Underwater World is the Philadelphia Region's Premier Scuba Shop and Training Facility!
495 Easton Rd - Route 611 - Horsham PA 19044 - (215) 672-4180
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SCUBA EQUIPMENT AND DIVE PRODUCTS
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DIVE EQUIPMENT: TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY
REGULATORS · BUOYANCY COMPENSATORS
KODAK SEA PROCESSING
· DIGITAL CAMERAS
REGULATORS - How to make the right decisions.
As the keystone of safe diving, regulators are
the single piece of equipment that brings out the most questions and stirs
the most debates. In this brochure, we will try to demystify regulators for
you, allowing you to make a reasonable decision on the regulator best
suited for your needs.
AIR FLOW THE KEY
Basically, what we want out of a regulator is air flow
enough air under all conditions, and with little effort. There are several
things that cause air flow to vary. First of all, it is important that you
understand that air is a fluid, very much like water. If you cause it to
turn corners or change direction, it will slow down. If you make an
opening too small, it will restrict the flow, especially at lower
pressures. (Where you may be able to force air through a small opening
at 3000 psi, it will be harder to force air through that same opening
when the tank pressure is 500 psi.) As we go deeper, the air becomes
more dense, or thicker (Remember Boyle’s Law.) This makes it harder
to move the air through the same size openings. A good regulator is
designed to handle these problems better than an inexpensive regulator.
This is done by producing a more finely designed and machined first
stage. It is the first stage where the real action takes place.
There are other tricks such as large diameter hoses and devices to
create venturi flows in the second stage, that will also help the
flow of air. Talk to the professionals at Underwater World and
they will explain these features in detail.
PISTON OR DIAPHRAGM -
Balanced or Unbalanced
Ah !! The perennial debate. Usually conducted by divers who really do not
understand the real difference. First of all, let us dispel a common
myth. There can be balanced or unbalanced piston regulators, but a
diaphragm regulator is, by definition, a balanced regulator. You
cannot have an unbalanced diaphragm. Without getting into the
actual mechanics of it (We do that in our Equipment Specialist Course),
you should know that a good balanced regulator will maintain its
breathing characteristics as you go deeper or as your tank pressure drops.
In an unbalanced regulator the changes are more noticeable. Why build an
unbalanced regulator? It is a simpler design and less expensive to build.
It will therefore will sell for less. Although an unbalanced regulator is
perfectly safe to use, we generally recommend it mainly for pony bottle
use only. That said, do you buy a balanced piston or a diaphragm
regulator? There are some excellent regulators in both of the categories.
We would recommend regulators such as the Scubapro Mk25/S600,
the Aqualung Legend LX,or the Oceanic Delta 3/CDx5. Some
regulators are equipped with hose swivels. Swivels
on the first stage allows the regulator hose to
follow the turn of your head without tugging at your
second stage, which should rest comfortably in your mouth. These swivels do change the
direction of air flow and they could affect the flow.
"Captured" o-rings, as you find in a swivel,
are usually pretty trouble free, especially if you have
your regulator serviced at least once a year (Hint, Hint).
And the airflow difference in a top-of-the-line regulator
is negligible. Do you need swivels? No. But we do like
them on our regulators.
ADJUSTABLE SECOND STAGES ??
Again, not a necessity, but nice to have. An adjustable second
stage, as found on the Scubapro MK25/S600, the Aqualung Legend LX and the
Oceanic Delta regulators, allows the diver to adjust the
breathing effort of their regulator, even while on the
dive. It is simply a knob on the second stage that turns.
Turn it one direction and it may stop a slight free flow
(saving you a trip to the shop), turn it the other direction,
it makes your regulator breathe easier.
WARRANTIES
Aqualung, Scubapro, and Oceanic regulators all come with a
lifetime warranty on parts. This means that you pay to
get your regulator overhauled annually, and we charge any
parts to them. It will definately save you a couple of
bucks. (This, of course, is ONLY available if you purchase your
equipment through an authorized dealer. It is important that if you are
buying equipment that you are sure. You could check the manufacturers' web site
if you have and doubts.) And with our Preferred Customer Program, if you
purchase your regulator from Underwater World you will
receive a $15 discount on your annual overhaul.
WHICH MANUFACTURER?
Now, it is starting to come down to your preferences.
The big three in regulators are Aqualung, Scubapro and Oceanic. These are
all American made and very popular regulators. This means wherever
in the country (or the world) you wind up, you will be able to find
parts for your regulator and people who can work on it. Buy a regulator
made overseas, the parts must come from overseas. This can sometimes
mean substantial delays. Stick to the home brands.
HOW TO CHOOSE??
We, at Underwater World, believe that the best way
to make a decision is to come into Underwater World and talk with our professionals.
We will discuss the type of diving that you plan on doing and make a recommendation
as to the best purchase for you. I tell my students that they should just find a dive
shop that they trust (hopefully, that is us) and take advantage of the expertise of
their personnel. There is no need for you to be a regulator expert. We can be that
expert for you. Come in and see us. Or give us a call with any questions and we
will steer you in the right direction.if you decide you need to buy on line, remember that
Aqualung and Scubapro do not allow on-line sales. We can sell you Oceanic products through our
Oceanic sponsored web site. Click here
to enter that site.
One of the most important decisions we make in choosing the proper diving
equipment is the choice of our buoyancy compensator. We will try to help
guide you through the many choices that you can consider.
THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION
Fit - Fit - Fit !! The bc is a fit item. There is no way around it. This is
your most important consideration. It is like your mask. You can't pick out
one that you like and then try to get it to fit. Figure out which ones fit
and then choose from among them.
TYPE OF FLOTATION
There are basically three types of flotation. Back-mounted. Flow-through.
Wrap-Around.
