Argon--pro and con

[OHIO DIVERS]

What the reasoning for pre-dive flushing of the dry suit when using argon?

 

[Rainer]

What the reasoning for pre-dive flushing of the dry suit when using argon?

This was covered in earlier responses. Basically, it's to displace (some/most of) the air in the suit.

 

[SCUBA_Phil]

I only use Argon when diving in water below 50F. No flush, I just wait until ~15' before adding gas. This allows most of the air to escape.

 

[OHIO DIVERS]

I have only used argon on a few dives. Each time i was ice diving, so i am new to argon. For each of these dives, i no flush of argon and didn't add agron until 15 feet or so, same as scuba phil. By doing a no flush, i am missing out on the full benefit of argon?

 

[OHIO DIVERS]

After few cold water dives with the argon and dives without the argon, i will say it's is warner.

 

[jtivat]

I notice no difference using it. I find it crazy that anyone would need it in water above 50 Degree's F.

 

[TSandM]

Water above 50 degrees Fahrenheit is WARM.

 

[Rainer]

Water above 50 degrees Fahrenheit is WARM.

Sure, in a drysuit, with 400g thinsulate undergarment, dry gloves, and a thick hood and thick socks.

[Shoot, even then I tend to get cold eventually...]

 

[Ianstephenzs]

50 degree water. I can't wate untill it's that warm where I am
I was thinking about getting a argon set up. exelant thread
Ian

 

[Gombessa]

I always wondered why we thought that filling a suit with argon, purging it, and repeating would necessarily cause any residual air to leave the suit.

You know, we all have easy access to O2 sensors. I wonder if we could just hold one up to the exhaust valve or something and see if sequential flushes decrease the oxygen percentage further.

My guess on multiple pre-flushes is that given the loft of the undergarments, even squeezing "all" of the air out of a suit may in reality only get 40-50% of the air volume out. Fill with argon and repeat, and 40-50% of the resulting airgon gets flushed. Each subsequent flush gets you closer to pure argon.

But lately, I've just been filling my argon bottle with air (well, 32%). I've felt warm on a 2.5 hour dive with air in 48 degree water, and cold on a 1 hour dive with argon in 53 degree water, and vice versa. I really haven't been able to tell a difference between argon and air for myself. Maybe it's time to hand my bottle to a buddy and have him fill it with one or the other, for some blind testing