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Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 12:31:56 -0400
Subject: Re: Y - valve
From: Jim Cobb <cobber@ci*.co*>
To: Simon L Hartley <shartley@sc*.ed*.au*>, <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
IMHO, if you are not diving doubles then you should not be getting in
virtual or real overhead conditions (i.e. caves, wrecks or deco) so you
might as well be a rec diver. Being a rec diver means being able to head to
the surface under any emergency condition. Your failure mode for most if not
all issues is a controlled ascent to the surface.

Other than that you are fooling yourself using H, Y or whatever systems. If
anything it could make matter worse by introducing CF factors into a simple
rec rig.

My reasoning on this is to have enough gas to deal with a problem on the
bottom even after isolating the valve with the problem, impossible to do
with a H or Y valve.

Doubles vs. Singles is more an issue of convenience and logistics. You can't
make a silk purse out of a sows ear so if your gonna do it, do it right.
Don't overhead dive without doubles.

   Jim
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> From: Simon L Hartley <shartley@sc*.ed*.au*>
> Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 16:46:52 +1000
> To: techdiver@aquanaut.com
> Subject: RE: Y - valve
> 
> I'm still not entirely committed to the Y or H valve thing, however I do
> use a Scubapro H valve.  I don't dive doubles (so no excuse there) but have
> found that hose routing is much cleaner with a H valve than with a single
> first stage.  Also means I use a basic DIR doubles layout (with two Apeks
> US4's) saves mucking around with odd hose lengths and different hose
> layouts.  
> 
> Not really sure how effective a H or Y valve would be in practice, dealing
> with a burst hose or o-ring.  Guess it would come down to how quickly you
> diagnosed the problem, which hose or o-ring you blew and how much air you
> had in your tank at the time.  The only time I've isolated one of my first
> stages (apart from in practice) was for a fairly minor leak (I fixed the
> problem by cleaning crud out of the second stage during the dive).
> 
> As far as Y vs H valves.  I haven't used a Y valve so I'm probably talking
> through my arse.  However, couple of things come to mind.  With the H valve
> there is the potential for the left valve to rotate or be damaged WHEN it
> hits the roof of an overhang or swim through (I've done this numerous times
> but sofar with no damage or movement that I can detect (having a single
> tank adapter doesn't help)).  On the Scubapro H valve though (with the hose
> layout I use, see...
> 
> http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/rsm/staff/pages/shartley/projects/gear/first_a
> ...jpg
> 
> .....) both valves are easy to reach and turn.  Two Apeks US4's also fit side
> by side easily (enough space).  With the Y valves I've seen I'd want to
> find out first if I could fit the two first stages side by side as I have
> them now and second if the hoses would interfere with access to the valve
> knobs (which angle down so would sit in closer to the first stages and
> hoses).  I think you'd definately be screwed if you used a tank with one of
> those carry handles on like on the Beuchat site
> (http://www.beuchatdiving.com/frame3.htm).  Tanks with those are hard
> enough to turn on and off on the boat before a dive let alone behind your
> back during a dive (seems like that would defeat the purpose of having a
> redundant valve in the first place).
> 
> At 16:41 5/07/2001 -0700, "James Endicott" <webbie721@ea*.ne*> wrote:
>> Some people like the idea of a y valve so they don't have to have a set of
>> gear for single and doubles.  They can dive a double tank configuration with
>> a single tank.  I have found that my regs fit much better on my tanks with Y
>> valves as opposed to the H valve.  The y valves are extremely hard to come
>> by right now.  Good Luck
>> 
>> James
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Steve Schultz [mailto:se2schul@st*.ma*.uw*.ca*]
>> Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2001 2:51 PM
>> To: Porter, Greg; techdiver@aquanaut.com
>> Subject: Re: Y - valve
>> 
>> 
>> Greg,
>> 
>> Y-valves only come in yoke, not DIN as far as I know.  You can get DIN H
>> valves or yoke y-valves.  There are other valves available as well that
>> offer first stage redundancy, but they aren't very popular and I don't know
>> them off hand.
>> 
>> I think www.northeastscubasupply.com  has H valves for sale.
>> 
>> Let me give you a suggestion that may save you some money.  If your dive
>> really warrants first stage redundancy, you are likely safer to buy doubles.
>> If your dive doesn't require first stage redundancy, why not just use an 80
>> with a K valve?  If you are planning on using a Y valve as training wheels
>> for doubles, I'd suggest just going right to doubles.  If you're planning on
>> using it for recreational dives, you don't need the redundancy, so just use
>> an 80 with a k valve.
>> 
>> Just a suggestion,
>> ss
> 
> Simon
> 
> Simon L Hartley
> RSM Website Coordinator\First Year Course Coordinator
> Associate Lecturer
> School of Environmental Science and Management
> Southern Cross University
> P.O. Box 157
> Lismore NSW, Australia 2480
> Ph: (02) 66203251 or (61 66) 203 251
> Fax:(02) 66212669
> E-mail: shartley@sc*.ed*.au*
> 
> http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/staff/pages/shartley/
> 
> http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/
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