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Steve: Why water in your first stage? This can only happen three ways. 1 leak past or through 1st stage diaphram. You should be able to hear this or at least see the bubbles. 2 at some point the tank was drained causing a vacuum and drawing water back through the 2nd stage into the tank. Using the reg on a stage with the valve off and losing your "charge" could also get water in there but that small amount should clear in a couple of breaths. 3 highly possible, too high of dew point in your fill. Here in Ontario the OUC air test allows a max of -54 C dew point but the test is only required once a year. Dept. of Labour for Fire fighting equipment is somthing like -74 C because of colder winter surface temps. Keep in mind that a pressure drop from 3000 to ambient can easily be 50 to 60 C. Moisture in the first stage can definitly cause freezing but moisture in the second stage only will only cause flying ice chunks in very cold water. From experience, on ice dives keep your tongue in front of the mouth piece as the ice chunks hurt and burn if inhaled. I have never used the first stage anti- freeze cap and have never had a first stage failure. I have had an ice block form around the reg and valve that had to be hammered away to change tanks, but this usually happens immediately on surfacing and not underwater. The only regulator that I've found better under the ice is the Sherwood Blizzard but not for deep or working. Definitely not a high volume reg. Someone else was asking about the difference between the Blizzard & Maximus first stages but I deleted by mistake. Unless things have changed in the last two years, the first stages are different. Although they are both dry air bleed, the Blizzard because of its cold water design has a lower intermediate pressure (125 versous 145/150) and lower air flow hence it's shallower depth rating but better cold water rating. Ian you wrote: >I did an unplanned experiment in Feb on reg freeze ups. I was diving >in Lake Winnippeaukee. The air temp was approx 10F. I am using two >Odins, on an H-valve. One had been serviced the day before the dive, >the other had approx 60 dives since service. The one with the dives >on it froze, the freashly serviced one didn't. Out of curiosity, >I serviced the one that froze. There was a small amount of water >in the first stage. > >My point is, I think any Grade-A reg will be OK in ice diving >service, BUT if there is any water at all in the first stage, >you risk freeze up. > >Just my opinion, to muddy things up farther. > > >Stephen Galperin >-- >Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@terra.net'. >Send subscription/archive requests to `techdiver-request@terra.net'. > >
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