Do we need to loosen the Scuba Regulator dust cap when flying ?

[sipadiver]

Do we need to loosen the scuba reg dust cap on the 1st stage when we are flying?

I heard that we need to do this to prevent damage.

 

[RJP]

Do we need to loosen the scuba reg dust cap on the 1st stage when we are flying?

I heard that we need to do this to prevent damage.

I would simply type "NO" but the ScubaBoard software requires replies to be at least 5 characters long.

 

[redacted]

Depending on your regulator design, that might relieve a little extra stress on LP seats. Probably unnecessary but it would not hurt. I use purge depressors to relieve stress on LP seats during travel and storage.

 

[ev780]

**no**

 

[decompression]

Absolutely no.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[knotical]

Scuba regulators are designed to hold significant air pressure in both the first and second stages. Surely they can handle sea level atmospheric pressure when a regulator is taken to altitude.

 

[redacted]

Scuba regulators are designed to hold significant air pressure in both the first and second stages. Surely they can handle sea level atmospheric pressure when a regulator is taken to altitude.

Pressure in the reg is not an issue. But vacuum would put a little extra stress on the LP seats. Of course that means your reg would have to be purged at altitude and then the vacuum would occur on landing if the reg is not vented. We are talking a fairly small difference and damage is not really the right question. But it would increase the closure force on many LP seats.

 

[emoreira]

The interior of an unconnected regulator is at 1 atm at sea level.
The interior of the cabin of an airliner is something like 0.75 to 0.8 atm at altitude, so, as the dust cap is not a sealed seat, the interior pressure differential will be released through the dust cap.
When landing, as the cabin pressure increases to 1 atm, the dust cap could be pressed against the seat, but pressure will equalize within little to no time.

 

[diversteve]

Or just buy Atomic Aquatics....

 

[redacted]

The interior of an unconnected regulator is at 1 atm at sea level.
The interior of the cabin of an airliner is something like 0.75 to 0.8 atm at altitude, so, as the dust cap is not a sealed seat, the interior pressure differential will be released through the dust cap.
When landing, as the cabin pressure increases to 1 atm, the dust cap could be pressed against the seat, but pressure will equalize within little to no time.

My "dust caps" are correctly called protective cap and they do create a seal. I regularly use those protective caps to protect my regs from water incursion during 8 to 12 hour soaks. If yours leak with a pressure differential of only 0.2 ATM, you may want to look for something better.