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Conrad,
You wrote;
> The idea of "primary" and "secondary", often it brings about good -
> bad associations , as with good primary regulator, bad secondary
> regulator. Perhaps that is why I don't like the terminology, and the
> subliminal message it may give.
Agreed 100%.
> Except that the wings cannot completely replace a DS, only for buoyancy
> control, but not for warmth!
True! Life is full of compromises.
> I'm afraid I haven't found the perfect system yet....
Obviously, neither has anyone else (that is practical and affordable)!
-------------------------------
> What do you think of using chlorinated swimming pool water for this
> purpose, or else what proportion of bleach mixed with tap water could
> be used for "disinfection" of hoses & bladders?
> I wonder what the rebreather list people would suggest here...as they
> have a similar problem with counterlungs and breathing hoses, well, the
> whole circuit! Any rebreather user care to comment?
Good idea. The rebreather guys should be able to tell us all about it.
However, considering that tap water sits in or runs through old pipes for days
before getting to your faucet and doesn't make you sick when you come home
from a trip suggests that the municipal treatment (usually chlorine or floride
in the states) is enough to keep anything from growing in tap water for a long
time.
I usually just use treated tap water and/or soap; one or the other of which
should be readily available anywhere and known safe for you and the gear.
You're not trying to avoid all contact with germs and fungi, which is
impossible; you are trying to prevent any from growing during storage periods
or over a week's diving vacation to a population that can goad your pathology
into a good fight.
I would think the only time you might have a problem is in some countries
where water treatments are questionable or sporadic or any time you have to
leave untreated or salt water sitting in the BC for a few days. Here I would
think the pool treatment might be good since it doesn't hurt you in a pool,
it's designed to kill germs, and it would be easy to transport a small vile in
powdered form with less chance of an appallingly pale bleach spill in your
luggage. I would read the label and, if OK, mix it into a coke bottle to
about the right odor, poor it down the corrugated hose, swish it around good
and poor it out. Chlorine is rough on synthetics so watch your concentration.
Rescue units use bleach on a cloth to clean mouthpieces and O2 masks, and
it kills "some" viruses also (1 part normal household bleach to 10 parts water
- a little strong for this, I think). For reusable tools they use CIDEX, a
medical concoction. Both of these may eventually effect the bladder material,
however. You might what to check on using Betadine - this is what surgeons
scrub up with but it stains everything heavily at the concentrations they use;
perhaps a diluted solution would not be objectionable.
I know this probably seams alarmist to some but with the reduced
effectiveness of many antibiotics of late, the rise of flesh eating bacteria,
legionnaire's disease, and aids, the comeback of cholera and TB, the dumping
of medical waist off NY, and the general state of waterways everywhere this is
a cheap easy precaution.
Bottled water won't help - no chemicals.
> So your comments on wasps, caterpillars, and spiders should be taken
> seriously, but you should add cockroaches!
I hereby officially add cockroaches to the list ! Come to think of it,
my daughter let her pet green snake get loose in the house and we haven't
found it yet. I better go check my gear. Later!
Chuck Boone
--
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