Rinsing environmentally sealed 1st stage

[shogan]

Since sherwood uses constant air oozing out (dry air bleed) to keep the water and contaminates from getting in I don't see how soaking an unpressurized sherwood 1st would be the best way to handle it.

Per the mfg directions it says. With the dust cap securely in place rinse the 1st and 2nd stage.

Can someone explain to me how soaking with no pressure would not allow water to infiltrate. On the sherwood. I realize this is slightly different from other brands.

 

[halocline]

The sherwood dry air bleed is a one way valve that should not let any water in the ambient chamber; but that reg is one that would be better soaked while pressurized.

Salt water infiltrates threads, joints, any possible place on the reg, and it's very important to get the salt out as it's very corrosive. After soaking you could easily pressurize the reg for a short while to bleed out any water than might have migrated up the valve a little.

 

[jbrians]

In my experience, which granted is limite compared to some of you who have posted already, is that you can rinse any of the first stages off under a flow of running water and as long as the dust cap is in place, or the reg is under pressure, you are good to go.
If you are soaking for long periods, like after a week of live aboard diving in SW, then you might want to rethink prolonged immersion for one reason at least. The dust caps are not a great waterproof seal unless you stick an oring into the grove. Two of the regs I opened up after the apres dive cleaning had water in the 1st stage and it probably came past the cap.

 

[Scared Silly]

After a trip I soak my regs for about at least a couple of beers. Preferably warm water. As was said salt water gets in pretty deep - the place I have noticed some corrosion is where the DIN/Yoke attaches to the reg itself. No way a quick rinse is going to get in there, even a long soak does not get it all out. The other move the hose protectors around as well, take the purge cover off the second stage to get sand out.

 

[halocline]

I've never had a dust cap leak, and I have some old regs. A little off subject, but this is another advantage of DIN; the caps seal securely against an o-ring in the regulator.

 

[Texfrazer]

The best way to "soak" a reg is to do a freshwater dive after you've done a saltwater dive. Granted, this isn't always available, that's why you soak.

Shogan, I have some Sherwood regs, and I've never had any water get past the dry air bleed valve when I've soaked them. I'm not saying dropping an unpressurized rig down to 30 feet, we're talking about just enough water to cover the first stage and the second stage (bathtub). With that small amount of water, you should never create enough internal presssure to compromise that valve.