DIN cylinders available?

[Snoweman]

On of the best features of owing DIN regs is you control the O-ring's. I'm sure some don't d it but in general how often do you see Yoke divers just grab a tank, throw there reg on it, go through a quick START/Buddy check and off they go. Never once inspecting the dive centers crustified o-ring or they just take a quick glance at it.

Think about all the classic pictures you see of the swarm of divers at a popular dive site with yoke shop o-ring bubble trails on every other diver.

Lastly don't forget alot of dive centers use valves with inserts. Think about how old and when was the last time that insert o-ring was replaced when your clamping on your yoke reg

So, it's about inspection and not the connection? A bubble trail is not a failure. So when has a yoke connection failed at recreational depth?

 

[Angelo Farina]

I can see where a DIN is a better connection, but can anyone tell me of a yoke connection that failed at depth? Just curios.

Edit.... At recreational depth.

When I was working at Maldives, our diving center received a batch of O-rings with wrong durometry.
These crap O-rings were extruded by the yoke regs almost every day.
Often on the boat when pressurizing. But at least 10 times (in 3 months) this happened underwater. At the time all our tanks were double valve with reserve, so the O-ring failure was not catastrophic. It was enough to close the valve, and breath with the other reg.
This did teach me the lesson that a yoke mount relies too much on the quality and durometry of the O-ring.
Years later, the good habit of always using two complete and independent regs on two independent valves faded out, together with the usage of the mechanical reserve. This made diving significantly less safe.
I think that, when using a single valve and a single reg with an octopus, the usage of a DIN valve is simply unavoidable: I would never place my life at the mercy of a single, crap O-ring in a yoke mount...

 

[grassybreakfast]

Most places in Cozumel use convertible tanks now. Not sure about the ocean-oriented shops on the mainland, but all the cave/cenote oriented shops use convertible tanks or 300bar DIN.

Converting the MK11 between DIN and yoke requires a special yoke socket which may be hard to find; you'd have to buy it and carry it with you. The older SP yokes had enough clearance so that you could use a big adjustable wrench (or even vise jaws) to grab the retainer and loosen it, and the DIN fittings use a hex key; best to get a hex bit for a socket wrench. But some of the newer yokes (which I'm not that familiar with TBH, most of my regs are old) have more of a slope in the shoulders of the yoke itself, meaning you can't get a grip on the retainer with a wrench. It's another in a long line of SP designs that force you to use their tool.

Anyhow, the safest thing to do for this particular trip is to bring a yoke reg; that way you absolutely know that you can use it everywhere. But it's pretty low risk to bring DIN and hope for finding DIN compatible tanks. I agree using the adapter sucks, but it will work in a pinch. How uncomfortable it is with banging into your head depends on how high you position the tank on your back, and how close to your back. For a typical jacket style BC, usually the tank is fairly low and far away from your neck. With a BP/W, no STA, it's probably going to be a pain in the neck, literally.

I wouldn't want to count on converting from DIN to yoke (or vice-versa) on the trip unless you are also bringing the special yoke socket, the hex key bit, and a socket wrench, preferably a torque wrench. And something to hold the reg steady while you do this. There is a torque spec for that fitting (used to be around 21 ft/lbs) it's not absolutely critical, but it is pretty tight and you don't want to over-torque it.

Probably more information than you wanted, but I'd say if you want a DIN reg for home use, just buy it, buy or borrow a spin-on adapter, and hope for DIN tanks.

Oh yeah, one extra thing; I've seen this on boats in Cozumel. Some shops that have the convertible tanks just leave the plugs installed, and they can be a bear to remove, especially on a rocking boat with rusty worn out hex keys. I'd bring a good quality, fairly new, good sized to apply more force, 6mm (I think) hex key. That way you can deal with getting a sticky plug out of a tank if it's necessary. If I'm wrong about the size, I'm sure some helpful soul will chime in.

Wow that is super informative, thanks!

Do you have a link to the yoke socket by any chance? I also have a 3D printer, so if it doesn't need to be very strong, I can probably just design and print it myself.

Yeah from what I have read whether the adapter is a problem or not really just depends on the person. Some people don't mind at all, and some find it unbearable. Unfortunately there's no way to find out without trying to dive with it, and I really don't want to end up with a first stage I can't use and can't convert, so I ended up getting a yoke and will be getting a conversion kit before my next trip to a DIN site. I will be using a back inflate BCD (but not BP/W).

