Sidemount - modular vs pro valves

[guruboy]

This question is for loop bungee folks.

Do you guys have a preference between modular valves vs pro valves? Does the longer "nub" on modular valves seem more secure?

Here is the DGX LH pro valve for reference-
DGX Premium Pro Valve, Left (Uncommon Side)

 

[RainPilot]

I had endless issues with the loop slipping off the little nub on my tanks. Switched to L/R manifold valves and haven't looked back.

That being said some pro valves have a longer nub so may be fine for you.

 

[Scott]

My first Sidemount BC didn’t have loop bungee and I used (borrowed) cylinders with pro valves for a time. When I changed it over to loop bungee I had to loop around the handles since I had a hard time keeping the bungee onus the small nub. I believe those were Thermo valves.
I use modular on all my cylinders now. Course I purchased some used doubles which came equipped.

 

[DevonDiver]

Modular is 100% the way to go if setting up your own cylinders.

Cylinders will drop out of the bungee with those 'nub' pro values occasionally.

 

[tbone1004]

for me it's because they're a helluva lot easier to carry with no downside to the pro valves. Gives you more flexibility on how you run your valve knobs as well. I usually pop the bungee over the valve knobs anyway, but handling at the surface is infinitely easier with the modular valves

 

[MichaelMc]

While we are on side mount valves, any preference? Having found some valves very painful to carry, and not having taken careful notes of which, I just vacillated between several based on *pictures*:
DGX Modular: short, not much space for finger with extra metal rib on knob side, why?
Blue Steel modular: short, maybe too tight on fingers?
DGX Modular Long: plenty of space for fingers, flat sides, thicker than ThermoPro
XSScuba modular: look tight on knob side
Thermo modular: nice room for fingers, flat sides, trimmest.

I wound up with DGX modular long, arriving Friday on an LP27 as a pony step toward loop bungee side.

 

[tbone1004]

@MichaelMc I'm 95% confident the DGX and Thermo valves come out of the same factory. They are damn near identical and the new thermo's I have say made in Taiwan on them, so with the price premium, I wouldn't buy new Thermo valves. Now I say that, but I just bought over the last six months a dozen brand new Thermo's from DGX. They were $25 take-off valves that were still sealed in the box and are for stage/deco bottles so that was mainly because they were cheap.

Old Dive Rite/Halcyon square valves. They are very uncomfortable to handle due to the square outlet and short neck, but have the advantage of the square top which makes the valves almost impossible to go out of round if they get knocked over. Not really a major concern, but it is a thing. It is not worth how uncomfortable they are to handle though. I do have a set of these on one of my doubles

OMS-old, not in stock anywhere anymore obviously, but they are my favorite. I have several sets of them, one on doubles, and a couple sidemount sets. I think they're pretty comfortable to handle, and the cap on the end means that the bungee isn't going to come off.

Blue Steel- I have some, but on stage/deco bottles and they're fine. Parts kits for them can be a bit annoying though and I don't believe they make a manifold valve.

DGX/Thermo-if I were buying new valves, I'd just get the DGX modular valves with the long necks. Easier to carry on land and easier to snap the bungee over. The DGX versions are cheap, come O2 clean etc.