Why is DIN not the standard in diving?

[GrumpyOldGuy]

It simply comes down to the cost of change in a established industry vs the benefits. One can argue DIN is better, stronger and captures the O-ring. These are not huge issues for the typical rev diver / charter op on 3000 psi tanks. The cost to retrofit all the existing tanks plus most of the existing tanks in the US centric dive ops a is huge. Add the outcry from the diving public who would have to replace their gear. Next, recognize that Scuba is basically a self controlled industry in the US, so far the the federal government has uncharacteristically avoided aggressive regulation. So the dive industry, which is profit motivated has little reason to aggressively enforce DIN unless something like 4,0000 PSI tanks become common where the technical limits of Yoke become a catalyst for change.

 

[Farback]

The metric system is the tool of the devil!

Grandpa Simpson on the Metric System

 

[Rich Keller]

The DIN came into more common use when the industry was toying with the idea of carbon fiber wrapped tanks that could be filled to 5000psi and therefore needed something stronger then a yoke connection. That never went too far in this country but some saw this as a safer connection for applications like cave diving. There is no need for DIN in typical recreational diving and yoke is far more common in rental tanks so I have never seen a need to change.

 

[Bob DBF]

So the dive industry, which is profit motivated has little reason to aggressively enforce DIN unless something like 4,0000 PSI tanks become common where the technical limits of Yoke become a catalyst for change.

I'm assuming you mean 4,000 PSI, at which my 1970 something Sherwood 4000 yoke reg, which was built for 4000# service, will come in handy.


Bob
----------------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet

 

[windapp]

I think the term to use here is that YOU SHOULD NOT USE 235 BAR regulators on 300 BAR cylinders, however due to the intelligence of some people wanting to do so, adapters have been made to allow this, crazy as it may be. I ensured all my DIN regs are 300BAR so I can fit them to anything I want (235 BAR DIN or 235 BAR Yoke cylinder with adapter). Although all my new cylinders now have DIN/Yoke valves in them making them very versatile.

I think the more accurate phrase would be "You should not use 235 bar regulators on cylinders filled to 300 bar". The cylinder design pressure is irrelevant.

 

[Tigerman]

I think the more accurate phrase would be "You should not use 235 bar regulators on cylinders filled to 300 bar". The cylinder design pressure is irrelevant.

The tank valve however is NOT irrelevant and Id think the vast majority of 300 bar tanks has 300 bar valves - in wich your 232 bar 1st stage wont fit properly. Itll seat, youll be able to screw it to the end of the threads and itll still leak like a colinder because the 300 bar tank valve is too deep for you to get a o-ring seal..

 

[DaleC]

Why should there be a standard? What's the motivation? Are a lot of people dying from the use of Yoke valves or something?

 

[Tigerman]

Why should there be a standard? What's the motivation? Are a lot of people dying from the use of Yoke valves or something?

Why ONE standard would be better than two is pretty obvious isnt it? If there was ONLY yoke or ONLY DIN then all gear would be interchangable, no adapters, no letting dive shops know you need one or the other, no fuss..
Now thats not gonna happen of course, but its a rather obvious upside to it..

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Why ONE standard would be better than two is pretty obvious isnt it? If there was ONLY yoke or ONLY DIN then all gear would be interchangable, no adapters, no letting dive shops know you need one or the other, no fuss..
Now thats not gonna happen of course, but its a rather obvious upside to it..

I thought there were 2 types of DIN connections? I realize there is some downward compatibility, but did not think it was 100% interchangeable. I was under the impression a low pressure DIN reg could not connect to a HP DIN source to the the length of the threads or similar.

 

[Tigerman]

I thought there were 2 types of DIN connections? I realize there is some downward compatibility, but did not think it was 100% interchangeable. I was under the impression a low pressure DIN reg could not connect to a HP DIN source to the the length of the threads or similar.

Yup, so currently we pretty much even have 3 standards rather than 2 which makes it even worse. However if you have 300 bar 1st stages they can be used on 232 bar tanks just not the other way around..