Cold water issues with Titan LX Supreme

[Mahhz]

Does anyone know if there are any adjustments I could suggest to my shop to assist with cold water performance on my Titan LX Supremes? I was diving yesterday in 32* water, and both of my regs froze and freeflowed, and I couldn't get them to stop. They were in 34* water a few weeks ago and were fine. I was diving doubles and both regs froze within minutes of each other.

 

[scubafanatic]

I'm not a cold water diver, but do have among my reg fleet a Titan LX (non Supreme), to which I added the dry-sealed 1st-stage enviro kit, but I believe the 'Supreme' already comes standard with that. We're gonna need for detailed specifics, did the free flow happen on the surface or at depth. We're you brerathing heavily, airing up your BC/dry suit, simultaneously? For what it's worth, I think the Aqualung Legend Glacia is substantially modified to handle cold waters with various heat exchangers located on the 1st stage and on the 2nd-stage hoses. If you don't wanna buy new regs, another common option is lowering the 1st-stage IP (intermediate pressure), however, if you overdo it, lowering the IP too much negatively impacts the regs performance.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

For ice dives we typically lower IP to 125-128. Are you sure it was 32 degree water and where was this. If sea water ok but 32 degree fresh water is ice. Even on ice dives the freshwater temp is usually around 36-38 degrees. Were you in any way over breathing the regs? Or as scubafanatic asked breathing them on the surface prior to entering the water? And does the titan LX have an adjustable second stage? If so, where was this set?

 

[Mahhz]

The Supremes came with the environmental kit from the factory as well as heat exchangers in the 2nd stage.

The first freeflow happened on my right post as I was breathing off of my left. So I closed the valve on that side to let it thaw and continued to breathe off my left. About a minute later, my left started freeflowing, so I turned the right back on, and as soon as I took a breath off of it it started freeflowing again. This went on back and forth for a while as I'm trying to get one or the other to stop....I had HP120's on, so I was not immediately concerned about my air quantity. After about a minute or so, I couldn't get either one to stop, so I aborted the dive. I was on the surface for about 10 minutes and still couldn't get them to stop, so I just called it a day.
It all happened on the bottom in 35' of water (river diving) and I was not adding air to my BC or drysuit.

 

[Mahhz]

Jim, the water we are in has a swift current, and does not freeze till below 32*. The surface did have quite a few large sheets of thin ice flowing downriver.

Both regs have adjustable 2nds, and both were set at (-). The only surface breathing I did was when I set up my gear to make sure it was all working properly, about 15 minutes prior to the dive.

The fist freeflow happened when I wasn't even breathing off of it (maybe the current pushed on the purge enough to initially trigger the freeflow, not sure). I was calm and relaxed, not likely to be over breathing them.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Both regs have adjustable 2nds, and both were set at (-).

There's a difference between a Venturi lever (-/+ pre-dive/dive switch) and an inhalation adjustment knob that controls cracking pressure. The Titan LX Supreme second stage only has a Venturi lever. I wouldn't call it an "adjustable" second stage.

 

[LEE MORRIS]

I have two Regs that I use for diving both are excellent for cold water, I use the AquaLung Coustuea with an cold water kit and I have a Genesis 2000 I have dove in water 39 and above with no problems. Both regs are sealed, and as I said with two good Regs they will last me a life time.

 

[Kunundrum]

The Titan LX Supreme is a good little reg and should not have free flowing problems in 32deg water, but my guess would place this as the IP being set too high. As Jim mentioned for cold water diving this should be set in the 125-135 Psi Level. the non-cold water regs are typically set in the 135-145psi Range.