OWD trained and I am in the process of picking up gear for both of us.

We live in Nova Scotia, Canada, more specifically Cape Breton Island.

I'm wondering about regs that will meet the water temperatures we have here. I guess we will be diving from May till November.

I see lots of scuba packages available on various sites but I don't know if they're the proper ones that we need. One site has advised me that their regs are good for 45 F, does that seem reasonable?

Thanks in advance.

 

[grf88]

Most regs can handle down to 45 degrees F. but below that you need to get real coldwater regs. I have used Apeks down to 30 degrees in Newfoundland without a problem and in 34 dgree water in The Great Lakes without any issues. If the water temperatures there are anything like Newfoundland then go with something proven in 30-40 degree water.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I have a Mares Abyss and Proton Metal that I use in the Great Lakes in water temps in the low 30's without cold water kits.

 

[knowone]

Something that includes a "sealed diaphragm" in case you wish to extend your season.

 

[capercanuck]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

I'll make sure I request a cold water reg for sure, and a sealed diaphram.

While we are on the subject, is there such a thing as a "cold water" bcd?

Sorry for the newbie questions but I follow the principle of "measure twice, cut once"!

I'd like to make sure I'm getting the proper gear.

 

[grf88]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

I'll make sure I request a cold water reg for sure, and a sealed diaphram.

While we are on the subject, is there such a thing as a "cold water" bcd?

Sorry for the newbie questions but I follow the principle of "measure twice, cut once"!

I'd like to make sure I'm getting the proper gear.

If you are diving in cold water with a wetsuit you will need a BC with sufficient lift to compensate for the change in buoyancy of the wetsuit at depth. This is typically significantly more lift than you would require for warm water diving.

 

[cloudflint]

Also if you end up getting a BC with integrated weights make sure you check what capacity the pouches are. In the last year 3 of the guys in my club have lost weight pouches from integrated weight systems by overfilling them

Also if diving in a drysuit make sure your BC has enough lift to get you to and hold you on the surface in the event of a total failure of your drysuit.

 

[MurkyRockDiver]

Aqua Lung and Scuba Pro both make nice cold water regs that would work well on the Cape, check out Torpedo Rays in Halifax. They have decent prices and good service departments.

 

[TMHeimer]

I bought my used Mares at Torpedo Rays 6 years ago and have dived all winter with it up the Eastern Shore from Halifax. Water temps. as low as 33F (+1C). Never a problem--lucky maybe. The 7 mil wetsuit is more of a problem.... I don't recall anyone I know here using environmentally sealed regs at 45F or a little colder. At that temp. wouldn't give it a second thought.

 

[Subcooled]

The Aqualung Legend Glacia works in -1C (~31F) water very well. If it makes a hiss or free flows before/at first submersion, pour hot water on its metal front cover and submerge again. No problems. I have done 17 dives in freezing temps without any major problems. Surface temp. of -20C/-3F and Legend Glacia worked well both on first AND second dive.

Poseidon Xstreams also worked well in -20C/-3F but they are a bit heavy to breathe.

Apeks XTX50 I have seen a lot too (but never used myself). It should work ok.

What you will need is:

- an environmentally sealed first stage. Expanding air cools it down and ice will form around it. This is normal. Sealed first stages only freeze on the outside. If the 1st stage is not sealed, you could end up with ice in very wrong places. This could freeze the 1st stage open ... and cause an air leak and aborted dive. Besides, freezing air feels nasty in the teeth. It hurts.

- a second stage (the demand valve) that conducts heat. Again you have expanding air that makes the 2nd stage metal parts very very cold. Ice could form. In a wrong place this often causes free flow, annoying air loss, and aborted dive. Your humid exhalations slowly cause ice formation. The better the 2nd stage conduct heat (from cold water to even colder metal) the smaller the problem. Metal front is good. Carbon fiber is not.

- dry air tanks (from inside).

- dry valves in BCD and drysuit. Dry them well at home, prior to any cold dive.

- bring hot water with you on very cold dives. Water is sometimes warmer that air, and you need to warm things up before or after a dive.

I don't know the temperatures at your site. My suggestions are for air temps down to -20 celsius and water to -1c/0c