P-valve installation

[limeyx]

Good thread, I'm going to go through this on Friday

As a related question, what caths does everyone use? The Mentor Freedom seems popular, but what about the Freedom Clear, or Rochester Wide Band?

I need to install one also at some point, and am crappy with hardware.
Anything that can be tripped over, caught up in, dropped on toe etc. I suck at.

however, I think the pain of doing it outweighs the $240 DUI wants out of me for the same thing!

 

[divinman]

Doc Intrepid said: Best hole punch is a .45 brass casing

Hmmm.

Don't have any empty .45 casings. Suppose I could shoot the tagger that keeps painting my garage every fricken weekend......

Anyway, I have some 9mm, 357, 357 sig, 40SW, 556, 7.62.54R......

I am sure I fill find something that's the right size. Thanks for all the advice. I am installing one of Barry's systems from Salvo. Long dives ahead, gonna be nice to drink water again.

Terry

 

[onfloat]

I just installed one of those last weekend. I took a deep breath drew a circle and used an Exacto blade. No shell casings laying around. I have to say it worked out pretty good. I didn't use any thing to seal around the hole and did one dive without a leak. The following day the nut holding on the plastic washer down backed off. Thank goodness Hawaii water is only 75 degrees Now I have sealed it with a silicone gasket material. I wouldn't want that to happen when I go back to San Diego in a couple of weeks.

 

[oversea]

Faster is just put a 2x4 inch piece of steel behind the area and then shoot the .45

Ahh would'nt want any powder burns and depending on the .45, you might miss!

 

[ABQdiver]

I'm not going to speak about "what everyone else uses" but I got a bunch of the Freedom Mentor caths for cheap.

I'm giving them away and getting Rochester Wide Bands. But be warned - once they're on, they're on.

A P-valve is in my future as well.

This statement begs the question: How do you get the widebands off. I'm assuming "Peel and wince".......

 

[jfoutz]

Good thread, I'm going to go through this on Friday

As a related question, what caths does everyone use? The Mentor Freedom seems popular, but what about the Freedom Clear, or Rochester Wide Band?

I prefer the silicone versions such as the Mentor Freedom Clear and Clear Advantage. They have a stronger adhesive in them. I swear, the stuff is like roofing cement. But no leaks!

Oh, this is one area where sizing is pretty important. Too small and they can be difficult to put on. Too large, and they might not seal properly... Now which problem would you rather have? (Don't worry, no one is going to ask you what size you wear.) There's a sizing guide available at:
http://www.mentorcorp.com/pdf/dm_male_measurement_guide.pdf
Don’t forget to consider that you might have some, errrr, shrinkage in the water… Generally the free cath they give you with the valve is a medium. The small is, for the most part, designed for ninety year old men… Extra large is designed for horses. So really you have about three usable choices to pick from. If in doubt, err on the small side.

Oh, the silicone versions are less flexible, so sizing is even more important with them. The latex versions can sort of stretch or take up some slack.

 

[SDAnderson]

If you are gluing on the gaskets for a removable valve like the Dive Rite, here’s a suggestion. After gluing the two gaskets on, instead of tightening the valve down to hold the gaskets against the suit, use a bolt with washers big enough to cover the entire gasket surface. It will give you a better, more uniform compression and thus will be a better seal.

I've found that a few pounds of soft weights will also give good, uniform compression without squeezing out the sealant. Put the wooden block back in place and use a couple of sheets of wax paper to keep any excess sealant from sticking to the block or the weights...

As an aside, I use Cotol to clean the surfaces around the hole but have found that the downside of mixing it with Aquaseal to get faster curing times can be a weakened final product - anyone seeing slightly brittle cured seals when using Cotol? I've been using Aquaseal straight and letting it cure at least overnight, the resulting seals seem to remain supple far longer.

 

[Boogie711]

A P-valve is in my future as well.

This statement begs the question: How do you get the widebands off. I'm assuming "Peel and wince".......

Aye aye sir. There are a few good links on Deco Stop about this. Some tips I've discovered, some the hard way...

- break out the trimmers and "establish a fire break" from the short and curlies. On skin, it's bearable, but get a few stray hairs in there and you'll scream like a 6 year old girl.

- If you get a good fit, keep it on. Heck - go for weeks if you can without taking it off. (Joking... mostly.)

- Hot soap and water does wonders if you can manage to get into a shower at the end of the dive day. But if you do that between dives, it makes the cath a lot harder to stay on for dive two... see the point above.

- If you're a gentile and so equipped, size is even more critical... but it also makes the whole "grip and rip" exercise a dangerous walk on the wild side.

- pre-charge the system before zipping up the suit. It makes sure there are no kinks in the hose and that everything is working, as much for your peace of mind as the integrity of your underwear. There's nothing worse than feeling a warm sensation and saying "is that a warm hose, or did I just suffer a blowout?"

 

[SDAnderson]

Good thread, I'm going to go through this on Friday

As a related question, what caths does everyone use? The Mentor Freedom seems popular, but what about the Freedom Clear, or Rochester Wide Band?

Wide bands rule! They go on easy and stay in place until you're ready to remove them. Sizing is important; Brobdinagian fantasies can have unpleasant results. I've found that the secret to a comfortable removal process is patience, a couple of adhesive removal pads and a periodic trimming of the undergrowth.

 

[artw]

This statement begs the question: How do you get the widebands off. I'm assuming "Peel and wince".......

roll it back in one quick motion, just like a bandaid. Make sure you shave/trim first. Ouch, ouch.