Isolator Manifolds Blah Blah Blah

[Nic160]

With all of the talk(argument) about isolators vs. cheater(strait) bars or the old non isolator style manifolds. Have any cave divers on scubaboard ever needed to isolate a tank in an emergency.(please no, I knew this guy who once had to..... stories. First hand experiences.) What was the emergency ? Also what kind of manifold do you dive now ? isolator or no isolator. Din or Yoke

I dive Din with an isolator on 108's, I have never had a problem where I needed to isolate. Every time I fill my DBL's I verify my isolator. Though I'm considering going to a strait bar. Share some stories.

 

[Jasonmh]

Well, I wish I had a first hand experience to share, but I don't. My instructor did have to use his isolator in a cave once when a burst disk failed. But I was wondering, if you have the isolator now, what would make you want to change to a straight bar?

 

[tstonedvr]

A thread is ongoing now to that effect on the decostop forum......

 

[artw]

I prefer going to straight bars

 

[JeffG]

I prefer going to straight bars

Feel less isolated there?

 

[PerroneFord]

LOL, JeffG, that was good...

I've used both a few times. The isolator makes me feel warm and fuzzy. So I'm keeping it.

 

[Spectre]

A thread is ongoing now to that effect on the decostop forum......

http://thedecostop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16865

My personal feeling.... if you want to do away with the isolator, then the only real sensible thing to do would go to independants.

 

[Tegg]

My personal feeling.... if you want to do away with the isolator, then the only real sensible thing to do would go to independants.

Agreed.

Why manifold at all if you take out the benefit of isolation?

 

[Michael Schlink]

I have never needed to isolate and am actually planning on changing one set of dbl's to a straight bar. There is a small movement away from the isolator. There are some claims that, at this point, there are few or no cases of an isolator preventing an accident and several cases were the isolator actually caused an injury. I'm on the fence at this point but am leaning towards the "no isolator". If I dove solo then I'd probably stay with the isolator but since my wife doesn't want me doing some of the dives I do solo, I think that the gas loss caused by a burst disk or tank neck "o" ring means I'll be on my buddies long hose anyway.-M

 

[Michael Schlink]

Oh Tegg, the manifold would still make gas mgmt and air sharing less complicated then independents (sorry for the short answer!)-M