Redundancy with PRAM Double Hose Reg

[rx7diver]

Playing with gear. Again.

A couple of cool nights last week that required turning on the central heating got me thinking about solo diving with my recently acquired, pre-owned DA Aqua Master (modified with a 1st generation VDH Phoenix 1st stage) in colder weather and colder water. So, after putting my daughters to sleep tonight, I did some wrenching on my gear. The pics show the result of my brainstorm.

Basically, I thought I could leverage the additional depth that the Phoenix nozzle gives to the DAAM, and mount both the PRAM and one of my Poseidon regs on a Sherwood Y-valve. Turns out, the Poseidon's A-clamp adapter makes the Poseidon too deep for this. However, my Scubapro Mk 10, though not a cold water reg per se, seems to work perfectly otherwise, once it was "unconverted" from DIN back to yoke.

The configuration as pictured has the PRAM mounted on the divers right, and the Mk 10 mounted on the diver's left. The dry suit inflater hose is mounted on the PRAM to route under the diver's right arm to plug into his drysuit. And a Scubapro SPG and a custom Air 2 hose are mounted to the Mk 10 to route off the diver's left side.

Note: As this is intended for solo diving, I decided to NOT attach a 2nd stage to the MK 10 (or the PRAM) other than the Air 2, endeavoring to keep things as simple as possible. I imagine, though, that if I were to dive with a buddy, I would hook up either my G250 or Balanced Adjustable 2nd stage to the Mk 10.

The idea is to try this configuration while wearing my SS Freedom plate, 27# Hal Pioneer singles wing, and old-school steel 72, similar to the old pics shown below. (That's an OMS 125 shown in the above pics, as my 72 is wearing a convertible DIN K-valve at the moment, rather than my other Sherwood Y-valve.)



What do you think?

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[tbone1004]

i like it. Personally I would have a second stage on there because I hate air2's and if something happens to the primary you can at least breathe comfortably, especially since you can't easily buddy breathe with a double hose. If you're truly solo diving, i.e. not around other people, then I like it.

 

[Nemrod]

I would just sling a pony. No need to have to fuss with valves way back behind in the case of a malfunction. N

 

[rx7diver]

I would just sling a pony...

I'm inclined to agree. However, I like playing with gear and trying out new configurations. I will be attending a regional professional conference in Springfield MO in a couple of weeks, and, depending on the day/time of my presentation, I might be able to slip away to Table Rock Lake to try out this configuration.

As a matter of fact, I'm at this very moment draining my 72 to switch out its convertible DIN K valve for my other Sherwood Y-valve.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[Nemrod]

I went through the Y valve craze of the 70s, I will pass on that cluster.

As to a Y valve with a double hose, it places the regulator off center which, realizing we are all different, drives me nuts. A Y valve does not provide true redundancy, only a little better than an octopus.

Since I am a minimalist diver, if I need redundancy then I need full redundancy which is either manifolded doubles, independent doubles or a pony. A Y valve or twin manifold that does not allow total isolation is half way to nothing. And if I do not need redundancy I do not need a Y valve.

Frankly, to me, such devices are a way to introduce a problem by complication without benefit, all negatives, no positives. I avoid such things as that.

YRMV.

Table Rock viz is pretty poor now. The last few years have been spoilers. The heavy rains and run off I think have caused sediment and algae blooms. I was kayak fishing off Jakes Point Island and I did see some divers going in.

N

 

[rx7diver]

Many cold water divers (e.g., Great Lakes divers) will use a Y-valve (or an H-valve) so that they can feed a BC from one 1st stage and a drysuit from a second 1st stage. This helps reduce the likelihood of a free-flow. And if a free-flow should occur, then shutting down the free-flowing post does NOT mean the diver has lost the ability to power-inflate *both* his BC and his drysuit. And the single tank is a smaller package than doubles, obviously.

Thanks for the heads-up regarding Table Rock Lake visibility this year. Even if the visibility were good, with my usual luck, the lake with be turning over just as I drive down to dive there.

rx7diver

 

[rx7diver]

All,

I finally was able to take a very short drysuit dive using this scuba configuration (with my steel 72) weekend before last. I joined a small group of scuba divers and snorkelers from my university, at the annual volunteer Bennett Spring (MO) clean-up, the day after I returned from Springfield. Our clean-up "zone" was from the cement dam and downriver. (I actually ended my dive just on the downstream side of the bridge.) This part of the spring run is *very* shallow.

I entered the water well after my group entered, so this was a solo dive for me.

The configuration worked extremely well. And, although my new custom-length Air 2 LP inflator hose fit perfectly, I actually didn't inflate my BC at all (beyond testing in and out of the water).

I still can't get used to having fish (trout this time) approach my faceplate. For giggles, I breathed off of my (side exhaust) Air 2, and, in an instant, the fish moved away from me. When I returned to breathing off my DH, the fist instantly returned.

I am really looking forward to again diving this gear configuration. Next time I might dive sans BC. And next time I might bring along my venerable Nikonos V with 35 mm U/W Nikkor lens! I still owe myself a 60-for-60-for-60 commemorative dive (60 feet for 60 minutes, as I turned 60 years old this year), and I am thinking to use this gear configuration in either Table Rock Lake or Bull Shoals Lake sometime during the Christmas holidays for this.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I have a few of those yoke y valves. I would like to sell them if anyone is interested.

 

[Reku]

I just sidemount - it's redundant by default. But you do you I'm sure it's awesome. Enjoy.

 

[Nemrod]

I just sidemount - it's redundant by default. But you do you I'm sure it's awesome. Enjoy.

You cannot side mount a double hose regulator which is the premise of the OPs post. I guess we could do some of the chest or harness mount configurations and feed the double hose from side mounted tanks.

N