2nd stage shutdown valves.

[Diver0001]

I was simply curious about this product. I am not a new diver. My open water card was issued in 1997. I can manage a freeflow, however I would rather avoid the inconvenience of needing to end a dive over something that can be corrected.

Something to keep in mind is that once you turn off the free fllow that the regulator is no longer functioning and therefore can't be used as a secondary in the case that your buddy has a problem.

I suppose you could turn it off for a minute and see if it thaws out and then turn it back on but ordinarily any kind of equipment problem, especially a malfunctioning regulator is reason enough to cut the dive short.

R..

 

[muddiver]

Why are you having so many free flows in water that's "in the 40s"? (40+F presumably).

With good technique free flows should be quite rare even in the low 40sF and fresh water. They should not be happening in 40F sea water with its lower freezing point.

Relax, get your consumption down. Less gas and slower delivery = less adiabatic cooling and you won't form ice or free flow.

It is common for octos serviced at some of the "fast food" dive shops to be tuned to be to sesinative and they will free flow when the inexperienced diver using that rig enters the water.

There are many fixes for free flowing second stages from using a plug in the mouth piece to de-tuning them so they will not free flow when used as a safe second.

 

[Graeme Tolton]

It is being assumed that I have been having freeflows.. Not what I said. In fact, I have never had an uncontrollable free flow. Anyhow, i will not be buying one of these units... Just wanted others' opinions.

 

[Crush]

Couldn't such a valve result in the rupture of your line if the 1st stage free-flows? I am not sure, but you might be swapping a free-flowing 2nd stage for a firecracker near your neck and ear...

 

[sambolino44]

The Zeagle catalog has a relief valve right under the isolator valve.

Personally, the way I forget things, I'd rather not have one more thing to think about or possibly get knocked into the wrong position. I could see the logic of using one on a stage bottle, though, if you got into the habit of wiping the valve when you grab the reg. I wonder which way it goes: toward the reg for on?

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

I was simply curious about this product. I am not a new diver. My open water card was issued in 1997. I can manage a freeflow, however I would rather avoid the inconvenience of needing to end a dive over something that can be corrected.

But if it is a first stage failure then you close the second stage valve and your low pressure hose blows up. That seems like a more dangerous solution than closing your tank valve as Marc suggested. Oh and since you already have a tank valve simpler as well.