Ice diving regulator

[ScubaSteve]

4 years ago diver.net tested tested a bunch of cold water regs (including the Atomic Z2) :

15 Regulators on test - Divernet

I am surprised the only reg that all considered a favorite was the APEKS.....thanks for the link.

 

[fnfalman]

Several people in Idaho use Atomic M1 for ice lake diving.

 

[halocline]

Not yet but I can get it installed. I dont know how effective these "kits" are.

I believe that this kit is basically an installation of PTFE grease (like Christolube) in the ambient chamber and a rubber boot to keep it from washing out. If that's the case, then it will no doubt work very well.

Packing piston 1st stage ambient chambers is a tried-and-true method of cold water proofing the reg. SP used to do that, but moved away from it. Evidently the engineers that defected from SP to start atomics disagreed with that move!

 

[fnfalman]

Not yet but I can get it installed. I dont know how effective these "kits" are. I was om fact wondering whether to get a kit installed in my atomic z2 or to buy a new reg for ice diving. Any suggestions? If a kit can upgrade a regulator all the way up to a good cold water reg then it makes sense. At this point I am open to inputs and suggestions.

That's what Atomic does with all of their first stages. They pack it with either Christolube or Tribolube. Some Atomic regs come prepacked and some come without the pack. Atomic M1 and ST1 come prepacked with lube. The rest will need to be packed with lube.

Another thing to consider is not just the 1st stage freezing up but second stage freezing up as well. That's why a lot of ice divers/cold divers use the Atomic M1 because the M1's 2nd stage has a heat sink to aid in keeping the 2nd stage from freezing up as well.

There are a lot of tricks to ice diving and I wouldn't suggest just getting a regulator/modify a regulator then go at it. Talk with the LDS and take an ice diving class. I'm not one of those that thinks that a class is needed for everything (aka Boat Diving), but ice diving puts you in an environment that is significantly different than from most other environments.

If you really want to do ice diving with your Z1, then pack the first stage and then maybe buy an M1 second stage.

 

[Crush]

I don't recall of anyone in the past two years posting anything negative about their cold water regulator - I may have missed it... My inference (which may be incorrect) is that most cold water regs (1st and 2nd stage) do their jobs.

There are a lot of tricks to ice diving and I wouldn't suggest just getting a regulator/modify a regulator then go at it. Talk with the LDS and take an ice diving class. I'm not one of those that thinks that a class is needed for everything (aka Boat Diving), but ice diving puts you in an environment that is significantly different than from most other environments.

+1. It is very easy to get your cold water regs to free-flow if you try. For example, pre-breathing on the surface in cold air will almost assure you problems. Instead, pre-breathe only one or two breaths standing in the water with your face and reg in the water, then stop until you begin your dive.

 

[Akimbo]

Perhaps of more interest is who has had a regulator fail under cold conditions, what was the nature of the failure, and what was the brand/model?

 

[SwimJim]

A Royal Aquamaster or a Phoenix would be my choice. Just about freeze proof and just plain cool! I made this video Wazee Under Ice on Vimeo using my Phoenix.

 

[Mr.X]

All sorts of things can fail in ice - I've had LP inflators freeze shut and free flow, ice balls forming around the first stage, free flow in 2nd etc. Always nice to carry a bailout. The one reg. that's given me the least amount of issues has been the Poseidon. The second being Sherwood. Have not tried my Apeks, or others under the ice.

 

[Darol]

The Sherwood Blizzard is excellent. The tip about not breathing the reg till it's submereged is old school, and a great one. The few failures I've seen have been
freeze up's caused by condensation, resulting in a free flowing regulator which
usually freezes to your lip, and Oh, a layer of skin usually comes off with the
reg. Here's a dive in the Detroit River recovering a ships anchor, using twin 72's. The best way to Ice Dive is the other pic, a valve job in a stripmine pit, using surface supplied. I stayed totally dry and wore those clothes, under the suit, to lunch.