Over a week ago we had another pool session and I tried a few more things. This time I had a mirror so I could see the hose loop and regulator while I was testing it.
I had three separate kits with different regulators to test side-by-side. One had a traditional curved mouthpiece with a Argonaut well tuned for that hose-loop. The other two had prototypes DSV with flow diverters and the venturi tuned for it.
I also tested less hose weights in different configurations, and this time I added a chin-pad.
The chin-pad worked great. With it I was able to reproduce very close to the same feeling I get with the curved mouthpiece (which is my favorite vintage mouthpiece). Note: both the curved and the Voit hourglass mouthpiece have a similar resting area on my chin when I use either.
Here is reduced weights and the chin-pad:
Here is my comparison reference point, the curved mouthpiece. I went back and forth several times to check many detail of the hose-loop geometry.
Note: the string on the exhaust hose is holding a mouthpiece plug.
Here is the other regulator and hose loop. You may notice the mirror on my hand.
John’s daughter was photo bombing,
while I am checking my rig.
In this shot I also tried some weights on the mouthpiece itself. If you look closely, you may see the chin-pad on the bottom back of the mouthpiece.
Here is the prototype chin-pad. I just used some hard foam I have that came with sticky-back tape. It took me a moment to put it together.
The use of the chin-pad goes a long ways toward not needing any hose weights or at least reducing the amount needed. I still like lowering the hose loop, but it may become more of a personal preference.
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