Just what is a ‘CE-approved cold water regulator’? MK25 in 6C/42F?

[Tassie_Rohan]

My wife will be diving a Scubpro MK25 in 6C/42F water soon. I am wary as this model is/was known to free-flow in slightly colder waters.

The advertising bumf on recent models, such as hers, gushes that the all-new ice-resistant coating in the reg ‘Exceeds CE cold water diving requirements’.

Just what are these requirements, and what do the CE bureaucrats consider to be ‘cold’? Are we talking High Artic or Costa del Sol? Can someone please point the standards out to me?


Another question – if I can get my hands on the scubapro cold water kit: what’s involved in installing it, and do I need scubapros special tools to do so?

Hmmm – I seem to remember Thal suggesting a drop of rum works as a good de-icing fluid: may have to look into jury-rigged methods a bit more. And yes - we're aware good technique makes all the difference.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[Homunculus]

ce- is a european marking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_mark

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Yes - thank you. I know.

Allow me to rephrase the question:

What exactly are the standards/tests the regulator must pass to be approved by the CE for cold water diving?

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[do it easy]

According to CE0426, cold water is less than 10c, although I don't know the qualification standards- how much volume, and what depth. If I'm reading it correctly, the CE0426 certification tests to the EN 250:2000 standard, which is a minimum safety level to 50m/162'. I'm not sure if it's 10c and 50m and how much gas volume is considered adequate? I inferred all this information from the warnings in my Mares reg manual. Yes I really did read the flippin' manual.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Thanks for that - I heard < 10C/50F is defined as cold water: but if the regs are tested at 10C for icing almost every reg in the world would pass. Be interesting to hear what the test is (and please give yourself a 'good boy scout' badge for reading the manual )

Anyone regularly use a unmodified mk25 in those temps without problems?

And lastly: scotch or rum - which is the prefered 1st stage de-icing fluid of choice?

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[CompuDude]

Thanks for that - I heard < 10C/50F is defined as cold water: but if the regs are tested at 10C for icing almost every reg in the world would pass. Be interesting to hear what the test is (and please give yourself a 'good boy scout' badge for reading the manual )

Anyone regularly use a unmodified mk25 in those temps without problems?

And lastly: scotch or rum - which is the prefered 1st stage de-icing fluid of choice?

Cheers,
Rohan.

If you're talking about a good single malt, you'd best be using the rum, boy-o!

 

[oxyhacker]

The CE test is done at 160 feet, at temperatures between 32 to 39F. The Mk25 has been advertised as meeting CE cold water standards for many years now, but still continues, despite numerous revisions, to be vulnerable to freeze-up. This has made many divers suspect that the CE cold standard is seriously flawed.

Don't think there's a cold water kit for the MK25, other than upgrade it to whatever the latest anti-freeze configuration is. Originally SP said you could grease pack them just like the old Mk5s and 10s. This required changing the spring chamber housing, or adding a rubber sleeve, or just squeezing a tube of grease in, depending on the model. but then SP decided that the Mk20/25s shouldn't be grease packed, and anyhow, since O2-safe grease is required, it's expensive to do. The newer Mk25s try to prevent freeze-up by maximizng the flow of water through the spring chamber, through big oval holes which make it very difficult to grease pack them.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Thanks for that Vance - exactly what I was after.

Love your books by the way - they are invaluable for DIY repairs when you're stuck out in the middle of nowhere.

Guess I'll be pouring the rum into myself and not the reg...

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[mislav]

Anyone regularly use a unmodified mk25 in those temps without problems?

Well, not regularly - only twice in one day. Water temp was ranging from 6ºC to 9ºC in an altitude lake with depth to 28 meters. The outside temp was 30ºC. My MK25/GH250 didn't freeflow in those conditions and I did even take it out of my mouth while diving.

I guess this doesn't help much, but there you go - hopefully it's worth something.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Thanks for that Mislav - good to know as its the sort of diving we'll be doing.

First thing we are going to do is see if we can make it freeflow somewhere shallow: if it passes that test (by purging the primary and secondary for a few minutes) it should be fine.