BOV with MAV and/or ADV - thoughts?

[stuartv]

I see that Divesoft is now offering a bunch of options for DSV and BOV - with any combo of integrated MAV and ADV.

Divesoft Mouthpieces

I also heard that Dive Rite is now starting to use a BOV with integrated MAV. My suspicion is they are using the Divesoft one.

I feel like I can see pros and cons to such a thing. But, as I am just taking my first CCR class, I highly doubt I really "get" what all the real pros and cons are.

Anybody have any thoughts they want to share on having a BOV with an integrated MAV? Or MAV + ADV?

My new-to-me rEvo does not have a BOV, but I foresee myself getting one some time in the next 6 months to a year.

 

[tbone1004]

it's not a suspicion, they are using the iBov, as are several others.

All the ADV is in the iBov is a small slit in the barrel. So in a "normal" bov, if you think of the barrel like a clock, at 3/9 it is wide open, at 12/6 it is closed. When you rotate it 90* you go from the OC reg to the loop. In the ADV version, there is full open at 3/9, full closed at 6, and a slit at 12. You can achieve similar functionality by partially turning any other BOV. Don't want to leave it that way since it does slightly increase WoB, but on descent is the only time you'd want the ADV.
Your revo has an ADV though, so no real benefit for you.
Face MAV's are nice because you always know where your mouth is, and it helps to clean everything up. It's one extra hose to your mouth, but it removes the add blocks. Really nice benefit there.

The iBov is REALLY hard to turn. The tolerances are super tight and it was a two-handed operation on my buddies iBov this weekend which was disappointing. I suspect it is compounded because the handle to twist is rather small. Pros and cons, but I'd get my hands on one before I bought it.

 

[stuartv]

Does the BOV MAV inject gas into the loop in the same location as the chest-mounted MAV does? I was figuring not, and that that could be a potential con (or pro).

Yes, my rEvo does have an ADV already and, if I were to buy one, I kind of figured there would be no point in getting it with a built-in ADV.

The Face MAV is what seems especially interesting. But, my rEvo has Cooper hoses and the Divesoft website seems to imply that the MAV on this BOV is not compatible with Cooper hoses.

 

[tbone1004]

no, the face MAV's inject right where the button injects. No real downside to injecting there.

The built-in ADV is worth getting just to have. You can choose not to use it. It's a negligible cost difference and you may find you like it better than your onboard ADV

On the coopers, they are 40mm. IIRC it's the same as the O2ptima and KISS

 

[joshk]

Anybody have any thoughts they want to share on having a BOV with an integrated MAV? Or MAV + ADV?

Any BOV has a “MAV” built-in based on whatever source supply it is. The question is do you want Oxygen up there as well, do you want your diluent to always be your bailout, and do you want to always reach up to your face to add gas. These are questions that have very personal answers, you'll probably have a better reference once you've gotten a bit of time on the unit.

FWIW I love the BOV and probably wouldn't consider adding an Oxygen feed/MAV to it for complexity reasons.

 

[rddvet]

Divesoft is minutes from my house and work so I went by a few weeks back and met Micah and he showed me the ibov in depth and also had a shrimp there for comparison. The issue with the hard turning is real but manageable. All ibov's now ship with an add on to make the handle larger. It helps. It's also becoming common to relube it and it helps tremendously. Micah doesn't recommend relubing because he's seen too many people overlubing.

I'm still on the fence between ibov and shrimp on my upcoming rob purchases. The shrimp has a history of being issue free, but the ibov I think is a slightly better design. It's a tough call. The ibov would be nice for my wife because she's small and the adv being on the bmcl's is added clutter. Having it integrated into the bov would be nice. On the other hand if she can't turn the damn thing what's the point.

 

[Superlyte27]

I teach and sell for both Dive Rite and Dive Soft.

While I’m not a BOV fan, the ibov that they’re using is pretty awesome. The stiffness gets better with use.

 

[kensuf]

While on paper it seems like a nifty idea, I personally witnessed a couple of interesting failures on an iBov, one of which led to a caustic cocktail, another led to the DIL mav not functioning, and the third is the sticky lever bit discussed above. I think they're still working out a few bugs, give it a year or two before jumping on board.

Shrimps are pretty well tried and true, you can't really go wrong with them.

 

[rddvet]

Pete- you were the one who let me know I could just show up at divesoft. Even if I don't get the ibov it's nice knowing the level of local service I would get on any divesoft product. Thanks

Ken-thanks for all the help you've given me in tmy going back and forth on this.

The tried and true nature of the shrimp is hard to deny

 

[doctormike]

Hey, Stuart...

Glad your CCR class is moving along!

I haven't used these, but I would think that the less weight on the mouthpiece, and the less you have to manipulate something that you are holding with your teeth, the better. I don't want to turn this into a BOV vs DSV discussion, but having the MAV on my chest and the ADV on a T-piece doesn't seem to be a problem that needs fixing. Both are easily accessible, neither adds much "clutter".

Unlike OC, you really don't want any water leaking into the loop via the mouthpiece - I would think that the more you are pushing buttons on it, the more likely that is to happen. A DSV is light, clean and simple.

For the BOV+ADV+MAV unit, do you really have three hoses going to the mouthpiece, or does that imply the use of dilout? Seems pretty complex.

But as I say, I haven't used anything like this, so you will probably get better advice from others who have.