Free Flow

[jiveturkey]

Hey folks,
I've just returned from 4 years living in Asia where all my diving has been in temps above 8 degrees celcius. I'm wondering at what temp do divers usually experience free flows? I've never had my reg flow except for during training exercises. I know what to do but as the water gets colder, I need to be better prepared. At what temperature has your reg free flowed?

I use a scubapro mk25/s600 so I'm wondering if I need to get that puppy sealed? I'm diving in the north atlantic now but I'll be in lake ontario within a month. If I continue to dive throughout the winter is my reg going freeze?

 

[Gary D.]

Hey folks,
I've just returned from 4 years living in Asia where all my diving has been in temps above 8 degrees celcius. I'm wondering at what temp do divers usually experience free flows? I've never had my reg flow except for during training exercises. I know what to do but as the water gets colder, I need to be better prepared. At what temperature has your reg free flowed?

I use a scubapro mk25/s600 so I'm wondering if I need to get that puppy sealed? I'm diving in the north atlantic now but I'll be in lake ontario within a month. If I continue to dive throughout the winter is my reg going freeze?

Any reg can free flow. Some are just more susceptible to it than others. One of the biggest, but by far not the only, factors is how YOU as a diver treat the reg during cold conditions. Poor handling and poor adjustments can cause even the best Ice regs to freeze.

If your not sure at what your doing get with an instructor that is in the know about the chilly world.

Gary D.

 

[jbisjim]

Hey folks,
I've just returned from 4 years living in Asia where all my diving has been in temps above 8 degrees celcius. I'm wondering at what temp do divers usually experience free flows? I've never had my reg flow except for during training exercises. I know what to do but as the water gets colder, I need to be better prepared. At what temperature has your reg free flowed?

I use a scubapro mk25/s600 so I'm wondering if I need to get that puppy sealed? I'm diving in the north atlantic now but I'll be in lake ontario within a month. If I continue to dive throughout the winter is my reg going freeze?

I had one at 42 degress F (5.2 C) at 95 feet, but that was my own fault. Something about maintaining your own gear

 

[jiveturkey]

I had one at 42 degress F (5.2 C) at 95 feet, but that was my own fault. Something about maintaining your own gear

mmmm....that's not really that cold now is it.

 

[jbisjim]

mmmm....that's not really that cold now is it.

Not so much, no

It happed only 2 or 3 weeks ago. I learned my lesson. Completely my own fault.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I used a Mk 25 D400 last season for about 130 dives and ahd no problems in water as cold as 35 degrees F (2 degrees C).

The S600 however is a little more prone to slight freeflow that can precipitate a first stage freeze up in a Mk 25.

Using low presure tanks helps as does lowering the IP in the reg as well as keeping the cracking effort cranked up a bit on the second stage. Having the latest composite piston and all the latest bits and pieces of the AF kit helps as well.

The Mk 25 is relaible down to somewhere around 50 degrees F or 10 degrees C but gets a little more questionable below 40 degrees F or 5 degree C. Good cold water technique becomes very important.

 

[jiveturkey]

The Mk 25 is relaible down to somewhere around 50 degrees F or 10 degrees C but gets a little more questionable below 40 degrees F or 5 degree C. Good cold water technique becomes very important.

Good cold water technique = not breathing from the reg at the surface and.......???

What else?

 

[MASS-Diver]

Good cold water technique = not breathing from the reg at the surface and.......???

What else?

Aside from having nice gear (well tuned, for cold water, etc) I think one of the big things about diving cold water is just being award that free-flows can happen. Good buddy skills/valve skills are important. Being comfortable breathing off a freeflowing reg is good as well. If you are a solo diver, post in that forum and we can talk about "feathing" the valve and direct breathing. Unless you are a tech diver (in which case post in that forum) it takes a pretty decent ammount of time for a tank to empty - a free-flow can be stressful, but atleast you still have gas.

 

[Rick Inman]

We have plenty of free flows in the winter in these parts. I see the main reason is over breathing the reg. A diver needs to really slow down and relax.
Once, my buddy started free flowing at 65', so we did the normal, share air, shut off his air, wait for a couple minutes for the 1st stage to defrost, turn his air back on routine. Didn't work the first time, so we shut his air off again. Well, now he's over breathing my reg and starts it free flowing. I turn his tank back on and he's still free flowing, so now we are both free flowing. So he goes back to his reg and breathes off it, I go to my pony and we call the dive. We did a nice slow accent and safety stop. It's actually not a big deal to breath from a free flowing reg, but it's good to be comfortable at air sharing as well, IMHO. Around here, we shut off valves and defrost 1st stages while air sharing and then just continue the dive if the free flow stops. No big deal.
I also agree with the other posters that a good, professionally maintained reg is also key. When I cold water dive, I like to carry a pony with an older Poseidon on it. The Poseidon doesn't breath as easy as some regs, but that puppy will BREATH under almost any conditions!
I also agree that I don't breath from the reg on the surface or add air to my BC (except orally) or my dry suit 'till I'm sub-surface.
There are a bunch of great threads on this subject for those who enjoy the reading.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Good cold water technique = not breathing from the reg at the surface and.......???

What else?

As indicated above:

1) not breathing from or testing the reg on the surface or prior to the dive - do not take a breath off the reg until the first stage is fully submerged, and then stay submerged.

2) Not over breathing the reg at depth.

And

3) Take care not to breathe and operate BC or drysuit inflators so as to essentially over breathe the reg. Small bursts on the inflator or drysuit at times other than when you are inhaling - don't wait until you are nearly on the bottom to add air and stop the elevator.