rhwestfall wrote:I need to get my "courage" up to use my DH regs in the ocean..... I guess I need to get another Kraken for salt water, or one I could stomach to "risk" (PRAM)....
Bob,
I wholly understand your wanting to keep your regs as pristine as possible. Here are my perspectives and observations re diving DH regs in the ocean. Since ocean diving is 99.9% of the diving I do I dive all my DH regs in salt water (VR-1, Polaris, VCR-2, Mistrals, Phoenix HPR Navy, Phoenix HPR round label USD, Cyclone HPR DA AquaMasters, Series 1 Kraken, etc). That said (and with the exception of my Kraken which i'll discuss below), after a day, weekend or week-long dive trip I immediately and religiously (1) wash the reg(s) I used with a freshwater hose while pressurized on a tank, (2) dry the outside of the cans, (3) remove the reg from the tank and take the hoses off the cans, run fresh water through the hoses, and hang them up to dry, (4) open the cans, (5) remove the main diaphram, and towel dry any moisture in either can (I even run several dry Q-tips in the hard-to-get-to places on the inside of the band clamp ring and the groove where the main diaphram sits...), and (6) let the whole reg, dust cap removed, sit on a shelf and air dry for at least 24 hours. They stay pristine.
Now, for me, the Kraken is a slightly different story. I do steps 1, 2 and 3, above, but only take the cans apart for a yearly inspection. So far the Kraken design has provided 100% environmental protection to the first and second stages. Not so much as a hint of moisture inside. With all my regs I try and not put them on wet valves, get salt spray on the filter, etc...
On my first Phoenix I got in 2010 (approx) it was installed on my round label DA Aquamaster that I bought new in 1973. I dove that reg for years in salt water without taking the cans apart (even for a yearly inspection). Although it still breathed fine, when I finally broke it down the other day I found corrosion under the band clamp ring and on the parts inside the first stage itself. The HPR 2nd stage and the insides of both cans were fine. A little cleanup and all will be good.
Anyway, I guess the whole point of my rambling missive is to say that these regs were built for salt water use and a little preventative post-dive care goes a long way. I wouldn't worry about diving any of them in the ocean, especially the Kraken. On the other hand I'm sure Bryan wouldn't mind us each having separate dedicated beach-dive Krakens, boat dive Krakens, overseas-travel Krakens, lake-Krakens, river-Krakens, quarry-Krakens, and sit-on-the-shelf-topic-of-discussion Krakens for every room in the house.
. Go dive that Series 1 in the ocean. You will have a blast! My 2psi. Mark