Quote:
Originally Posted by CompuDude
Quote:
Originally Posted by K-Valve
Oops...forgot one important piece of equipment I always bring with me...solo dive or not. Since I do a lot of my diving in low to no vis I always have a compass. I take bearings above water before I submerge. As soon as I touch the bottom I check those bearings uw and note my depth. Good nav is crucial. Sorry I forgot to mention that.
CompuDude, or anyone else, this is a bit of an aside from this topic, but do you have any experience with Y-Valves or dive with anyone who uses one? I have been considering switching from H to Y on a couple of my singles, but haven't collected enough info yet to make an informed decision. TIA!
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You'd think compass would go without saying. It's foreign to me, since low viz and currents means a compass is a mandatory part of a diver's kit in these parts, but I read from people say all the time that they never bother to bring a compass. Just bizarre... Good to mention, though.
I've never used a Y valve. I used an H valve once... just long enough to convince myself that the hose routing was funky and I didn't like the bulk right behind my head. I don't use them anymore, since pretty anything that dicey that a blown first stage is a serious risk I'll be diving doubles or at least slinging a 40 anyway. I'll note that I've seen H valves a lot more than I've seen Y valves (I actually can only recall seeing one in actual use), so there's certainly a popularity factor there that may have some solid reasoning behind it. Are you unhappy with your H valve, or just curious? |
No, mostly just curious. I like the H-Valves for the most part. I do like a couple of the design features of the Y-Valve...the one-piece construction (i.e. the 2nd valve on the H-Valve is a separate, attached piece...which is not the case with the Y-Valves I've seen) and the fact that they are centered over the tank. Is this making sense? Probably minor details, but the 2nd valve on the H-Valve is seems like a possible failure point to me. I'm probably just over thinking this and leaning toward being over cautious.
Popularity may be due to solid reasoning or good marketing...of that I am unsure. Consider the popularity of Yoke vs. DIN.
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JohnA
"I would like to be able to admire a man’s opinion as I would his dog -- without being expected to take it home with me." ~Frank A. Clark
