Stainless Hat

[Bombay High]

Any Sat divers here using stainless hats on deep mix ? Opinions on whether it gets appreciable colder with the stainless hats and a mix of 4/96 or thereabouts ?

Looking for a new hat, and contemplating steel, but cant find one to test drive on a sat dive with He reclaim.

Appreciate any input.

 

[muddiver]

You might get a better response on www.offshorediver.com or cdiver.net

 

[DivingOtter]

Ive used a 37 & 77 in the northeast in march where the water was about 38 with air temp of 25. I didnt notice a difference if that helps.

 

[Bombay High]

You might get a better response on www.offshorediver.com or cdiver.net

Posted on Offshore as well as Longstreath.

John Roat - the founder of Offshore is the guy who has convinced me to try Steel.

Diving Otter - I have tried one on a surface supplied air dive in the North Sea, and I too found no difference.
I have been told that the real difference is when you have a high helium mix (which accounts for most of my diving)

 

[DivingOtter]

...Lucky...

 

[cavdiver]

used a few stainless hats and never found any difference in body temp.

 

[Bombay High]

used a few stainless hats and never found any difference in body temp.

Good to know . With Helium ? What fraction ?

 

[Akimbo]

I did a lot of work in this area when developing the Sat Hat. The Savoie was the only Stainless hat at that time and was just free-flow air so we didn’t have much to go on. It turns out that Stainless is comparatively a poor thermal conductor. Here are some examples:

W/(m·K)	Name
250	Aluminum
109	Brass
16.3	Chrome Nickel Steel (18% Cr, 8 % Ni)
401	Copper
54	Carbon Steel
55	Iron, cast
26	Monel
429	Silver
16	Stainless Steel

As you can see, a bronze hat is another matter. I forgot I was in a hot water suit once and shoved my hand past the neck dam of a Miller hat to adjust or scratch something... big mistake. My head froze the rest of the dive. Fortunately it was on air instead of mixed gas.

Acoustics are better in a plastic hat, but not enough to make up for rugged factor — IMHO.

 

[Bombay High]

16	Stainless Steel

As you can see, a bronze hat is another matter. I forgot I was in a hot water suit once and shoved my hand past the neck dam of a Miller hat to adjust or scratch something... big mistake. My head froze the rest of the dive. Fortunately it was on air instead of mixed gas.

Acoustics are better in a plastic hat, but not enough to make up for rugged factor — IMHO.

Good to know... didn't realise that. I will probably spring for the Stainless.