Thanks for the warnings on bringing tools. I guess I don't need that for this trip since I'm bringing a yoke reg, but will keep in mind for next.

I don't dive at home so this is all for trips! Did my certification dives in the UK and decided I'm never doing cold water again...

 

[Wibble]

I'm a fairly new diver (26 dives) getting my own kit now, and the first trip is going to be PDC/Cozumel. I am trying to decide between DIN and yoke for the first stage, since I am based in the UK, and will likely dive more in Europe later where DIN is more common.

Just wondering if DIN cylinders are generally available in PDC/Cozumel/Cancun? I understand that most/all the tanks are set up for yoke, but are they the type that's actually DIN with an insert that can be removed?

Thanks

Most valves in the UK are DIN. Yoke valves are uncommon, mainly warm water divers.

All cylinders are DIN and yoke adapters just screw in and generally come with the cylinders.

As has been said; a Yoke (valve) to DIN (reg) adapter's all that's needed and you can defer that until you travel; you won't need it in the UK.

If you bought DIN first stage(s), all manufacturers regs will be easily convertible to Yoke if you really really cared enough, e.g. moved to the US.

Yoke are crap against DIN -- which is why technical divers never use yoke as they value their gas.

 

[grassybreakfast]

Most valves in the UK are DIN. Yoke valves are uncommon, mainly warm water divers.

All cylinders are DIN and yoke adapters just screw in and generally come with the cylinders.

As has been said; a Yoke (valve) to DIN (reg) adapter's all that's needed and you can defer that until you travel; you won't need it in the UK.

If you bought DIN first stage(s), all manufacturers regs will be easily convertible to Yoke if you really really cared enough, e.g. moved to the US.

Yoke are crap against DIN -- which is why technical divers never use yoke as they value their gas.

Yeah I am aware, but I'm not diving in the UK. Decided cold water diving isn't for me after doing all the certification dives here.

 

[Wibble]

I don't dive at home so this is all for trips! Did my certification dives in the UK and decided I'm never doing cold water again...

All those wrecks you're missing! All the lovely drive down to the coast, go diving, come home, you're missing. Just think when the costs of flying go through the roof as fuel's $$$$.

Some brilliant diving in the UK. You just need the right exposure protection; any fool can be cold.

(Note I didn't mention the inland sites -- practice only)

Nice (summer) sites in the UK:

• Swanage -- lovely diving under the pier and wrecks just 15 mins around the corner
• Brighton/Newhaven/Eastbourne/Dover -- loads of wrecks at all depths
• Farne Islands (Nothumberland) -- diving with seals is one of the great joys of life
• Scapa Flow -- the German fleet, well, 3 battleships and 4 cruisers. Need a bit of experience.

And loads of other places too.

 

[grassybreakfast]

All those wrecks you're missing! All the lovely drive down to the coast, go diving, come home, you're missing. Just think when the costs of flying go through the roof as fuel's $$$$.

Some brilliant diving in the UK. You just need the right exposure protection; any fool can be cold.

(Note I didn't mention the inland sites -- practice only)

I did all my UK dives in drysuit so was never really cold, but all the protection just makes dives not fun for me, especially hoods.

And then there's getting all the protection back on when they are still freezing wet for the second dive.

 

[Wibble]

I did all my UK dives in drysuit so was never really cold, but all the protection just makes dives not fun for me, especially hoods.

And then there's getting all the protection back on when they are still freezing wet for the second dive.

You do get used to it pretty quickly. But it's a wildly different style of diving compared with the warm waters of the Mediterranean, etc.

 

[Edward3c]

I did all my UK dives in drysuit so was never really cold, but all the protection just makes dives not fun for me, especially hoods.

And then there's getting all the protection back on when they are still freezing wet for the second dive.

I did 8 years UK diving in a wetsuit. Removing and refitting a drysuit, even in mid-winter, isn't a hassle at all. If you’re getting wet in a drysuit when get one that fits properly. UK diving is world class; and that's for the marine life - my profile pic came from the far north of Scotland.

 

[grassybreakfast]

I did 8 years UK diving in a wetsuit. Removing and refitting a drysuit, even in mid-winter, isn't a hassle at all. If you’re getting wet in a drysuit when get one that fits properly. UK diving is world class; and that's for the marine life - my profile pic came from the far north of Scotland.

Obviously the drysuit isn't getting wet inside, but everything else is, and a wet freezing hood is the worst.