Argon setups -- SPG or not?

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TSandM

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My good friend dsteding, for whom the only joy greater than buying himself new gear is enticing others to do the same, lent me an argon setup for our dives this weekend. Having done a completely non-blinded comparison test with an n of 1, I am now convinced that I need argon for winter diving. So I went to my LDS and inquired about the costs of putting together an argon rig for myself, and left aghast.

One of the options on which I could not decide is whether to go with the unbalanced Salvo first stage which is designed for argon rigs, or the balanced, somewhat larger and more expensive Salvo 1st stage that would allow an SPG. I did not have an SPG on the setup I used this weekend, and I got two dives out of the 6 cu ft bottle, which suggests to me that I could routinely do that at home. I would have the ability to gauge the bottle before diving, by putting our spare gauge on it. Do I really need an SPG on the setup?

I'd like to know what other people have decided, and why, and what your experiences have been.

Another $300 or more . . . BOY did my original LDS lie through their teeth when they told me that when you put your original gear together, this sport was actually pretty cheap.
 
TSandM:
My good friend dsteding, for whom the only joy greater than buying himself new gear is enticing others to do the same, lent me an argon setup for our dives this weekend. Having done a completely non-blinded comparison test with an n of 1, I am now convinced that I need argon for winter diving. So I went to my LDS and inquired about the costs of putting together an argon rig for myself, and left aghast.

One of the options on which I could not decide is whether to go with the unbalanced Salvo first stage which is designed for argon rigs, or the balanced, somewhat larger and more expensive Salvo 1st stage that would allow an SPG. I did not have an SPG on the setup I used this weekend, and I got two dives out of the 6 cu ft bottle, which suggests to me that I could routinely do that at home. I would have the ability to gauge the bottle before diving, by putting our spare gauge on it. Do I really need an SPG on the setup?

I'd like to know what other people have decided, and why, and what your experiences have been.

Another $300 or more . . . BOY did my original LDS lie through their teeth when they told me that when you put your original gear together, this sport was actually pretty cheap.

I'm curious as to what most people do for backup? If you run out of Argon mid-dive do you just deal with the squeeze or do you carry a backup hose attached to your back gas?

Also, I take it that you are saying that the difference is noticable even when not using a helium based mix?
 
Get a slightly larger 14cf bottle from DiveRiteExpress (2015psi) for $132, the $60 Salvo 1st stage for argon, and an OPV. That plus a low pressure hose and you're in business, and it'll get you a few more dives than the 6cf tank for only $12 more.
 
No need for an SPG. Check it before you dive. I can get 2-3 recreational dives off of a full fill, sometimes more.

[shameless plug]
If you need an argon reg, check out my website. I think you'll find that they look remarkably similar to the one sold by Salvo :)
[/shameless plug]
 
gcbryan:
I'm curious as to what most people do for backup? If you run out of Argon mid-dive do you just deal with the squeeze or do you carry a backup hose attached to your back gas?

No backup. The diver is supposed to be smart enough to carry enough gas in the first place. If something happens that causes gas loss in a tech dive, then it's time to turn the dive. On a rec dive, not going deeper or coming up a bit shallower works.
 
I bought an argon rig from GI III on ebay. Oddly, the 'regulator' it came with was merely a flow restrictor with an little rusted OPV button and a skanky hose. I had the bottle hydro'd, ditched the flow restrictor for an unbalanced kit with OPV I got from TDL and have been using it since. No SPG, its really not necessary. Though I have placed my moniker on the bottle, one can still see the faded 'trey' on it. I keep wondering when the bottle will start yelling and calling me a 'stroke'.
 
SparticleBrane:
Get a slightly larger 14cf bottle from DiveRiteExpress (2015psi) for $132, the $60 Salvo 1st stage for argon, and an OPV. That plus a low pressure hose and you're in business, and it'll get you a few more dives than the 6cf tank for only $12 more.

The 14CF are a real PIA... they end up getting in the way of the butt dump and is very bulky... Some of the guys have been leaving their original DS hose on their doubles regs stowed behind the wing for "utility".... for bags, in case your argon rig is empty or just to have fun air gunning your buddies :)
 
Lynne-

I have a tiny button gauge on mine (I bought the TDL argon reg with one HP port), but I find that my use is pretty predictable. One thing you can do is add quick disconnects to your transfill whip to make a pressure checker (I may have the QDs you need lying around) and use that to check your bottle the first few times you use it.

I had one of the big 14 cf bottles and ended up selling it, although they may be nice for long cave penetrations and where you can't find a booster, the 6 cf bottles seem to work fine here.

Sorry for adding to your scuba expenses . . . I came away from that trip with serious x-scooter lust.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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