Taking our regs to Egypt....???

[Phil]

We leave for our first trip to Egypt and the Red Sea in about a month. We were informed that our regs might not match up perfectly with the Egyptian tanks.....? Is this something I need to worry about, or all regs and tanks the same?
Phil

 

[MikeC]

Last I read there are two valve types, DIN and yoke. If you have DIN on your first stage you can use a DIN to yoke adapter. What first stages do you own? Who "informed" you?

 

[aquaoren]

We leave for our first trip to Egypt and the Red Sea in about a month. We were informed that our regs might not match up perfectly with the Egyptian tanks.....? Is this something I need to worry about, or all regs and tanks the same?
Phil

Hi Phil,
I've been to Egypt couple of times and as Mike said, there are 2 kinds of valves you'll find there. Depends on which dive operation you'll be diving with, you might find DIN, Yoke or both, most better shops have both or at least an adaptor you can borrow. If they are very busy though it may be already borrowed.
Since you are from the US, I'll assume you are using regular Yoke first stage. In your case I just would buy me the adaptor from DIN to Yoke, which is a simple "nut" you screw into the DIN valve. In this case you'll be set to go in any case. They are fairly cheap on eBay.
Have fun in Egypt. It's great diving, you'll be spoiled for the rest of your life
BTW, where are you going to and which dive operator?

 

[mania]

Most of the tanks used in Egypt are US 80 cf tanks with single yoke valve. Converting them into DIN is very easy - it's a small adaptor that it's taken out.
So there shouldn't be a problem.
Mania

 

[Marek K]

Hi Phil--

The adapter/"nut" that Mania and Oren mentioned looks like attached below. Once screwed in (I think it normally takes an 8mm hex wrench), the DIN valve will accept a yoke 1st stage. That assumes that the DIN valve has a dimple on the other side so your yoke's screw will hold; I think most of the ones made for 200 BAR/3,000 psi do.

Like Oren said, most Red Sea dive operations should have plenty of the adapters on hand -- not just for us North Americans; yoke 1st stages are common in some parts of Europe, too. I sure feel better taking my own, though. Two reasons:

First, these adapters have an o-ring on both ends, so there's obviously two possible points of failure if the o-rings aren't in good shape. And I have some doubts about the o-rings when the adapters are thrown into a toolbox somewhere in the shop or on the dive boat.

Second, with our Sherwood regs at least, I've found that certain of these adapters don't quite fit -- the diameter of the raised metal around the o-ring is just barely too small, and the reg doesn't make a good seal. You find that out as soon as you turn on the valve! So it's good to have adapters that you know will fit your reg.

I haven't seen these adapters offered anywhere mail-order by themselves. Worth checking E-Bay, like Oren suggests.

--Marek