Mares Cold water kit; details?

[CODMAN]

Hi guys, and particularly Phil and Zak. I was just wondering what exactly does the Mares Cold Water Kit do to a reg to make it safer for cold water diving? Can one of you guys give a quick explanation, without being too technical? What is installed exactly, what it does, etc...

Even though most of my diving will be in tropical waters, I will surely be doing a bit in colder 10ºC water and maybe even occasionally down to 4ºC... I've been down to 7ºC this summer with my V16 Proton XL and it worked flawlessly... But I'm wondering if installing this kit next year during my yearly overhaul is worth considering?

Not being able to find details on this kit, I'm unable to judge!!?? Any details and oppinions on this subject would be welcome!

Thanks in advance,

 

[Zak OHara]

Codman,

Your V16 is an excellent regulator for all diving conditions. Whether you should or need to install a cold water kit is a bit subjective. The cold water kit is a fully enclosed piece of hardware that will be assembled to the top of your 1st stage. Currently your 1st stage has a main large spring exposed to the enviornment. By installing the kit you are completely closing off all moving parts to the enviornment. This kit is filled with a liquid silicone type oil and then screwed on to the 1st stage. Some companies market an enviornmentally sealed 1st stage as a benefit. The reality is, for most people's diving practices it is a bit of an overkill. If I was diving in extreme cold conditions, or in areas where a lot of debris is present in the water, I would choose to install the kit. Otherwise I would simply dive the reg as it is out of the box. Some will choose to install the kit for an added sense of security, and or because of the "cool" factor. It really is up to you. If your diving cold frequently then it may not be a bad idea.

Hope this answers your question.

Best,

 

[CODMAN]

Thanks Zak! That does answer it! I'm going to be doing just a few dives a year in cold water, so I think I'll leave it as is... As I said, it was fine last time out... And I have no intention of Ice diving...

Thanks again for the great support!

 

[Dr. Bones]

So... I have the same quesion for the Mares Ruby. Define cold water. If I'm starting to ice dive this winter does that count? Stupid question but when diving in the summer on lake Michigan at 100ft the temp has nearly always been in the upper 30's, occasional mid 30's, and will be the same in winter. The reg has worked great. A friend has suggested the kit for diving in the tropics to keep the saltwater out, but the kit is not cheap. I assume the kit will not interfere at all with deeper tech dives as I progress. Does it add to the annual maintenance required?

Thanks,

 

[Zak OHara]

Bones,

Most of what I said applies to you as well. Sounds like you are actually considering ice diving, thus you should also consider the kit. I'm sure you will find, should you start ice diving, technique and skill are very important to prevent freezing of your regulator.

You absolutely do not need to add the kit to keep salt water out. I'll be honest that makes me chuckle a bit. Tell you friend salt water is not going to hurt a balance diaphragm regulator unless you shoot it directly into the first stage through the filter. A little rinsing at the end of the day goes a long way.

As for the performance at depth, the kit should not make a difference. It will add a little extra work for your lds to service the regulator because it is filled with oil. Therefore it is a couple of more steps to put the whole thing back together. You may want to check with your lds to see if they charge more??

sincerely,


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[Dr. Bones]

Thanks for the info, very helpful!

 

[FastAttack]

here is a question
is there a way of getting the CW kit after buying the regs?

I own both a V16 and a v32 proton ice ( non extreme)
wouldn't mind getting the CW kit

 

[CODMAN]

Hi Fast,
yes they are available and installable after purchase. My LDS sells them for approx 95$ Canadian installed. Though after my first experiences in cold water (7ºC and it worked flawlessly) and what Zak and Phil said, I don't believe it's worth it for my needs. I don't intend to go ice diving...

Any Mares dealer can surely order it and install it for you.

 

[Greg Barlow]

I have more than 400 or so dives in water colder than 10 degrees Celsius, and NONE of my regs have the cold water kit(s) installed. In fact, my Mares regs have been used for ice diving, and they have never had a free flow problem arising from a frozen first stage.

Proper cold water diving techniques are mandatory for safety. I recommend learning as much as you can about diving in cold water. There are some excellent articles on such topics on www.divernet.com.

Greg Barlow
Former Science Editor for Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine

 

[FastAttack]

I am looking at it for protection from actual stir up from the shore doing beach diving , although the last repair the guy said it was a bad seat ( which i still don't understand to this date)

I am just taking it as a precaution.