Swapping regs/hoses - is damage possible?

[simbrooks]

I have been diving a while now with my single tank rig, i swapped out my old reg hoses and have a nice hog set-up. Soon i am looking at getting some redundancy with a set of doubles and therefore i am at least going to get another 1st stage. I was wondering what kind of risk is there of damaging the port interface (male and female) or how much more wear i might incur on o-rings if i were to go back and forth between a single tank and the double tank set-up? At this time i would think once per month i would swap them over and back, as i dive the springs more and more, i will hopefully get to buying more regs. One day i will have the cash to afford more regs (ie a set just for doubles and keep my original single set-up) as i would need 2 more 1st's and 2 more 2nd's, another SPG and LP inflator (would reckon about $900 for that extra stuff), whereas at the moment i can get away with $200 for just another 1st - just wondering on the long term effects of constantly changing back and forth.

Yes i know technical diving requires money, but i am certain that most people didnt go out and buy doubles, enough regs, stages, drysuit, BP/W all at the same time - maybe you built up your collection piece-wise from scratch without taking out your entire creditcard limit and bank account in one fell swoop of about $5k+ (i have already spent a bunch this year on getting as far as i am - at least $6k - with new tanks, reg and recent wing purchase that is now around $7k). When swapping i would lube up the o-rings, check them for damage. I recall asking something way back about swapping out DIN and yoke fittings, but was told just to get a yoke adapter due to damage of changing back and forth - hence thinking the same thing with these reg issues. On another subject, in case it gets asked, i dont dive dry (at the moment), i am thinking of buying a liftbag for redundant buoyancy (i know a few people who dive doubles wet in the springs - all more experienced than me).

Your thoughts please.

 

[dagodiver]

I change the Long hose to short all the time when i switch from my deep wreck/cavern diving rig to a spearfishing setup. I use doubles and singles with H-valves on them so all the gear stays the same i just dont use a long hose when i am spearfishing. No damage will be incured what so ever changing your hoses back and forth just check the o-ring and replace when needed. Also remember that the o-ring is doing the work so put everything together with your hands only and then just snug with a scuba tool. Hope this helps. Im sure there will be alot of different answers this is just my 2 cents. I dive wet also and i dont think a lift bag is a good answer for bouancy i suggest if need be to put 2 wings on if you think you need to, just leave one for backup and if it is needed switch the LP hose from the primary to the backup.
I know there are very mixed reviews on doing this but it works for me and i have had no problems doing this.

I hope i didn't get the thread to far of track.

Dago.

 

[Tavi]

I took the plunge, and got my doubles and all the new regs at once, OUCH!
I keep my tec stuff for tec, and my rec stuff for rec. I don't mix them up. Their is enough planning and checking equipment to do for tec diving as it is, without swapping around regs and stuff.

Once or twice a year I will convert my rec reg from DIN to yoke for travel diving.

 

[OneBrightGator]

You might consider getting H-valves for your singles, that way down the road you can pull the H's off and double them up or just leave them and not have to worry about swaping regs. I'm looking at doing that right now, if I keep my singles as singles.

I would caution against getting two seperate reg setups, it's just more equipment to maintain and you don't really need both, not to mention that money could be put to something more useful... drysuit, stages, stage regs, scooter, 'breather, who knows??

Ben

 

[simbrooks]

Part of the reason for me getting doubles was to avoid the middle step of H valves. The cost is an issue when the $900 could be reduced to only 200 for one 1st stage, that $700 is halfway to a drysuit after all!

As for actually swapping the hoses, i am gentle with them, when i swapped out my recreational length hoses for the long hose and shorter LP and HP hoses for the SPG, inflator and safe second i was careful. Thanks for the reassurance that there is not likely to be much trouble if i am on top of the lube/condition of the o-rings. When i hopefully get them next week, i will keep the 104's for cave country and dive singles most other places - which is probably at the moment a 40/60 split.

Beyond that, i know this is the reg forum, but i thought a lift bag was a reasonable emergency backup buoyancy device for doubles (assuming no drysuit)? Hence the thought involved there.

 

[Spectre]

I decided that swapping stuff around was more risk then not swapping; so the only thing I swap is my drysuit hose when I'm diving argon; but overall I don't swap the other hoses.

 

[OneBrightGator]

I'm a little lost as to where you get your numbers.

If you're going to have a set of double 104's and singles an easy way to not worry about damaging your regs is by using H-valves on your singles, additionally, you're going to want DIN valves on your doubles and using a converter constantly is going to get old (believe me), so you're going to want to replace your yoke valves at some point anyway.

That being said, when I teach I swap over hoses to one reg and haven't had a problem yet, just be gentle, you don't need to torgue 'em down, just snug 'em.

Ben

 

[simbrooks]

Ah i think i might have skipped over various parts of the story (again).

My current reg is DIN (i asked way back about DIN/yoke stuff in another thread) - so that is ok. I have DIN K valves on my single AL80's. IF i buy H valves that will be $150 or so per tank, so $300 total to replace perfectly good valves. Ben you have even seen my set up i thought at Peacock (and maybe at Ginnie too during the BBQ).

The general consensus thus far seems to be, that it might not be optimal, but its not that damaging and from already dealing with the hoses i know its not much trouble either to swap in and out.

 

[wsparks]

As they indicated above just be careful when you swap the hoses on the 1st stage. If you are not it is very easy to get a few dings in the brass on the 1st stage.

Another area of concern is if you are swapping a 2nd stage between hoses. On this process depending on your 2nd stage use two wrenches, one to secure the hose fitting on the 2nd stage and the other to remove the 2nd stage from the hose. This will prevent the fitting from rotating and scoring the LP Seat, thereby causing the 2nd stage leak air.

 

[hex92]

I have 2 sets of regs. I have my full DIN set that use everytime I dive (I have a yok adapter too), and I have my pony tank set that I use whenever I don't dive with my girlfriend. When she dives I put on a set of gauges, octo, LP inflator hose onto the pony setup.

Its a pain during the summer when I dive alone, then go to the quarry with her, dive alone, go on vacation with her, dive alone....You get the picture. But its fall now. She won't dive till next year so no more swapping.

She doesn't have to worry about getting her regs serviced because they're mine so I take care of it. If we bought her another set it would be used infrequently at best, and be another $50 a year in service costs.