Should I convert my reg to DIN?

[Lead_carrier]

If it's a HP tank with a 300 bar valve, there is not a converter to make it yoke. IT IS A HP tank, 3442 tanks usually have a convertable 200 bar valve that can be used yoke or din. In my opinion, either valve works fine and dandy as long as you take proper care and use them without abusing them. I've seen divers manage to mangle up both yoke and din and swear it wasn't their fault(it never is). The biggie is, go with yoke or go with din for your personal takes. I would not suggest going with a mixture.

 

[Scared Silly]

Yoke valves are very cheap, especially used ones. For now you could just one and use it.

As for the conversion, we have DIN and adapters. But when traveling to yoke destinations we convert them to yoke and avoid the adapter hassles. Otherwise when traveling to DIN locations we just take the adapter just in case.

FWIW all of our personal cylinders are DIN (300 in fact).

 

[parzdiver]

You can always just get a new convertible valve for the tank. Rather than converting the reg, convert the tank. The valves can be had new for about $50, or post a Wanted to Buy here on Scubaboard. I'm sure there are many people with extra valves left from converting tanks to doubles.

 

[Bob01]

Thanks for everyone chiming in!

To those suggesting adapters or a new valve...can't do either...on the 3500 PSI HP tanks they have narrower necks so just cant pop in a new valve, and 300 bar tanks have 7 threads instead of 5 on 232 bar, so can't pop in a converter...

The Legend DIN converter kit looks to contain more pieces than the average DIN kit...looks like a dive shop will need to do it..or back to yoke, if I need it...

 

[parzdiver]

Thanks for everyone chiming in!

To those suggesting adapters or a new valve...can't do either...on the 3500 PSI HP tanks they have narrower necks so just cant pop in a new valve, and 300 bar tanks have 7 threads instead of 5 on 232 bar, so can't pop in a converter...

The Legend DIN converter kit looks to contain more pieces than the average DIN kit...looks like a dive shop will need to do it..or back to yoke, if I need it...

If you go DIN, for the most part you can leave DIN on there and just use a generic yoke adapter on that. It does put the regulator a bit further from the tank valve, but it is much easier than changing back and forth.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

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.

@Peter_C: I have never heard of such a high failure rate with yoke valve o-rings. As I mentioned previously, I've had buddies who have put hundreds of dives on their yoke tank valves without an extrusion event.

A 25% failure rate is suggestive of a damaged yoke sealing surface on the tank valve, installation of shoddy o-rings, installation of the incorrect o-ring size...or very, very, very bad luck.

If the yoke connection were really this unreliable, then each OW class would have 2 or 3 yoke o-ring extrusions every time a tank was pressurized. I have never heard of this happening. Perhaps others have had experiences similar to yours. Perhaps we're just really lucky down here in San Diego.

I have had to replace a fair number of o-rings on yoke tank valves while diving in warm water locales. Those tanks see a ridiculous amount of use/abuse, though.

 

[pedo]

Agreed. I have both and find the yokes easier to deal with but never had a real problem with either.

To the OP, somebody on the Board was selling a DIN first stage for $150. You can probably find as good or even better deals if you look.

 

[Peter_C]

@Peter_C: I have never heard of such a high failure rate with yoke valve o-rings. As I mentioned previously, I've had buddies who have put hundreds of dives on their yoke tank valves without an extrusion event.

A 25% failure rate is suggestive of a damaged yoke sealing surface on the tank valve, installation of shoddy o-rings, installation of the incorrect o-ring size...or very, very, very bad luck.

If the yoke connection were really this unreliable, then each OW class would have 2 or 3 yoke o-ring extrusions every time a tank was pressurized. I have never heard of this happening. Perhaps others have had experiences similar to yours. Perhaps we're just really lucky down here in San Diego.

I have had to replace a fair number of o-rings on yoke tank valves while diving in warm water locales. Those tanks see a ridiculous amount of use/abuse, though.

I didn't say they were all extrusions, just one. I said failures. To me a failure is an o-ring that has ANY DAMAGE! My scuba gear is maintained to a very high level. Failure is NOT AN OPTION.

Go to Roatan and tell me the condition of the o-rings. Just by looking at them I could see the majority had damage and were not acceptable to me. Of course about 1/6 of the tank neck o-rings were leaking too. I carry my own o-rings and change them out without even asking. Nor do I bother the crew with such a simple task.

Yoke sucks, DIN rules :grinbandit:

The Legend DIN converter kit looks to contain more pieces than the average DIN kit...looks like a dive shop will need to do it..or back to yoke, if I need it...

Still looks like only one screw or two screws. What about asking the dive shop if they would let you watch them perform the change. I bet they can do it in less than 3 minutes. Then again if you are not comfortable doing it yourself by all means pay to have it done.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I didn't say they were all extrusions, just one. I said failures. To me a failure is an o-ring that has ANY DAMAGE! My scuba gear is maintained to a very high level. Failure is NOT AN OPTION.

OK. I see that I define "failure" as a functional one and you use the word differently.

Go to Roatan and tell me the condition of the o-rings. Just by looking at them I could see the majority had damage and were not acceptable to me. Of course about 1/6 of the tank neck o-rings were leaking too. I carry my own o-rings and change them out without even asking. Nor do I bother the crew with such a simple task.

To clarify, your previous statement regarding one-in-four failures was on rental tanks at a Roatan dive resort...and in a vast majority of those instances you merely found the tank valve o-ring to be unacceptable (showing any damage at all) upon pre-dive inspection. I don't blame you for changing out those o-rings. When I'm compelled to use yoke valves on rental tanks, I make inspection of that o-ring a critical pre-dive check and replace it when necessary. I'm with you on that one.

Your experience is really an indictment of the Roatan dive op's deplorable tank valve maintenance...not of an inherent high failure rate of the yoke connection.

 

[Luis H]

I have used both yoke and DIN fittings for close to 40 years. I was using DIN fittings before they were even call DIN and I don’t know of anyone in the US that was using them back in the 70’s. I was using Poseidon and Drager tanks with Poseidon regulators in Puerto Rico in the early 70's. Most US regulator manufacturers have not even heard of the 5/8 threaded European connection (know known as DIN).

There are advantages and disadvantages to both. After many years of use I actually prefer the yoke for the convenience.

I have found that yoke connection failures can almost always be traced to operator error. I have also seen operator errors with DIN causing leaks and damaged O-rings.

It is a very good thing that most rental tanks in the Caribbean use yoke connections. Screwing your personal regulator into a heavily used DIN connection could be an easy way to ruin the threads in your regulator.

During heavy use the threads of a DIN tank valve connection will loose some of their chrome and the softer brass will hold corrosion, dirt, and sand which will ruin the threads of the mating regulator. Most of the wear on the tank threads is in the back surface (the loaded surface) of the threads which is not visible from the outside without a very small mirror.

At first when you screw your nice new regulator (into a very used rental tank) you may not even notice excessive friction, but after you pressurize the connection the damage may be more obvious. When you depressurize the regulator and try to unscrew it you may notice a totally different resistance from the threads. The damage is done.

DIN connection work well as long as they are relatively new (anything under ten or even 20 years I consider relatively new) or they are lightly used, but for heavy long term used the yoke connection is far more long lasting. I have yoke connections that are over 50 years old and they will continue to work fine for another 50 years of heavy use.

A one year old tank valve in the Caribbean sees more use than most personal tanks will see in there life time. Therefore, it is a very good thing that we will never see a large fleet of rental tanks with DIN valves.