Freeze Testing my DAAM Cyclone HPR

[SurfLung]

- I've been trying to get "One More Dive" before the season ends and it turns out Saturday I dove on the absolute last day... That's the day before the lake froze up for good. Check this out:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZT7dQc70QA[/video]
- That morning, the water looked like it might be decent visibility but it sure looked cold. I procrastinated a bit. The cincher was a visit to the dive shop. The LDS told me about two divers in a group of 4 who both had their single hose regs freeze up. I came home thinking, "Geez, I never have a freeze up with my Double Hoses... And that new Cyclone HPR upgrade hasn't been freeze tested I bet..."
- Getting psyched up was a two step process. I figured I'd put on my 5mm wetsuit in the house and if I got hot, that would mean I could handle the cold in the lake. So I went to work setting up my tanks and put on my suit. That approach worked... Before I knew it, I was all suited up and sweating.
- There was some slipping hazard climbing down the icy beach and rocks. But once in the water, the only parts that got cold were my fingers and forehead. Starting and finishing in a warm house is a big help...
- The DAAM Cyclone HPR performed like a champ. I shortened the video so you can't see how many times I dipped in and out the water and then stood in the -5 below wind chill to try and freeze it up. It never froze.
- If it weren't for my fingers getting numb, I think I could have stayed in quite awhile. The BARE 5mm "Velocity" wet suit is very warm. A big thanks to my wife Jill for taking surface photos and video.

[swimjim]

Well, the seasons not over, there's just a change in approach! Ice diving is a lot of fun if you do it right. It's definitely a team sport though. The good news is that it involves Beer and hot chili after the dive. I think you'll find Eben, that a double hose can take a lot worse abuse then that. A few years ago I attended an ice dive up at Garret bay which is on the tip of the Door county peninsula. The air temp was 11F without the wind chill and the water was right around the freezing mark. The ice was about 20 inches thick. I dove my Phoenix and it was the only regulator not to free flow. I remember having to sit in my van for 10 or 15 minutes to thaw the laces on my rockboots so I could get my dry suit off. Any regulator that can make it through that is 10 feet tall and bullet proof in my book!

[SurfLung]

- With regard to ice diving... Been there. Done that. And I don't feel the need to do it again. I did it three dives back in 1973. 1/4" wetsuits. Got dressed in the car. Colder than a bugger. Not much to see under the ice. One lake was pretty clear. The other two were murky. I think I'd rate my ice diving right up there with winter camping. When you're done, you can tell people you did it.
- With regard to my last dive before freeze-up last weekend, the diving itself wasn't all that great. Murky water. Plant life dead and silted over. I had hoped for clearer water. The best part of the dive was getting to play with my equipment one more time. And for sure, I can tell people "I did it".
- In conclusion, I will share some thoughts on being an "Old Fool". At this age range of 57-60, friends and acquaintances seem to be dropping like flies. I've taken this to heart and have been actually pushing myself to do as much of the things I want to do as often as I can... While I'm still able. Witnesses might say, "There is no fool like an old fool..." But, in my case I go the extra mile and provide photographic proof!

[Nemrod]

I just bought a Cyclone also for my favaorite RAM. It had a creeping IP and now it does not. What yoke are you using?

I do not think I care to ice test mine however .

This "old" thing has got to stop, y'all giving me a complex. The guides in Coz observed that we were "old" and apparently there was some remark about "fat" also but since I did not hear it directly I cannot be sure the context. But, I told MC not to breath and I did not breath and apparently nobody else in the group was breathing either because we made the guides cry uncle for a tee-tee break. Somewhere north of 1:30 minutes on multiple dives. They are accustomed apparently to people blowing through a tank in 30 minutes deep and 45 shallow and we all still had 1,000 plus psi even after an hour and a half. I am not sure if they are still calling us old. Bugger this "old" thing. You ain't old. At least three of us went into deco on one dive, I was one of them, I will not fess up the other two but it might not be best to call twin hose divers "old" and let them hear it or hear of it---unless you are prepared to pee in the suit or can hold it a really long time. .

Nem

[SurfLung]

- Thanks Nemrod... I needed that. I'm gonna be 60 in January and if it weren't for people asking, "When are you going to retire?", I wouldn't have started thinking I was old.
- I put the Cyclone and HPR on that "Mystery Mess" regulator project I wrote up here awhile back. It has a vintage long yoke. I've been wondering if the new Cyclone yoke will fit a Banjo.
- I'm thinking to upgrade this even more with that Argonaut parts kit and the Cyclone yoke... See the pitted parts I'd like to replace... (This photo is before I installed the HPR)

- Aside from the pitted appearance inside, this Mystery Mess has become a darned nice regulator. In addition to the Cyclone and HPR, it has green hoses now. I dove it many times this past Summer...