Regulator Questions?

[liver10]

A couple questions on regulators.

1. Which is more practical to buy a yoke or DIN?
2. Can the higher pressure regulators (300 bar) still be used on the 220 bar cylindars?

Thanks

 

[Slonda828]

A couple questions on regulators.

1. Which is more practical to buy a yoke or DIN?
2. Can the higher pressure regulators (300 bar) still be used on the 220 bar cylindars?

Thanks

1.) Practically speaking, yoke. I have several DIN regulators, and unless I am diving my own tanks (which I do unless driving long distances or flying) it is virtually impossible to even find DIN tanks to rent. I have been to Greece, The Bahamas, and The Caymans and have never seen a DIN tank there. DIN is mostly for tech divers and cavers. If you are going to recreationally dive, you'll just put a yoke adapter on all the time if you have a DIN regulator.

2.) SCUBA Valves: Regulator Fittings, 200 vs 300 Bar FAQ and Cylinder Neck Threads - Dive Gear Express The short version is it does not matter, but here, read this for your own edification.

 

[DevonDiver]

1. DIN is generally seen as a more secure fitting, less likely to be dislodged and less likely to suffer from o-ring failure.

2. DIN can be converted to work on yoke (an adaptor), but yoke cannot be adapted to work with DIN.

3. Many cylinder valves include a DIN 'insert' allowing instant conversion of the cylinder from yoke to DIN.

4. 300 Bar DIN works with 200 Bar tank valve, but not the other way around. The only difference between 300 and 200 bar DIN is the length of the screw (300 is longer). This means the 300 will reach the back of a 200 valve fitting, but a 200 fitting won't reach the back of a 300 valve.

So... the optimum fitting has to be the 300bar DIN....as it works with 200bar DIN valves and you can add an adaptor for use with yoke valves. It also offers the most secure regulator fitting.

 

[Buccaneer]

IF you aren't going technical and your area is primarily yoke, you will be fine with that. Here in the PNW most hardcore divers use DIN, but that is because steel tanks are the norm here, for the added weight, that often means high pressure DIN fittings, tho LP tanks have a big following too.

 

[it_mike]

DIN will allow you to continue using your investment (regulator), even if your interests change. With a DIN/yoke adapter, you can use it anywhere.

Mike

 

[Stu S.]

The group I dive with converted over to DIN. It's not like we "went tech" or anything. Our steel Faber and Worthington tanks came with the DIN / yoke convertable valves. The screw-in yoke fitting on those valves has to be of thin construction to fit in the DIN hole and work. After several years of use, fills, nitrox checks, etc. those fittings got beat-up and leaky.

After a 3,500 psi o-ring blowout on the boat a Jupiter, it was time to make a change. I could have replaced those screw-ins, but DIN is the real fix. To do my reg and my daughter's totaled $125.

There is nothing wrong with a regular yoke valve.... it's the "convertable" that gave us the fits. At 3,500 psi they were not robust.

 

[Downing]

For me it's been more practical to use yoke rather than DIN, although I prefer the latter as I think it's a better design. But I don't dive much locally, and none of the places I've travelled use DIN. In fact, I just got back from Hawaii, and the dive instructor who was my tour guide told me he doubted there were more than a handful of DIN tanks on Oahu.

I could go with DIN and a yoke adapter but that would mean more bulk and weight for a DIN fitting that I would rarely use.