Regulator Freeze-up? When and Why?

[cdemetri]

I just bought a Apeks ATX50 and AT20 octo. I ocean dive around the Seattle Washington and Vancouver BC area. From what I read the AT20 octo is not a cold water reg. So it is not advised to use it in water less than 10C or 50F.

The ocean temp around here is 45 - 55F and 6 - 12 C all year and at all depths that I dive. Should I be worried about regulator freeze up? This is also salt water and not fresh.

I know the ATX50 first and second stage are built for cold water.

Oh and as for air temperature. The coldest will be about 5C in the winter.

Thanks.

 

[MechDiver]

cdemetri once bubbled...

Should I be worried about regulator freeze up?

No.

When its cold out, don't get it wet then breathe above water.

MD

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

It shouldn't freeze in the water but when you get out of the water if it's cold and the wind hits it right, it might then lock up the first stage into a freeflow. I've seen this happen twice.

 

[Diver0001]

cdemetri once bubbled...
I just bought a Apeks ATX50 and AT20 octo. I ocean dive around the Seattle Washington and Vancouver BC area. From what I read the AT20 octo is not a cold water reg. So it is not advised to use it in water less than 10C or 50F.

The ocean temp around here is 45 - 55F and 6 - 12 C all year and at all depths that I dive. Should I be worried about regulator freeze up? This is also salt water and not fresh.

I know the ATX50 first and second stage are built for cold water.

Oh and as for air temperature. The coldest will be about 5C in the winter.

Thanks.

Yes. Contrary to what the others said regs (2nd stages) can and do freeze underwater. I see it often in the winter here where water temps get to the freezing point. It causes a freeflow that wont stop until you turn off the tank.

I say that your octo needs to have a heat-sink for 6C conditions. If it *does* come down to you or your buddy relying on your octopus then you're presumably already in the soup and it would be really depressing if the octopus started freeflowing. Moreover, if you *are* on the octopus you're probably going to be stressed out and breathing more heavily than usual, which only increases your chances of a free flow.

That's something to consider.

R..

 

[adshepard]

In the water 45f shouldn't be a problem or worry for any regulator. I've never heard of or seen a reg freeze up at that temperature. New England waters drop to 30f, now there's a temperature to worry about, and 45f is actually our average for the year. No New England diver even considers a freeze up at 45f.

The only concern would be on days when the air temperature is really low. On those days don't breathe on the reg until you hit the water.

The only time I ever had a freeze up was at 30f when the air just free flowed and wouldn't stop. I just calmly came back in warmed it up and did another dive. It then froze again about fifteen minutes into the second dive in the same way.


DSDO

Alan

 

[Bob3]

Some handy threads on regulator freeze can be found at:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36256
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18344
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4626

 

[Karl_in_Calif]

MechDiver once bubbled...


No.

When its cold out, don't get it wet then breathe above water.

MD

MechD, this is your turf, I know. But shouldn't you warn him/her not to inflate any lift bags with their primary reg? That is the only thing I could think of that might freeze it up.

I know the waters around Wash St are cold cold burrrr cold. But I would be more worried about the giant octopussies up there lurking, rather than my reg freezing up.

The only thing we have to worry about here in California are the Great White Sharks. But then, with our teeming populations, packing the oceans with swimmers, surfers, and scuba students, there is plenty of fresh meat for the GWSs and the odds are you will therefore never see a GWS yourself.

 

[MechDiver]

Diver0001 once bubbled...

Yes. Contrary to what the others said regs (2nd stages) can and do freeze underwater. I see it often in the winter here where water temps get to the freezing point. It causes a freeflow that wont stop until you turn off the tank.

We are talking about in SEATTLE there bubba. Of course regulators can freeze in Alaska. The guy is asking about what happens in Seattle.
Geez.

 

[MechDiver]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...


MechD, this is your turf, I know. But shouldn't you warn him/her not to inflate any lift bags with their primary reg? That is the only thing I could think of that might freeze it up.

Nothing against the original poster, but I would assume someone who had to ask the question would not be in the position to shoot a bag.

I've seen regulators freeze up here in the river during our January 1st dives, but only when they got wet then surfaced and continued to breathe off them.

MD

 

[Diver0001]

MechDiver once bubbled...


We are talking about in SEATTLE there bubba. Of course regulators can freeze in Alaska. The guy is asking about what happens in Seattle.
Geez.

We get frozen regs on the surface regularly (as in just about every day we train) in 6C water. It usually gets started with people fiddling and then dropping the reg in the water mouthpiece up. Perhaps avoidable but the point is it happens.

Admittedly it doesn't happen often under water until you get pretty cold (4C and lower) but the difference between 4 and 6 isn't much and even at 6 Celsius blowing up a lift bag or a blob with an unsinked octopus might be enough to get it going. I think he has a right to know that this can happen. At 6C I don't think an unsinked octopus is the right tool for the job. YYMV.

R..