Eazy beeswax, while am sure Gary appreciates you defending him it seems you got the wrong idea from my post. I am not an expert at articulating myself very well in text so please excuse me if my original post did not come through clearly.
First off I was not disagreeing with Gary in any way nor was I trying to discredit him. I was only stating my experience with the AGA and my thoughts on why the mask might offer better protection against free flows. I agree that AGA masks like any regulator are susceptible to free flow and that operator error and improper maintenance are certainly contributing factors. I was just offering up my experience with the AGA mask. Our masks do not have a gill on them so we must don the mask and start breathing on them prior to getting in the water. Here in Connecticut we do not get the weather they do out in the Upper Midwest but my last dive which was an actual emergency response was a night ice dive with and ambient temp of 2 deg F so we do get pretty cold. I had to put my mask on and slide backwards into the open ice. I was breathing on my mask for about 30 seconds. I did about 15 minutes in the hole and surfaced. I went back down for one more pattern and then completed my dive.
As for the heat sink comment I simply meant that the mask having more contact with my face and having warm air in the mask might just help keep the entire mask assembly/regulator and the air around the inlet valve warmer thus preventing the moisture from freezing. This is only a thought and not something I have proved scientifically. I was more posing a question rather than stating a fact. Again sorry if I do not articulate myself very well in print, I hope I did a better job this time.
Mark
First off I was not disagreeing with Gary in any way nor was I trying to discredit him. I was only stating my experience with the AGA and my thoughts on why the mask might offer better protection against free flows. I agree that AGA masks like any regulator are susceptible to free flow and that operator error and improper maintenance are certainly contributing factors. I was just offering up my experience with the AGA mask. Our masks do not have a gill on them so we must don the mask and start breathing on them prior to getting in the water. Here in Connecticut we do not get the weather they do out in the Upper Midwest but my last dive which was an actual emergency response was a night ice dive with and ambient temp of 2 deg F so we do get pretty cold. I had to put my mask on and slide backwards into the open ice. I was breathing on my mask for about 30 seconds. I did about 15 minutes in the hole and surfaced. I went back down for one more pattern and then completed my dive.
As for the heat sink comment I simply meant that the mask having more contact with my face and having warm air in the mask might just help keep the entire mask assembly/regulator and the air around the inlet valve warmer thus preventing the moisture from freezing. This is only a thought and not something I have proved scientifically. I was more posing a question rather than stating a fact. Again sorry if I do not articulate myself very well in print, I hope I did a better job this time.
Mark