Many people criticize the back mounted bcs, stating that they will push you
face down in the water when you are at the surface. It is true that there is
more of a tendency towards this, but a simple shift in your body position
will counteract it. As a matter of fact many of our instructors dive with
this type of bc. The flow-through bc (primarily the ScubaPro Stab Jacket),
seems to be preferred only by those who were trained exclusively on them. The
disadvantage is that the shoulders are not adjustable and therefore fit
suffers. The wrap around jacket is the standard jacket used by most divers.
WEIGHT INTEGRATED
Although this is not a new idea, it is just recently that good weight
integrated bcs have come on the market. And there are some real advantages to
these bcs. For instance, when at the surface, most of us have noticed that
the bc tends to ride up on us. That is because the bc, full of air, is
buoyant. The diver with a weight belt wrapped around him is negative. He is
pulled out the bottom of the bc by the weight belt. With a weight integrated
bc, the diver is actually buoyant and at the surface tends to float up into
the bc. This should eliminate that tendency to ride up. We also eliminate the
problem of the weight belt loosening up and slipping off our waist as our
suit compresses. And finally it eliminates the problem of the weight belt
turning on the body so that the buckle is no longer within reach. It seems
that the advantages favor the proper weight integrated bc.
LIFT
You often hear the comment that you need more lift in cold water than in warm
water. I assume the thought is that you are wearing more stuff (i.e. more
weight, thicker suit) in cold water. However, remember that you should be
starting your dive neutrally buoyant, whether in warm or cold water. At that
point 20 pounds of lift is 20 pounds of lift. It will hold you in the same
position either way. The only real reason to have more lift is if you are
diving in rough water and want to be held higher out of the water. But
remember that a bladder that gives you more lift is larger and, therefore
creates more drag. I would not worry too much about comparing lift.
INTEGRATED AAS/PI
Another item that has been around for several years but is only lately
refined to a point where we are willing to recommend it is the integrated
alternate air source and power inflator. This unit is designed to replace
your octopus and eliminate one hose from your regulator. Your octopus
actually becomes part of your power inflator. When using this type of
alternate air source you would give your buddy your primary and then you
would breath off the alternate air source. The disadvantage is that both
divers have their regulators out of their mouths during an emergency.
However, if you dive with the same person regularly and practice
occasionally, there should not be a problem.
THE LADIES
Today we have bcs that are designed specifically for women. Believe it of not it
really does make a difference. We carry several different women's models, such as
the Seaquest Diva, the Scubapro Ladyhawk, or the Oceanic Isla.
These bcs are designed so that they are shorter waisted and sit above
the women's hips. The shoulder straps are designed to carry the weight of the
tank in a way that they do not cross the woman's breasts as the straps on a
man's bc does.
ACCESSORIES
Although most bcs come with some accessories to hold your octopus and
console, we have generally found that after-market devices seem to work
better. Many of the devices that come with the bc hold the octopus and
console by the hose. This allows it to dangle too far from the body. We have
other devices that will hold your octopus by the mouthpiece or the console by
the gauge itself. This is definitely a better way to do it and the cost is
usually less than $5.00 for these devices.
MAINTENANCE
Maintaining your bc is not very difficult. You should wash it off in fresh
water whenever you use it, especially in salt water or chlorine. Also make
sure that you empty any water out of the bc. To do this, inflate the bc, turn
it upside down, and press the oral inflator button. If you have gotten salt
water in your bc, you should rinse out the inside. If you do not the water
will evaporate inside the bc leaving behind salt crystals. These salt
crystals are hard and sharp and can actually puncture the bc bladder, usually
with many tiny holes. To prevent this just pour water in through the
inflator, swish it around, and dump it out. It is also a good idea to use BC
Wash to clean out the inside of your bc occasionally. This not only dissolves
the salts; it prevents any "growth" from occurring. Finally, have your bc
overhauled annually as you do with your regulator.
BUOYANCY COMPENSATORS
We really prefer that you come into the store for the best selection and to get fitted properly. AS we said at the beginning, fit - fit - fit!! If that just doesn't work for you, we have an Oceanic authorized on-line shop wher you can still purchase for us, receive the same warranty and the same Underwater World service, and have it shipped directly to your home. Just Click here.
KODAK SEA PROCESSING - Get Color that's to dive for.
See your underwater memories the way they looked. Kodak Sea Processing
brings your dive pictures alive.
DIGITAL PROCESSING
Using digital processing, color correction, and contrast expansion, Kodak Sea Processing takes your
underwater pictures from boring to brilliant. Underwater photos need special treatment for best results.
Kodak Sea Processing does it, traditional processing doesn't.
COLOR THAT'S SPECTACULAR AND IMAGES THAT POP.
Digital enhancement technology from Kodak Sea Processing does wonders for pictures on
land and sea. You'll get sharper brighter photos than ever before. Prints are easy to handle and
share and are printed on Kodak Royal Paper.
INDEX PRINTS
See your pictures at a glance with the convenient index print that comes with each roll processed.
And your negatives come in protective sleeves.
YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITES
Kodak Sea Processing can take your previously processed negatives and bring them alive with its special
techniques. You will be thrilled. Bring or send us your old negatives and we will take care of them
for you.
DO IT YOURSELF
Another option to bringing your film to us is to use Kodak Sea Processing self mailers. Available from
Underwater World, you place one roll in each mailer and drop them in the mail. The processed prints will
be delivered directly to your home.
SPECIAL GIFTS
Kodak Sea Processing can take your negatives and put them on mouse pads, hats, t-shirts, mugs and more. You can
decorate you home or office or give them to your friends to remind them what a great photographer
you are. Or have us put them on CD and you can e-mail them to your buddies. The possibilities are endless.
techniques. You will be thrilled. Bring or send us your old negatives and we will take care of them
for you.