DIN valve and yoke insert?

[stuartv]

Pretty sure they have inserts on board, atleast on the LoB’s i have been on in the red sea.

That is definitely what I would expect. But, like Graeme said, it seems worth taking one for just in case. Especially since I have several extras and can just give him one.

 

[guruboy]

Maybe you should give him an extra DIN 1st stage too.

 

[kelemvor]

There is actually another difference that's harder to spot. The "convertable" or "pro" valves have a thinner side than a "regular" DIN valve. This is to accommodate the actual yoke going around the valve. On a regular DIN valve, you physically won't be able to get the valve "inside" the yoke. I'll see if I can find a photo that compares the two.

 

[stuartv]

There is actually another difference that's harder to spot. The "convertable" or "pro" valves have a thinner side than a "regular" DIN valve. This is to accommodate the actual yoke going around the valve. On a regular DIN valve, you physically won't be able to get the valve "inside" the yoke. I'll see if I can find a photo that compares the two.

THAT is the info I was looking for. Any differences between a regular 232 bar DIN and a Pro valve. Thanks!

This is all why I only own DIN regs (and a DIN-to-yoke adapter). My regs will work on any tank. I have had to use the adapter a few times and it was really no big deal at all. I've read posts of people saying they hit their head on the 1st stage if they use DIN with an adapter. I definitely do not have that problem. My tank valve rides low enough when I'm in the water that I can be horizontal and still look ahead. That means the 1st stage (on an adapter) is closer to the top of my back/bottom of my neck, but it's not closer to my actual head. Sometimes, if I really look "up", I can feel the 1st stage on the back of my head, but when I do that, my head is basically at a 90 degree angle to my body. So, the adapter is holding the 1st stage closer to my body, but it doesn't make any difference to whether my head touches when at a 90.

Makes me wonder if people reporting that issue just need to move the tank down in their BCD a bit. Related note: I have had students before that were only comfortable swimming with their body in a roughly 45 degree angle (head high). It turned out that the issue for them was having weight too high up on their back. When they would get in horizontal trim, that weight would make them start to tilt head down. So, they were compensating by swimming around head high. It's counterintuitive, but what helped them was actually moving the tank and/or weight down lower, so they weren't "tippy". Then they could actually get horizontal without feeling like they were about to go completely inverted at any moment.

 

[kelemvor]

I did the DIN reg with adapter thing for a while. Later, I realized that it's super easy to just convert a reg between DIN and YOKE rather than using the adapter... Having done it 2 or 3 times, i could probably swap in under 60 seconds. Then it's always the perfect solution and no "extra" weight or bulk added by using an adapter.

At least, that's the case for my scubapro mk25 first stages.

I didn't really plan on doing it this way. At the time I got my regs I wanted DIN (and an adapter) but found yoke valves for sale at all the stores. So I paid to have them converted, and the tech gave me all my old yoke parts in a bag. It wasn't until later that I realized how super easy the "conversion" was. Not really much harder than installing the adapter.

 

[stuartv]

I did the DIN reg with adapter thing for a while. Later, I realized that it's super easy to just convert a reg between DIN and YOKE rather than using the adapter... Having done it 2 or 3 times, i could probably swap in under 60 seconds. Then it's always the perfect solution and no "extra" weight or bulk added by using an adapter.

At least, that's the case for my scubapro mk25 first stages.

I didn't really plan on doing it this way. At the time I got my regs I wanted DIN (and an adapter) but found yoke valves for sale at all the stores. So I paid to have them converted, and the tech gave me all my old yoke parts in a bag. It wasn't until later that I realized how super easy the "conversion" was. Not really much harder than installing the adapter.

True. But, I would want to use a torque wrench. And, really, do it on my workbench - versus getting to a dive site/boat and finding out that I needed "the other". Which is what always happens to me. They tell me "oh, we have some with Pro valves" then I show up and there are no Pro valves available, or the insert is corroded in place and can't be removed. At that point, I would not want to try and change the reg itself. I can't remember anywhere yet where they just said flat-out, in advance, we ONLY have yoke valves.

Also, the DIN-to-yoke (or vice versa) conversion kits I have looked at have never been nearly as inexpensive as the $20 DIN-to-yoke adapter from DGX... I think the one for my Hollis regs was $50 or 60. The DIN to Yoke conversion kit (in brass) for Atomic regs is $90. Stainless is $200. Titanium is $330. I don't have a price sheet to look at for ScubaPro, though. Interestingly, I see one on Amazon for ScubaPro. It is $40.

For as rarely as I have had to use it, the $20 adapter is fine with me. Especially with the way I'm turning over regs these days. In the year and a half since I became an instructor, I've gone from Dive Rite to ScubaPro and now moving to Atomic. Still using the same $20 adapter I bought for the Hollis regs I was using before I got the Dive Rites....

 

[Johnoly]

...I've seen loads of people turn up with yoke style regs, just pop the insert in and job done for the week.....

But with every fill.....is the filler removing and replacing the insert because his fill whip is DIN? Loose / tight,,just another potential problem area.

 

[stuartv]

But with every fill.....is the filler removing and replacing the insert because his fill whip is DIN? Loose / tight,,just another potential problem area.

Doubtful. Shop fill stations I have looked at generally have a DIN-to-yoke adapter on the fill whip, so if the insert were in the valve, they would just attach the whip (with adapter) and fill it Yoke-style. Filling a tank with a DIN valve and no insert takes slightly longer, just for the little bit of extra time screwing a DIN whip into the valve. Attaching an A-clamp is a little faster. Plus, most places would have a little bit of extra time on top of that to remove the A-clamp adapter from the whip before screwing it into the DIN valve. And a little more time to put it back on after.

Of course, that is based on the fact that most places *I* have looked are places where Yoke is the most common type of valve. So, the default setup is for a fill whip to have an A-clamp adapter on the end.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

But with every fill.....is the filler removing and replacing the insert because his fill whip is DIN? Loose / tight,,just another potential problem area.

Ummmm, good point. To be honest I haven't paid that much attention as I'm usually chillin' on deck with a cup of tea when fills are under way. I'm there in May so will ask the Engineer.