To ADV or not to ADV

[Ferg3333]

I've been diving my inspo for a fair while now, and have yet to add a ADV but will most likely add a BOV before the ADV.

But my question is, is the ADV a luxury or necessity. I have never found the need one (except sheer convenience), and pushing a button is not that hard. I had an acquaintance flood his unit after dumping everything after a electronic failure at 90m. The diaphram inverted and flooded the unit.

What are your opinions??

[nigelH]

Grief. I just looked at my old Bob Howell ADV a month ago and decided I didn't want to feed it another set of spares since the reg he used isn't available in the UK and bought the APD one. Leaning down the loop by exhaling through my nose is a bit automatic now. I just expect the DIL to come on demand.

I have to make myself shut it off so I use the dil inject button is at least once a month. It's not a problem, the button hasn't moved since I trained, just an annoyance.

I had to swap the inhale screw up Lock Rings as I had an old style hose, which was a bitch to get the old ones off, but the whole kit was a bit over £200 so I thought it wasn't a bad deal. I also splashed out on a new flowstop as my Apex one was getting a bit old too but that was another £40. I thought it worth the money.

Now when are they going to finally get the BOV out. My old one is getting a bit tired to say the least.

[Digger]

Necessity. Fast descents with multiple stages and other gear simply isn't doable without an ADV.

It's a safety feature as well - open loop becomes an alternative, I remember a post from Dr Mike where the ADV basically saved his arse (or someone else's he knew)

I wouldn't dive a unit without one. I did for a year, but it's just another task to add to the task loading of RB diving.

Digs.

[Ferg3333]

Their BOV looks good, but the price will determine which I buy as the one dave t mentioned on rbw looks really nice

[Juz]

I don't agree with Digger, I think they are a 'nice-to-have' rather than a 'Need-to-have'.

Although, they are a 'VERY nice-to-have' and I like having mine.

Juz

[Juz]

The one issue I think people may have with the APD BOV is the operation, from what I have seen (interweb only mind) it's a 2-handed operation, I think 1-handed would be much more preferable.

Juz

[Ferg3333]

Originally Posted by Digger

Necessity. Fast descents with multiple stages and other gear simply isn't doable without an ADV.

It's a safety feature as well - open loop becomes an alternative, I remember a post from Dr Mike where the ADV basically saved his arse (or someone else's he knew)

Digs.

by open loop you mean easier for SCR, or could just bailout to BOV? I've managed alright upto now with two stages but three stages is looking imminent towards the end of this dive season.

[broady]

I like using the ADV, helps descents a little less busy

How many of us are leaving the ADV on for the entire dive or flicking the flow-stop at max depth ?

G

.

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by broady

How many of us are leaving the ADV on for the entire dive or flicking the flow-stop at max depth ?

<shrug>I use it all the time as part of my normal loop control. The flow stop is only there for a neg test and the dreadful day when it breaks.

WRT one handed operation of DSVs...
I can work my Bob one handed but I'm working the mechanism against the mouthpiece in my mouth and I don't like that. The ADV one felt quite light and you could probably do the same, I know I could shut my old 'white blob' one handed but I think some people's were much stiffer.

[Depth-junkie]

Originally Posted by broady

I like using the ADV, helps descents a little less busy

How many of us are leaving the ADV on for the entire dive or flicking the flow-stop at max depth ?

G

.

Left on all dives from surface to bottom, then when i get to 12-9m i switch it off as i usualy am running very hypoxic DIL's.

The only thing i do when runnig low PO2 Dils is on surface swims to shot lines etc etc i bang a few squirts of 02 into the loop manualy, just to stop the ADV firing if any big deep breaths occur. But in truth the Odd breath of the ADV would not do any harm as your lungs will have 0.70 PO2 anyway so a breath here and there would only dilute your lung partial pressure a touch.



ATB
Gareth