Equipment Failures

[Bryan]

I went out for a few leisurely dives in Key Largo today.......The MODERN equipment demons were out to get me today.....

BTW, they were impressed as hell with the Phoenix.....But almost as impressed with the new Mistral....More on that later

Either the gauge/computer or the sending unit gave up the ghost and would not register cylinder pressure before the boat ever left the slip??? I messed with it a bit and the 1st mate tried to give me his modern reg but I lied and told him I got it working.....(who needs a pressure gauge when you are diving in a 25' deep 78 degree bathtub with no current and no waves, 100' of vis and an 80cf Alu pumped up to 3200)......Anyhow, I jump off the boat and my octopus/safe 2nd starts freeflowing like a madman!!! Another diver turned my air off and I held on to the mooring line and by pulling the center cover off the 2nd statge I could tell the 2nd stage lever was stuck down....I messed with it and pried up too hard on the lever and it came off and fell to the bottom.....So anyway I gave the Capin the OK and proceeded to dive my ass off all day with NO pressure gauge and NO Octopus/Safe 2nd stage....

Old #7 with the Phoenix worked like a champ......
The new Mistral worked great too but even after putting 1lb of hose weights on they STILL float up and wear your jaw out....

[1969ivan1]

That is the way it should be anyway. All you need now is to break your horse collar and you are perfect!

[JES]

Glad to hear that even with all of the gremlins you were still able to dive (and enjoy it).

[Nemrod]

I fear that the air integrated thing is one of those ideas that sounds great but does not work so well. It is still a beautiful computer with or without the air integrated option. Get yourself an SPG, they just about always work 99.999999999% of the time.

Funny story, who needs all that junk in 25 feet of water anyways .

James

[Bryan]

Funny story, who needs all that junk in 25 feet of water anyways .

James

There are tools diving NITROX in the keys......98% of the divers that dive there are not from Florida.....I have been in swimming pools that were more dangerous than diving here. You are more likely to end up going to the wrong boat to get picked up from than you are to have a problem underwater. The water is so clear and calm that you can see the number of fingers a diver is holding up underwater from the surface.....BTW.....Between Homestead and Key Largo there are 3 or 4 diving equipment outlet stores.....A couple of the rival the size of a small dept store....." STEP RIGHT UP Mr/Mrs/Miss Tool. We have all the crap you could want and even stuff you don't know that you want...