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The AGA FFM can be modified to handle two independent second stages elimenating the need to switch masks when you have a regulator failure. The modifications require you to make or purchase a custom mounting block, the best Iv'e seen is made by Greg Zambeck and incorporates two second stages, communications, and hydration ports. Curt At 2:50 PM 3/2/96, <HeyyDude@ao*.co*> wrote: * I'm sooooo glad to be able to talk a little about diving... * * Andy, * * I've been using the AGA mask for about a year now - the real concern most * divers who have even more experience with them than I do express is that if * you have a second stage failure - I mean TOTAL failure - no air coming outta * it - you have to bail out of the entire mask, and take your octo in your * mouth without protection for your eyes (basic OW scuba class). * * I'm told (since this has never happened to me) that should you need to do * this in very cold water, it can create a kind of shock to your system that * makes you inhale, thereby causing you mongo problems. * * I developed a sort of backup system for this when I was wreck diving in the * South Pacific - It is simple, but since it is my own invention, and I'm not * "Mr. Joe Diver" or even remotely related to Mike Nelson - use it at your own * peril: I attached a second hose to my LP line, and on the end connected one * of those "air-blower" attachments (for cleaning photo gear, etc.). Should I * have a prob with the second stage, I practiced slipping the little rubber * tube into my mask, and blowing air periodically. This would allow you get * the hell out of whatever situation you were in, without requiring you to bail * on your FFM. * * Now there are a lot of people who would screech at this, but it was the * simplest, quickest approach I could see to a near impossible failure of the * second stage (more than likely, the second stage would fail in a free-flow * manner, which would just puff your face up with a lot of air - for those of * you who wear FFM's try it sometime - it's kinda cool to bug your eyes * out...). * * Of course, the ultimate is to have some kind of switching block on your mask * to switch to a back up second stage, but so far I've only seen that on FFM's * designed for rebreathers. * * As for CO2 buildup - the AGA has a "oral/nasal" isolator cup that keeps the * CO2 buildup to a minimum. Since I was appearing on camera in my latest film, * I took mine out so the audience could see more of my beautiful mug. I * experienced only one problem that I attribute to excess CO2 - on an 85 minute * dive to 55 feet (on a sunken airplane) - I was breathing pretty shallow, I * guess (BTW- I had stopped smoking, and it was AMAZING how much my gas * consumption improved) - anyway, I got one MONSTER headache by the end of that * dive. * * Later, I took the mask down to about 150' and experienced no problems like * that one dive. It is MUCH SAFER and RECOMMENDED that you DO NOT do what I * did - and if you don't have to appear on camera, then there is no reason for * you to do this. * * Anyway - I'm glad if this info helps you. * * Later. * * Kevin. * HeyyDude * -- * Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@terra.net'. * Send subscription/archive requests to `techdiver-request@terra.net'. Curt W. Smitka Phone: (313) 747-0252 Administrative Manager Fax: (313) 936-8620 Reproductive Sciences Program Email: cwsmitka@um*.ed* University of Michigan 1109 300 North Ingalls Bldg Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0404
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