Mares cold water kit, silicone vs dry kit?

[84CJ7]

Is Mares switching over to the dry mechanical type of cold water kit now? I still see the silicone filled versions (conical shape with blue center) for sale at various places but most seem to be the dry kit (flat top that looks almost like original parts).

I would think having that area filled with fluid would help conduct temperature changes from the surrounding non frozen water through the metal body better than the dry kit would.
However I would also assume that there would be so little moisture inside the spring chamber area with a dry kit on it that any minor frost that might build up on the dry spring wouldn't be enough to interfere with its operation.

Actually it honestly baffles me that a part of the regulator that is completely exposed to water would be able to freeze up anyways. I would expect icing deeper inside the regulator in places the kit doesn't effect. These aren't all some sort of con and actually completely unnecessary are they?
I could see it possibly effecting things out of the water when the parts are wet in sub freezing air, but I don't plan to ice dive, just dive in a lake that has recently decided likes to hang on to large icebergs in weather warm enough for swimsuits and outdoor pools. (Lake Superior for those that didn't read the news about that this year.)

It would be good to keep crud out of there too I suppose, I don't know about the 1st stage, but I recently found an annoying amount of very fine sand on the 2nd stage diaphragms of my regulators when I pulled the purge covers off, and I can be reasonably confident I am anal enough about keeping them off the ground (or dangling in water) that it didn't happen on the surface. I assume it was silt from a few messy dives.

As far as service obviously the dry kit is cheaper and easier in the long run. I assume the intermediate pressure and service in general for both is similar though it comes with instructions it looks like. I only see the silicone kit in the current big manuals I have copies of.
If it matters my question is for my MR22, though apparently the MR12 uses the same associated parts and kits.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

This is not a specific answer to your question, but here is a great overview by Dive Lab regarding regulator performance in cold water, what causes freezing, etc.

I only skimmed the article and plan to read it carefully later, but check out the images of iced-up regulators.... yikes!

The MR-22 without the cold water kit, like most diaphragm firsts, already has a quite good reputation in cold water, but I'd follow Mares' advice as to when the kit is needed (below 40 deg F?? I don't recall what Mares says). Adding the "dry" cold water kit should make it great.

I own and service Mares MR-22's, but obviously live in an area that "cold" does not enter the conversation

Best wishes

EDIT: Mares recommends the cold water kit for the MR-22 below 47 F, based on my repair manual.

 

[84CJ7]

Really cool read, didn't go through everything but skimmed through and read the sections with interesting headings and looked at the pictures and charts.
One really interesting thing I got out of it was that buying the 2640 LP steel tanks that I did was a good choice because tank pressure is a huge factor in the temperature of both air leaving the first stage and thus also entering the second stage.

Another thing to consider about the CWD kit is that you have to drop the IP by 15 psi as part of its installation. I would imagine that is to help prevent second stage icing rather than because of any changes made by the parts of the kit.
Which of course makes one wonder once again how much use that kit is in the first place.