P-Valves Poll for Fusion

[AtomicDog]

This is a spin-off from previous discussion on adding P-Valves on Fusion suits.

So, which valve would you pick to put on a Fusion and why?

I have a Tech skin, and I'm still trying to figure out the best way to put it on the suit. Has anyone tried it on a Tech skin yet?

 

[S. starfish]

I put a halcyon valve on my suit, mostly because I already had one. So far it has worked very with the whole lycra bit on top.
If I was going to use something other than the halcyon I'd go with the salvo as I dive with a lot of people who use them and like them. The only thing with them is that they are quite low profile once the bolt is removed from the end, so i'm not too sure how well it would hold they lycra in place if you decided to punch a hole through it.
Don't know enough about the others to say, but in the end, they're all pretty much just tubes.

 

[AtomicDog]

I put a halcyon valve on my suit, mostly because I already had one. So far it has worked very with the whole lycra bit on top.

So did you punch a hole on your lycra or have the lycra cover the whole valve unit?

What's the general consensus with the extra tubing on the Salvo valve? Would it be annoying taking into account Fusion is a tight fit suit?

 

[Skyjunky]

I have the halcyon and punched a hole through the lycra. I tried gluing a couple of rubber gaskets to both sides of the hole for reinforcement but they won't stick to the lycra.

 

[dsteding]

What's the general consensus with the extra tubing on the Salvo valve? Would it be annoying taking into account Fusion is a tight fit suit?

No, doesn't really come into play on mine. Your undergarment provides plenty of padding.

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't punch a hole in the lycra. Or, I'd punch a very small hole with a soldering iron and then pull the bolt through it. There is enough stretch that the hole doesn't need to be too big.

 

[S. starfish]

This thread may help.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/exposure-suits/227002-fusion-p-valves-how-handle-lycra.html

Basically, I cut a small slit in the lycra (2-3mm), stretched it over the valve and painted it with aquaseal to stop it from fraying or ripping further. For far it has worked well.

Edit: Just realized that that was the thread you originally linked to. Boy do I feel smrt.

 

[potablewater]

Halcyon, Dive Rite, and OMS all have the internal balanced valve, and not the extra balancing tubing like the Salvo. Do they all work the same?
And, the Dive Rite and the OMS look like the same unit...does anybody know?
If all is basically the same, function wise, I would think that it gets down to
the weight of the valve on the fusion bilam. Any thoughts on weight?

Also, the OMS site has an excellent Instruction Manual on the installment process, that probably holds true for any valve. And like I said in a different thread, Halycon has good instructions with images as well.

So, I will withhold my vote, until I have more information on quality, weight and installation.

All the best,
Geoff

 

[LG Diver]

I think we're overthinking this a bit. It's a valve that you pee through. I have the Halcyon and I like it. Why did I pick it? Because it's what the LDS had in stock.

 

[TSandM]

All of these valves are small . . . I don't think there's enough difference in weight to worry about.

 

[dsteding]

I think we're overthinking this a bit.

Agreed. I over thought this because no one I knew installed one before I did-but all the possible issues ended up being non-starters.

If I had to do it over again:

1) I'd get a balanced valve from my LDS.

2) I'd have them install it.

3) I'd deal with the lycra by burning it if I had to. Otherwise I wouldn't mess with it.