regulator icing

[Dryglove]

Well i guess all i can say is im glad im only gonna be here for another month.Then it will be back to Ca diving in Monterey where i dont have this problem.Im just glad i dont do a lot of extreme cold water diving or i think i would sh*t can this reg.I loved my reg set up till this last coldwater dive.A lot of it was also my fault for breathing the reg before entering the water and inflating my drysuit while inhaling.Oh well lesson learned.I would also like to thank everyone for the info.It helped a great deal.Definitely learned a lot.Like i said i have never dived water cold enough in CA to have this problem.Now i know if i ever dive water this cold again.Keeping my fingers crossed i dont have too.Monterey is about as cold as i prefer to go.Thanks again!!!

 

[Bob3]

Stash the single hose regs during cold weather, get yourself a good US Divers Royal Aquamaster or Nemrod Snark III & not worry about the reg freezing.

 

[Norm]

To help settle the arguement, (or add fuel to the fire).....for years Sherwood sold a Magnum and a Blizzard. The major difference in the first stage was a slightly lowered IP.* As a matter of fact, their factory service manual still advised to do this years later. It obviously does make a difference. It all begins in the first stage, (and water entering your first stage is NOT a good thing), but the second stage is usually the culprit. A metal second stage, an environmental second stage or a pilot-operated second stage really helps. A sealed first stage, whether diaphragm or piston, is the way to go for coldwater diving - period.
99% of my diving is COLD water and I've never had any problems concerning the long hose.
Regs can freeze in water as warm as 52 degrees F but they usually do it in the low 40's. I've dived in 35 degree water for years with no problems, (Sherwoods and Zeagles), but I've seen regs freeze repeatedly at 50 degrees. To some degree it's the design of the reg, the depth and the demands placed upon the reg. Inhaling while simulateneously inflating creates a tremendous flow of gas at depth.
Norm
*They also used Teflon-coated moving orifices for a few years but I think that they obviously later decided they weren't necessary.

 

[buff]

Bob3 has the best advice.

I am still skeptical of the decreasing IP miracle-it's such a small percentage decrease. I could understand it if it were a large decrease but it's only a few percent.

 

[Josh Levinson]

What people are saying is generally correct. To reiterate:

1) Don't breathe or purge your reg before going underwater.

2) During the dive, avoid quick breaths, which will tend to cool the regulator even more, making free flow more likely.

3) Use air that's as dry as possible. Nitrox is great, because it has less moisture than regular air (because of extra filtration in the case of Nitrox).

4) Before, someone said, keep your reg warm before diving. That's right and wrong... don't keep it colder than ambient, but don't keep it warmer than ambient either. Keeping it right at ambient temperature reduces the amount of humidity that will build up once you start the dive, in turn reducing the chances of free flow.

5) Reducing IP does help theoretically. Practically, maybe not, but it can't hurt. I like the "straw that broke the camel's back" comparison.

I might just add that, and although I don't have first-hand experience, I've heard Scubapros aren't that great in cold water (i.e. less than 45 degrees). Also, yes, air temperature does play a big role in whether you'll have a free flow. The colder the air, the closer the temp is to inducing free flow, therefore the easier it is to happen.


Josh

 

[buff]

I agree with Josh. The procedures he described are the best way to prevent ice up.

Nice typing, Josh!

 

[MSilvia]

Just as an added note, I had a freeze up on entry this weekend. My Genesis octopus purged as I entered on a beach dive, and since it was 45 degrees and misty out, there was plenty of precipitated freshwater on the reg. It froze immediately, and I had to abort, shut the valve, and warm up the reg before continuing.

Be mindful of the weather.