Mares abyss - free flow

[totterfield]

Hi, if anyone else has a mares abyss, do u have a problem with it free flowing? it free flows all the time and realy badly. i`m just doing my training at the moment, i couldn`t believe it when it just started to free flow uncontrolably. i was wondering if it is the first stage might be putting out the pressure too high because my oct also does it. i was wondering if it might need ajusting? if anyone knows what is wromg please let me know so i can get it sorted. cheers Tom

 

[wetlettuce]

Hi

Are you diving openwater at the moment ?

That would mean water temp of 5 to 8 degees C.

If so, then you must be careful with your regs. Do you have the coldwater kit fitted. If not then you should. It will completely seal the first stage from the water.

Other tips are;

Do not leave your cylinders in the car overnight. The air will be colder and be more prone to freezing

When setting up only turn your air on slowly therefore reducing the initial rush of air through the first stage.

When testing before entering the water only breathe in through the reg. If you breath out then you introduce moisture into the second stage which may freeze.

Try not to breathe from the reg on the surface. Again to reduce the chances of moisture.

Also if you are continually adjusting buoyancy and breathing heavily (especially when nervous during your training) then you increase the airflow through the first stage which may cause freezing.

Be especially careful when entering the water as an upside down reg or octopus may immediately freeflow. While this is OK in the pool, in open water and cold temperatures it is harder to stop.

The Mares Abyss is usually a very good reg. You do need the coldwater kit though and if it hasn't been serviced then you may want to check the intermediate pressure

Hope that helps.

WetLettuce

PS where are you doing your openwater training. If your in Dorothea then that is always cold. Stoney was 7 degrees on Sunday Positively Balmy !!

 

[tinman]

...and don't want the T-shirt! Mine occurred during an OOA drill in 34 o F water - got the enviro kit the next week. I'm a Mares Abyss, MR22 reg user. As already noted, you need the enviromental kit installed and you may want to have your reg. detuned. I had mine adjusted from a normal intermediate pressure of ~140 PSI to ~125 PSI. I'm still thinking of upgrading my safe second to another Abyss second stage. You will see several good threads discussing cold water diving here using the search function that could add to wetlettuce's excellence summary.

Our inland lakes with current are in the 29-34 o F range at the moment. When doing your OOA drills, just make sure you and your buddy are thinking of sipping tea and not guzzling beer when drawing breaths. Adding air to your BCD and/or Drysuit should be timed to NOT coincide with inhalations which contribute to the supercooling of your first stage. Numerous other good tips are listed elsewhere....

 

[totterfield]

Cheers guys for the feedback, well i should be doing my open water dives in vivian quary soon.

As for my reg - i havn`t got the anti freezing kit on , do u think that if i asked the uk supplier (Blandford) to fit a anti freezing kit on it and to lower the intermediate pressure they would???? would the lower intermediate pressure help with the free flowing as well????

I think i will definatly invest in an any freezing kit anyway.
cheers Tom

 

[ninja]

totterfield once bubbled...
Hi, if anyone else has a mares abyss, do u have a problem with it free flowing? it free flows all the time and realy badly. i`m just doing my training at the moment, i couldn`t believe it when it just started to free flow uncontrolably. i was wondering if it is the first stage might be putting out the pressure too high because my oct also does it. i was wondering if it might need ajusting? if anyone knows what is wromg please let me know so i can get it sorted. cheers Tom

Hi Tom!

If both stages are leaking you will need an Intermediate Pressure guage to check the Intermediate pressure comming from the first stage if your High Pressure seat is indented or wrecked you could have a h.p. leak.

Also if that is not your problem I would suspect indented low pressure seats on the 2nd stages or they may be that badly out of tune. If they need an adjustment you need a Mares lever height adjusting tool ( ideal but can get away without it)!1 Have a tech look at it if you don't know much about regs!!


Mares Abyss generally don't freeze I never have been on an Ice dive where i've seenn one let go!!

Good Luck and start with the easy stuff first!

Len

 

[wetlettuce]

Hi

By your last post it appears that you have only used them in the pool. If you're saying that your regs freeflow in the pool then there is definitely a fault with them.

Can you explain exactly what happens and where so we can help a little more.

Blandford Sub Aqua can fit kits etc. but they probably won't adjust the pressure differently from the manufacturers specs as they are the official Mares distributor.

Kindest Regards

WetLettuce

 

[totterfield]

Yeh they free flow in the pool.

well even just when i drop the regulator in the water at the surface it frre flows, then at the bottom of the pool i was doing AAS, so i took the reg out of my mouth and it started to free flow almost immediatly - sometimes it was quite difficult to stop it from free flowing. so u think there is something wrong with them??
any suggestions................

 

[wetlettuce]

Hi

Depending how severe this is it may be just the natural action of the reg. I hope I'm not teaching you to suck eggs but..

If you take a reg from your mouth whilst underwater in the pool and turn it mouthpiece up it will freeflow. It is supposed to do that. Its all about the different pressures which are at that point different inside the reg as opposed to outside. Turning it upside down should stop it, sometimes shake it a little to let water enter the mouthpiece. This equalises the pressure and should stop the reg giving air. You can practice this in the pool.

When you first enter the pool then sometimes your octopus will do the same thing. Particularly from a stride entry and if it hasn't been secured carefully. You can place your fingers to cover the mouthpiece and this should stop it.

Ask your instructor and they should advise whether your regs are acting abnormally

Hope that helps

WetLettuce

 

[totterfield]

i may be a novice, but i`ve used the cheap training gear the club provides to do the training and so i know what makes it free flow, the other regs hardly free flowed at all, i`m not doin much different but it free flows too easliy compared to other regs. i`ve read reviews about the abyss and everyone says how good they are and never metion free flowing. well i`ll ring up bradford and see what they say. also i`ll see if i can get the intermediate pressure dropped. thanks for all you help.

 

[totterfield]

is getting the intermediate pressure changed a big job, is it usually expensive???? and what isdetuning the reg????