Adjusting the air flow

[nickjb]

I don't remember much about my first dives. You have so much going on in your head a shoal of mermaids could swim by without you noticing. My very first dive after qualifying was another story. It was amazingly liberating.

 

[oxyhacker]

Did someone mention free flow? I thought we were talking too little air not too much. + and - settings do different things depending on the reg and the knob, but generally free flows are more of a problem shallow than deep (though scarier deep than shallow, which tends to effect how we remember them), and some very good regs actually have automatic boost to either increase the IP, or increase the venturi boost, as depth increases. My rule of thumb for any adjustment on a reg is adjust it to the point where it feels good, but doesn't blow the reg out of my mouth.

Paco once bubbled...
If you think free flow may be an issue because of cold temps and depth, does setting your adjustment from + to - while at depth minimize the possibility of free flow?

 

[Drew Sailbum]

With a few basic tools, a competent technician can make quite a few adjustments onsite. My basic tool kit for servicing our Sherwood regs fits easily into an old mask box.

For most adjustments, I primarily use two box wrenches, a flat head screwdriver, a dental pick, a paper clip, a pencil with eraser, and an IP gauge. Other brands may necessitate other special tools.