Where has DIN been required?

[ColinT3]

I've dived Europe, Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand, Egypt - the cylinders have always been Pro valves and I don't recall seeing anyone with yoke 1st stages. My 5 regs are all DIN.

 

[Gone for diving]

Get din reg and a yoke to din adapter.

It's a bit closer to you head, but i never had a problem...

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

I have no idea where that would be. Check my profile to see where I have dived. For recreational diving, yoke has been the norm everywhere I have gone.

I have never dived in Europe.

Europe and Middle East But I suspect most shops in destinations like Malta or Egypt would have an insert to accommodate yoke. But a vast majority divers will be using DIN.

Oh you might even encounter an oddity in the form of M26 instead of M25 for nitrox/oxygen in special places.

 

[rongoodman]

I do believe I'll be going with yolk.

Sunnyside. over easy, or scrambled?

 

[Brett Hatch]

If you go with DIN, a DIN-to-yoke converter is about $25. If you go with yoke, a yoke-to-DIN converter is closer to $100. So I figured DIN made more sense on those grounds, and went with DIN regs and bought the DIN-to-yoke converter. I always bring the converter, as well as hex keys (Allen wrenches) in a few sizes for removing Pro valve plugs. All of the tanks I own have Pro valves with removable plugs, so I can easily lend them to folks with yoke regs. This setup works well for me.

However, I have never dived in a place where I was glad to have DIN regs, and I have dived in many places where it was unhelpful. All of my diving is in the US mainland, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, where yoke is much more common. If I dived often in a place where DIN was much more common, I would recommend it. But if I could do all it over, I think I'd have been better off going with yoke. Only a little bit better off though, because at the end of the day, using the converter is really not a big deal.

 

[tursiops]

If you go with DIN, a DIN-to-yoke converter is about $25. If you go with yoke, a yoke-to-DIN converter is closer to $100. So I figured DIN made more sense on those grounds, and went with DIN regs and bought the DIN-to-yoke converter. I always bring the converter, as well as hex keys (Allen wrenches) in a few sizes for removing Pro valve plugs. All of the tanks I own have Pro valves with removable plugs, so I can easily lend them to folks with yoke regs. This setup works well for me.

However, I have never dived in a place where I was glad to have DIN regs, and I have dived in many places where it was unhelpful. All of my diving is in the US mainland, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, where yoke is much more common. If I dived often in a place where DIN was much more common, I would recommend it. But if I could do all it over, I think I'd have been better off going with yoke. Only a little bit better off though, because at the end of the day, using the converter is really not a big deal.

Until you get to a place that rarely removes the "doughnut" converter, and then it is stuck in and you can't use your DIN reg.

 

[scubadada]

When my son and I went to Cozumel in 2006, I believe Aldora's HP steel tanks only took DIN. I may be remembering this incorrectly. Other than that, I have never been to a land or liveaboard operator that has not taken yoke regs, of course, most take DIN also. Personally, I dislike using a yoke adaptor.

I dived a DIN regulator for many years and still have it, use it on my pony. I use a yoke regulator these days. I rent my tanks everywhere I go.

 

[Brett Hatch]

Until you get to a place that rarely removes the "doughnut" converter, and then it is stuck in and you can't use your DIN reg.

Yeah, I've dived in such places. "Sure you can use your DIN reg no problem, let me just, let me just unscrew. this. goddamn. impossible. frozen. thing. HURRRRR!" That's where the DIN-to-yoke converter comes in. It lives in my save-a-dive kit, and comes up now and then.

I don't mind using the converter, but it does put the first stage an inch or so closer to the back of my head, so it's slightly uncomfortable. This is the biggest downside of a DIN reg, which isn't a big deal, but like I said if I could do it again I'd go yoke for this reason.

 

[Belzelbub]

Maybe I'm oversimplifying, but it seems like if the OP decided to buy a yoke reg, he/she could also bring along an insert/"donut" and an Allen wrench in the event there were only DIN tanks at destination.

This will only work if the tanks have convertible valves. A yoke won’t fit over a full size DIN valve.

If the decision was DIN, then bring along a DIN => yoke adapter in case no DIN tanks were available.

That works, but it does put the reg body a bit closer to the head. I used it for a while, and it wasn’t an issue. All my tanks are now DIN, so don’t use anymore.

 

[pauldw]

I'd respectfully suggest that it's not just a question of who uses what, where. It's also a question of which technology is best, and that is DIN hands down. Use DIN, and adapt when you're around the tourist shops.