Cold water reg advice needed
- Thread starter Saskia
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Jimmer
Contributor
Zeagle's ZX series are all excellent cold water regs.
I have used Poseidens, Apeks and Oceanic regs under the Ice and I would go for Apeks myself.
Greg Barlow
Contributor
I've been using Mares regs for all of my cold water diving for the last 12 years. My primary dive buddy is an ice diving instructor and has yet to have an icing problem with his Abyss regs. Also, none of them have the CWD (cold water kit) installed. My current favorite is the V42 first stage paired with Proton Metal second stages. It is unsealed as well.
Metal second stages are much better conductors of heat than those composed of plastic compounds. The metal serves as a heat sink, drawing the heat from the surrounding water and then using that stored heat to warm the incoming air from the cylinder. Even if the water temps are near freezing, it is considerably warmer than the expanding air from the cylinder. Incoming air from the first stage can easily get below zero.
The thermal characteristics of metal are why companies such as Atomic and Apeks choose to use metal air barrels in their second stages. The major reason why companies use plastic rather than metal second stages is that of production costs. It is far, far cheaper to produce a plastic version. To create a metal second stage (or air tube) involves stamping the case from naval brass, brazing the various joined parts, and then going through the various steps of plating.
Are Mares regs the best for cold water diving? Not necessarily, but considering their features, they certainly are engineered for such conditions.
Greg Barlow
Metal second stages are much better conductors of heat than those composed of plastic compounds. The metal serves as a heat sink, drawing the heat from the surrounding water and then using that stored heat to warm the incoming air from the cylinder. Even if the water temps are near freezing, it is considerably warmer than the expanding air from the cylinder. Incoming air from the first stage can easily get below zero.
The thermal characteristics of metal are why companies such as Atomic and Apeks choose to use metal air barrels in their second stages. The major reason why companies use plastic rather than metal second stages is that of production costs. It is far, far cheaper to produce a plastic version. To create a metal second stage (or air tube) involves stamping the case from naval brass, brazing the various joined parts, and then going through the various steps of plating.
Are Mares regs the best for cold water diving? Not necessarily, but considering their features, they certainly are engineered for such conditions.
Greg Barlow
wakeupndive
Registered
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 0
- # of dives
- 200 - 499
Two follow-up questions:
(1) Any other thoughts on what "cold" water is, at what temp you begin to risk problems? I have been diving recently to 42 deg.F (6 deg.C) with a scubapro MK20 / R380 and wondered if it was OK.
(2) Is it the first stage or the second stage or both that freeze, i.e. if I bought a new second stage is that helpful or is the whole reg an issue?
Thanks for the helpful discussion...and kudos to Saskia for your 3 deg. training dives. I always think it's good to start in cold water so you have the proper baseline and can enjoy a whole world of diving.
(1) Any other thoughts on what "cold" water is, at what temp you begin to risk problems? I have been diving recently to 42 deg.F (6 deg.C) with a scubapro MK20 / R380 and wondered if it was OK.
(2) Is it the first stage or the second stage or both that freeze, i.e. if I bought a new second stage is that helpful or is the whole reg an issue?
Thanks for the helpful discussion...and kudos to Saskia for your 3 deg. training dives. I always think it's good to start in cold water so you have the proper baseline and can enjoy a whole world of diving.
Hi!
I have recently moved from the UK to Florida and man, is the gear CHEAP over here! Soooo, since it's so affordable, i want to buy my own set of bc and regs.
Most importantly i would like some advice of regs, i've heard a lot of good things about apex (especially in the UK) but also on this board. I was just wondering which particular model would work best for me? I don't know all the technical things, so looking at the Apex website hasn't been very helpful! I'm not into technical diving, but i will of course be diving in coooold waters, so i want a GOOD reg, and i am willing to pay for it! What are the advantages of certain regs, and also in terms of warrenty and servicing (I dont' want to get back to the UK to not be able to service my reg!). I dont' know where my work will take me, so i would prefer a reg which has support widespread across the globe. Any advice? Thank you!
Atomic M1.
Check out Atomic's website: Atomic Aquatics - the World's First Titanium Regulator No other reg on the market has the features offered by Atomic. Titanium spring and lever in the second stage, thermal heat sink in the second stage, environmentally sealed first stage, automatic flow control increases available air flow at depth, seat saving orfice, etc. Oh, and they breathe incredibly easy, can't outbreathe these regs.
Good luck in your search.
Greg Barlow
Contributor
The US Navy tested the Mares Proton Ice Extreme all the way down to 29 degrees Fahrenheit. It passed all of the tests with flying colors and was approved for all dives in any conditions. You might be able to tie that cold water rating, but surpassing it would be a bit tough. Especially when that is the water temp found in the coldest areas of the polar circles.
Greg Barlow
Greg Barlow
Similar threads
