Bubbles on the side...

[UncutDesign]

OK, i will probably be known as the guy who wants everything customized, but.. i cant help it. hehe

Ok, this is the thing.
As my first regulator, i bought an used Shearwood, its 3years old and has been kept in good conditions, i paid 100 for it plus 40 for maintenance. Cant beat it.

Anyway, i want a nice regulator for my bday, and i was thinking about ScubaPro, however.. the ONLY thing that keeps me from choosing ScubaPro is that i hate bubbles on my mask. Iam not sure what do you call those things, but my Shearwood reguator has "wide ends?" (meaning when you exhale, the bubbles come out around your ears, not your face)

I called a couple of ScubaPro dealers and they all said that ScubaPro does NOT carry that kind of regulator.

So, is there a work around? Can i just buy an extension or something?

 

[do it easy]

The Mistral by Aqualung is a double hose reg where the bubbles exhaust behind your head. It's a "retro" design.

http://www.aqualung.com/news_releases_mistral.html

Plus, if you act now, there are 500 limited edition regs that came out with a special wooden case!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

You are referring to a large exhaust tee. Generally speaking, large ehxaust tees were one of the fatalities that came with the small and lightweight second stages that were marketed to a largely ignorant market of divers as an "improvement". When you combine that with the current generation of low volume masks (an improvement for freedivers and rebreather divers maybe, but no real advantage for open circuit scuba divers) you ned up with significant problems with bubble interference. Few people take a systems approach to dive gear design and we all suffer for it.

The Aqualung Mistral is a new double hose design that incorporates what is essentially a titan first stage with a second stage with double hoses attached to the end. It performs well but has all the inherent limitations of a doubel hose design, which essentially means they breathe hard. They are also hideously expensive costing about twice what they should and 3 times what they are worth from a performance standpoint.

Your best bet is to go with a large SP second stage like the G250HP and then get a mask that is fairly high volume with enough of an overhang in front of your face to def
lect bubbles.

 

[drbill]

Certainly agree with DA Aquamaster on this issue. I switched to low volume masks about 5 years ago to assist in seeing my camcorder viewfinder through the housing's rear port. My G250 regs all exhaust just under the housing so I often get bubbles either between me and the viewfinder, or in front of the front port.

This is not acceptable for easy videotaping. However, I just hold my breath (stationary depth wise) for the 5-20 minutes it takes to film a good sequence. Then I die.

I wish ScubaPro (and others) would come up with an exhaust tee extension to deflect the bubbles off to the side and behind me. I may just have to fabricate one myself!

I do remember a thread here that talked about an exhaust tee extension that was only available in Europe I believe. I guess ScubaPro must think Europeans are smarter consumers and gear buyers than Americans. Hmmm, maybe they are right!

 

[redacted]

You could go shopping for a set of the old Scubapro metal 2nd. Exhaust T has a spread of 4 inches as opposed to the 3 inches on the newest model. The Balanced Adjustables will give you performance similiar to the G250. Best part is a set in good condition with Mk5 or Mk10 1st, metal SPG, and two 2nd (often one BA and one Adj) periodically pop up on e-bay and tend to go for $150 to $200.

 

[halocline]

Bill, have you tried an older SP metal case balanced adjustable? It has a nice wide rubber exhaust tee; mine seems to have better bubble dispersion than my G250, although to be honest the exhaust from the G250 has not bothered me.

 

[halocline]

awap just beat me to it!!

 

[UncutDesign]

Thank you all for your comments..

DA Aquamaster, you are tottaly right, ignorance is not good, specially when diving. Unfurtunalty, i do not have the "skills" the practice offers yet.

Let me put it this way, i have no clue what a low volume mask is (it sounds like is a more aerodinamic mask or should i say "aquadinamic"?) But i will check that right now.

The Aqualung Mistral sounds nice, i dont think i would pay 900 for it, not right now. Althogh i want to get all the certifications on diving available, maybe then, when i am doing something more "pro" and i have more experience on me.

Tks again guys, i guess i will stick with my Searwood regulator.. at least until my bday!