Din vs Yoke

[ams511]

Oxygen Compatible O-Rings, Lubricant and Tools - Dive Gear Express

Polyurethane O-rings for SCUBA

This milky white O-ring, sometimes called a 10,000 psi O-ring, is made of Polyurethane. Our experience with this o-ring is that it is nearly indestructible. If it's leaking, it probably just needs to be cleaned. Like Viton, it's suitable for Oxygen service. Polyurethane is very abrasion-resistant, but it is sensitive to UV light. You should not store spare Polyurethane O-rings where they are exposed to sunlight for an extended period of time. The 112 size O-rings work great in DIN regulators and the face of our Pro DIN/K valve Yoke adapters. We also offer the 014 size O-rings for standard Yoke only K-valves. Polyurethane costs a bit more but is well worth the price as the only reason we find we have to replace one is when it falls out and we lose it.

For better quantity pricing though : oringsUSA

I am not sure why DGX says that. If you look here, they claim the shelf life is only 5 years and that is stored in a climate controlled environment away from sunlight. There was a thread a few years back where some DIYers received a old batch of PU o-rings that fell apart in their regulators.

 

[uncfnp]

Richiewrt, it all depends on what type of diver you will be for the next several years. If you plan mostly vacation diving, then go for yoke. It is perfectly fine for the majority of diving and as others have said, when you have to use the adaptor, any benefit of DIN is lost. But if possible, do select a regulator that has the yoke to DIN conversion option.

If however, you see yourself getting more heavily into diving and owning your own tanks, get DIN then use the adaptor when on occasion you rent yoke only tanks.

I started with yoke and was perfectly happy until purchasing my own tanks and using a DIN for the first time. I am now in the process of converting or selling my yoke first stages.

 

[Scubagolf]

12 years of renting tanks, all over the Caribbean, the Pacific, and California, I have yet to see a DIN valve in person.

 

[kwinter]

12 years of renting tanks, all over the Caribbean, the Pacific, and California, I have yet to see a DIN valve in person.

I have to call BS on this. I accept that most newer tanks are being fitted with convertible valves and might look like straight yoke. But Europeans have almost exclusively DIN regs and they do travel to the Caribbean. I have never seen a shop in Mexico, DR, or other Caribbean destinations that couldn't find a few DIN tanks whenever called for. As for coming to the US, they might be in trouble since Ugly Americans think everyone should use the inferior yoke system. But even my LDS can rent DIN tanks.


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[dfx]

12 years of renting tanks, all over the Caribbean, the Pacific, and California, I have yet to see a DIN valve in person.

Assuming that you're referring to DIN-only tanks, I'm not surprised. But the world is much bigger than that.

I have never seen a shop in Mexico, DR, or other Caribbean destinations that couldn't find a few DIN tanks whenever called for.

Surprisingly, the dive op we used on Bonaire didn't have any DIN or convertible tanks, despite the large influx of European visitors they get. We've seen plenty of other divers from other dive ops with DIN tanks though.

 

[gopbroek]

In Mexico I have only seen 1 DIN regulator and it was a scramble to find a work - around. That being said it appeared to be superior and safer coupling. If I dived locally with my own tanks or had access to DIN tanks in I would convert but currently yokes are the norm for vacation diving. I see that some operators are changing to the dual valves which are a great idea but until they become the norm if I ran a DIN I would get a $20 DIN to Yoke adaptor from DGX for vacation diving.

 

[eelnoraa]

For first regulator for single tank setup, go with yoke. It is more popular, it is most likely what you will see in vacation spots. With single tank diving, open water & recreational depth hopefully, DIN does NOT offer meaningful advantage. Having a native DIN first stage but with adaptor on 90% of the time sucks. Not only it is less reliable then native yoke or din, it pushes first stage close to your head so you may bump into it.

As far as going into tech/cave later on, you can also buy dedicated double, deco, stage regs in din format. At that level of diving, the cost of buying one more reg is minimal to the over cost. You won't even brink when buy another 1st stage.

 

[Hatul]

I'll probably repeat what has been said before. If you truly only plan to dive in the Caribbean rental tanks, then yoke is preferable. Most of us who continue diving end up diving locally and buy our own tanks and in this case it's better to go with DIN as it's a more secure and compact connection, and when you travel you can always take an adapter with you. Personally I've not had problems with my head hitting the reg.

There is also a gradual change towards the convertible valve as more divers show up with DIN regs.

 

[Peter69_56]

If you have a din reg with a yoke adapter, you can connect to anything. This can not be said for the reverse condition.
Therefore, I prefer DIN regs.

my 2 psi.

I agree and am the same. I stared with K valve and now converted all mine to DIN and any new regs are DIN. All 300 BAR. Thus I can use 300 BAR DIN tanks, 232 BAR DIN, and with an adapter K valve tanks too. Many places now have all DIN tanks with K inserts in them. It appears most places in the world now are going this way. I know you are in USA and if you are only ever going to dive USA and never never never go tech, then K maybe easier for you, however if there is even a slight chance you might go overseas to other dive sites and/or may do tech diving in the future, then my thoughts are 300 BAR DIN regs only with a converter for the time when you only have K valve tanks available.

Yes a 300 BAR DIN reg fits a 232 Bar DIN valve. The 300 BAR DIN reg has 7 threads, so screws into the 232 BAR valve. A 232 BAR reg however only has 5 threads and will not seat into a 300 BAR DIN valve, thus preventing using a lower pressure reg on a HP tank which is the whole idea to prevent a 232 BAR reg on a 300 BAR tank. The way I see it is this;

If you buy K regs you are limited to K valve tanks. If you buy 232 BAR DIN regs you can use 232 BAR K or DIN tanks.
If you buy 300 BAR DIN regs you can use 300 BAR DIN tanks, 232 BAR DIN tanks and K tanks so provides the best overall opportunities. And as I said before, often many dive sites use the new DIN valves with K insert thus will suit any reg going, ensuring you don't need to use the DIN/K converter (although I always throw mine in if I am recreational diving overseas, just in case. Have been caught occasionally where an island (pacific) has a mix of tanks and most people have DIN thus someone must get stuck with a K valve tank.

 

[Max Speed]

Just take a couple of valves with you. If the shop won't change them for you take a $3 adapter from Grainger with you and use your HP hose as a whip to put a little pressure back and forth in your tanks while you change them yourself. Use as din and put the adapters back in for your fills.

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