Should I convert my reg to DIN?

[Bob01]

Hey All,

I use an Aqualung Legend LX regulator with a yoke. I found a Steel 100 with 300bar din and got it Hydro'd - it passed! I got to try a buddy's Steel 133 (yoke) on a lobster excursion and thought it was freakin' awesome...especially the buoyancy characteristics at the end of the dive....so anyway...

I may be able to sell the tank for $120 (so yielding 80 bucks, after considering the hyro costs of $40)....on the flip side, My shop quoted me $100 for the kit to convert my Legend to a DIN, add in 25 bucks for a generic DIN to yoke adapter for when I need to use a yoke...which I would guesstimate would be not so often since I don't usually use rental tanks, unless they come "free" with a boat dive ;-) ... to sweeten the idea, the shop is also selling a what looks to be well used (*cough* beatup) steel 120/Din 300 that was also just hydro'd for $150 on consignment (My LDS sells new Steel 100s DIN/YOKEfor around 280 with unlimited fills for a year)...if I go this DIN route...I should probably dump my 2 AL80s...one of which is just 3 months old and still has 9 months of unlimited free fills? - As it seems from the numerous posts about the DIN to YOKE converters being annoying head bangers?

To potentially complicate things a bit, my gf is probably going to get an Aqualung Mikron...would it be best if she got a DIN on her setup as well? - so we could share tanks?

Thanks,

Bob

 

[Stu S.]

A HP tank using the yoke often has the "convertable" valve. These use a converter plug that fits in the DIN hole and provides a yoke o-ring. In order to work, the o-ring surfaces of the plug must be thin. After a couple of years, they get too beat up to seal reliably.

That's why I converted the first stage to DIN.

 

[Peter_C]

DIN is a far superior connection. The conversion kits are available from places like Dive Right In Scuba, Leisure Pro, Scuba Toys, Dive Sports or what every favorite store you have for around $50. The conversion takes less than 5 minutes, as it is the same converting it back to yoke.

I wouldn't dive anything but DIN with my HP tanks and all of primary tanks are steel. Actually even my argon bottle is DIN. When traveling to the tropics, I swap the first stage back to yoke. I have a DIN to yoke converter and have never used it.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

First of all, let's address the tank issue...
It sounds like you'll have to assess the value of the new HP100 steel that your LDS is selling. $280 for HP100 (DIN/yoke convertible valve) with unlimited air fills for one year...is a smokin' deal. Whether you should take advantage of the deal depends on how often you'll be diving in the next year and how much you currently pay for your fills. In some locations, divers can get a HP100 filled for $3. Let's say that you dive about once a week (50 times/yr). That's a $150 value. If fills cost more than $3, then the value of that deal increases.

You already have a HP100 (DIN) tank. That's a great tank. You should definitely keep it. If I were you, I wouldn't even consider selling it. I prefer my HP100s over the HP120 that I have. For 90% of my local dives, 100 cuft. of gas is sufficient. I prefer not to deal with the extra dry-carry weight of the HP120 if I don't need it.

Because you already have a DIN tank (and you should keep it), I think you should convert your reg to DIN. $100 for the DIN conversion sounds a little high but not ridiculously so.

Frankly, I have no strong preference for the reg being DIN or yoke. If you own your own tank with yoke valve, you have more control over the yoke valve o-ring. Replace it as often as you wish. If you are renting tanks, then it makes sense to keep your reg in yoke configuration since most rental tanks have a yoke valve. Yeah, the DIN connection is theoretically more secure, but I have friends who have been using their HP steel tanks (yoke insert installed) with yoke-configured regs for hundreds of dives...and they have never experienced an o-ring extrusion. We are all open water recreational divers.

Hope this info helps...

 

[taucherguy]

I am not sure if I understood your question but the cheapest sollution to use this tank would be with a Valve adaptor with such as this one (bottom right V115).
OMS SCUBA Valves & Manifolds http://www.OMSdive.com

I think it would be a great step in the industry for all valves to be DIN and have this adapter for all that use Yoke. This way nobody would need to replace a reg or use a bulky Yoke-DIN adapter. Just my 0.02

 

[Marek K]

I have friends who have been using their HP steel tanks (yoke insert installed) with yoke-configured regs for hundreds of dives...and they have never experienced an o-ring extrusion.

I've always been confused by this. Why do people (not you) assume that o-rings used in yoke set-ups are more subject to extrusion? In a yoke valve, the o-ring sits in a round groove, only exposed on one side. When the yoke reg's orifice is connected correctly, the round flange on the orifice fits a bit into the groove and seals the open side of the o-ring. Seems like there would be no more susceptibility to extrusion than with a DIN set-up -- maybe less, since a DIN o-ring only seals against a flat surface (doesn't it?).

We've had both yoke and DIN, and I'd go a step further. The "permanent" DIN orifices for our regs (Sherwood and Mares) had an o-ring to seal the connection inside the first stage. That's one more o-ring total than a yoke, and an extra failure point. Of course, that o-ring is protected.

Other than the pressure rating, the problem with yoke set-ups is that, as people have mentioned, particularly with rental tanks the o-ring stays with the tank valve and is more exposed to potential abuse. Carrying spare o-rings solves this problem.

Of course, a DIN reg is sleeker and looks cooler.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

I have both and prefer my din. I also have a yoke adapter that I bring along on trips in case I have to rent a tank with a yoke...
Since I run a boat here, I have found that most people have yokes. They tend to not try and snake my personal tanks if mine are all din.

 

[Stu S.]

o-rings used in yoke set-ups are more subject to extrusion?

A "real" yoke valve is going to do better than the pictured convertable valve.

If I could put one of those little converter plugs (like the one in the OMS catalog) in your hand, you would see the problem. The o-ring sits in a groove like any other yoke valve. The inside "wall" of the groove is thin.

With that plug, filling the tank and installing the reg requires everything to be aligned carefully. If a tank fill guy (some say monkey) slaps the fill fitting on quickly and tightens it up, the edge of that groove gets smushed or bent. The o-ring won't seal as well. If a boat helper installs your reg just a bit cockeyed, it will not wiggle into place; it will bend that converter fitting.

After about 50 dives, those plugs got beat up. I could kind of straighten them by putting a big ball bearing on it and squeezing it in a vise.

The convertable valves were reasonably good up to about 3,000 psi. And, they were good when brand-new. Once they got the typical use-damage, 3,442 psi was tricky to seal.

Hope this helps.

 

[Peter_C]

I have found that yoke o-rings fail about every 4th dive vs my DIN o-ring that gets replaced about once a year. I have had a yoke o-ring extrude on me, but fortunately it was as the reg was being pressurized on land. When traveling to the tropics I carry o-rings for the yoke valves and replace almost every single one.

 

[Marek K]

If I could put one of those little converter plugs (like the one in the OMS catalog) in your hand, you would see the problem.

Oh, you're right about how the inserts get beat up. Dents, old o-rings (2 o-rings on each insert). That's why we bought our own inserts at first, when living in Europe -- we'd know the ones we had would be in good shape.

Then finally just converted all our regs to DIN.

Now that we're back in the States, we've converted them all back to yoke again.

I have found that yoke o-rings fail about every 4th dive vs my DIN o-ring that gets replaced about once a year.

We don't own our own tanks, but haven't had nearly that sort of bad luck with yoke o-rings. I just did 16 dives in a week in Grand Cayman with rental tanks, and not a single o-ring failure. Spare o-rings were never far.

I have had yoke o-rings fail occasionally, but extremely rarely -- no extrusions, just leaks when pressurizing. They're just exposed to a lot of abuse. But not significantly higher failure rate than DIN.