Info Ocean Reef Neptune III stutter

[DeepBlueDog]

I have started diving with Ocean Reef Neptune III. If I breathe hard, for example when I have been finning against a current, the mask starts to stutter. Also it is more likely to stutter when I breathe through the nose rather than through the mouth. My setup is an inverted twinset with a 150cm hose running from an Apeks DS4 to the Neptune III through a XS scuba quick disconnect. I am not sure how to fix that. I adjusted the intermediate pressure on the DS4 to be right on 140 psi. The mask purges well so not sure what this is. It's quite disconcerting which makes me distrust the mask. Anyone has any ideas? From what I read on this board is quite a few FFM have this issue and people have suggested various solutions from dolop of grece on the diaphragm lever to tighteing nuts also on the diaphram lever. So seems it is the diaphram lever to be the common culprit. But this has not been discussed for Ocean Reef products. Please any ideas??

 

[scubasprout]

Hang in there. I have been working with Ocean Reef on this issue. I recently tested a new cover for the 2nd stage diaphragm that fixed all the issues. They are working on the final production. Ocean Reef is a great company that listens to concerns and suggestions.

 

[DeepBlueDog]

Hang in there. I have been working with Ocean Reef on this issue. I recently tested a new cover for the 2nd stage diaphragm that fixed all the issues. They are working on the final production. Ocean Reef is a great company that listens to concerns and suggestions.

Thanks, but what do I do in the mean time and where do I get this cover? What exactly is causing the stutter? I have read, on this board, that quite a few FFMs suffer this issue. There is a lot of description of the OTS Guardian and the solution has been a dollop of grease on the diaphragm pin or raising the cracking effort. Is there something like that I could do? Where do I plonk the dollop of grease and what should be the cracking pressure? D420 gives a max of 40mm w.c. The demand valve on Neptune III looks like a Scubapro D series type with a concentric diaphragm and exhalation valve so something like the D400 but the venturi switch is more like the D420.

 

[scubasprout]

From what I understood, it had to do with the distance between the diaphragm and the cover as well as the flexability of the cover. The prototype I tested was a much softer cover. I do not know when they will have full production done and going out to dealers and if it will be an upgrade on request or what.

 

[DeepBlueDog]

From what I understood, it had to do with the distance between the diaphragm and the cover as well as the flexability of the cover. The prototype I tested was a much softer cover. I do not know when they will have full production done and going out to dealers and if it will be an upgrade on request or what.

Ok but what to do in the mean time? I don't trust the mask as it is now so it's an expencive brick! Not very good of OR to release something that has this fault!!!

PS when you say the cover do you mean the black rubber unit that hanhs at the bottom and deflects the bubbles towards the diver. Or the blue plastic screw on unit that attaches the diaphragm to the body?

 

[scubasprout]

The black rubber piece at the bottom is what is being changed. It doesn't happen with every unit. Mine was the first one reported to them and they took it serious from the beginning. While trying to figure out why it was happening, more reports came in as more were being sold. One of my divemasters got one the same time I did and had no issues with his. Just spoke with my rep yesterday and he said they are working on production and should be done soon.

 

[DeepBlueDog]

The black rubber piece at the bottom is what is being changed. It doesn't happen with every unit. Mine was the first one reported to them and they took it serious from the beginning. While trying to figure out why it was happening, more reports came in as more were being sold. One of my divemasters got one the same time I did and had no issues with his. Just spoke with my rep yesterday and he said they are working on production and should be done soon.

Well, I don't know about you but I have been ignored by OR so not so positive as you regarding that company