Mares Proton Octo

[rico68]

I tried searching for this info, but didn't find any specific comments.

I'm wondering about a Mares Proton octopus for occasional cold water use. It will be married up to a Mares Proton Ice regulator. Does anyone have any experience with or know about this octopus' cold water performance?

I'm not a hard core cold water guy, but even an occasional dive in Lake Superior can get pretty darn cool.

Thanks.

Rick

 

[scubatoys]

Unless you are sub 40, should not really be a problem with a standard proton... but you can do the metal version, which then would be identical to the ice second stage except have a yellow hose. But that runs about twice the money.

 

[mart1]

I tried searching for this info, but didn't find any specific comments.

I'm wondering about a Mares Proton octopus for occasional cold water use. It will be married up to a Mares Proton Ice regulator. Does anyone have any experience with or know about this octopus' cold water performance?

I'm not a hard core cold water guy, but even an occasional dive in Lake Superior can get pretty darn cool.

Thanks.

Rick

Even the Proton Ice is not very good in cold water, so I would never trus the Proton.

ciao, mart

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Hi there Rick - Welcome to the board!

I've used an identical reg set up for around 150 dives in 5-16C cool water (40-60F) with no problems. It breathes great at all depths. For water colder than that get the first stage environmentaly sealed and replace the plastic occy with a metal one - thats what I'm doing for the upcoming ice diving season. Plastic 2nd stages are prone to ice build up and will free flow in 0-2 C (32-35F) water..

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[rico68]

Hi there Rick - Welcome to the board!

I've used an identical reg set up for around 150 dives in 5-16C cool water (40-60F) with no problems.... For water colder than that get the first stage environmentaly sealed...

Cheers,
Rohan.

Quite a few retailers are selling the Proton Ice as already being environmentally sealed (check scuba.com as one example). Is the ice actually NOT environmentally sealed??

 

[scubatoys]

Quite a few retailers are selling the Proton Ice as already being environmentally sealed (check scuba.com as one example). Is the ice actually NOT environmentally sealed??

Correct... it is not... if you want environmentally sealed, you might look at oceanic, virtually all are, Aeris, and of course most of the Zeagle.

 

[mart1]

Correct... it is not... if you want environmentally sealed, you might look at oceanic, virtually all are, Aeris, and of course most of the Zeagle.

Or Apeks, or Aqualung, or Beuchat, or.....
Problem with Mares is they still use an oil filled compartment, and we all know the danger of this.

ciao, mart

 

[abitton]

Even the Proton Ice is not very good in cold water, so I would never trus the Proton.

ciao, mart

I happen to disagree with this. I have used my Proton Ice exclusively in cold water, down to the upper 30's, at over 100', and have gotten great performance.

YMMV

Alex


Edit: OK, so exclusively is a strong word... I did have 4 dives in 70 degree water... ;-)

 

[Greg Barlow]

Even the Proton Ice is not very good in cold water, so I would never trus the Proton.

ciao, mart

I beg to differ...I've used my polymer bodied Protons for ice diving, and never had the least amount of trouble. My buddy is an ice diving instructor, and uses two of the polymer Protons without any problems.

Cold water diving is more about technique than whether or not you use a metal second stage. All the sealed first stages and heat transfering second stages in the world cannot substitute for diver error.

Greg Barlow
Former Science Editor for Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine
Cold water diver since 1974, and still waiting on the first free flow due to icing conditions.