Is it worth putting a BOV on an Inspo

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by Timbobaggins

On the subject of fresh sorb. I did a dive at Stoney Death 4 weeks ago on a fresh scrubber. Did 38 mins at max depth 34.9M.

The lime has been sitting sealed up in my scrubber for last 4 weeks. Should it be okay to use for another 35-50M dive, assuming scrubber rules are stuck too or should i just bin it and start afresh

Lime is lime.
Provided you're sure it's been sealed up I'd expect it to take up where you left off. Usual second dive rule allowing of course.

BOVs.
After an unhappy few moments with a reg in my hand but I was breathing to hard to stop and put it in my mouth I consider them essential. CO2 hits suck especially when you know they are your fault. My old 'Bob is getting a bit old so I'm looking to AP to release their new one so I can swap it out.

[NotDeadYet]

Originally Posted by jptaylor9

Putting the case for the opposition I'm not convinced there required, I haven't fitted one. I've had to bail for real when I flooded my scrubber, although not elegant, I was able to get my bailout reg into my gob.....

I had the opposite. I found bailing out for real not a particularly nice experience. That moment between removing the DSV and putting the reg in, a second or less, was incredibly difficult while fighting the urge to be able to breathe. I'm a BOV convert, I can't understand why anyone would make life hard for themselves.

Mine is a Jetsam plumbed to offboard with an additional 2nd stage on the 1st stage as well.

[Timbobaggins]

Originally Posted by Dr T

you are undoubtably gonna get the old is your life really worth a few £s !!

i personally would bin it

ash

Ash i have 4 tubs of lime at home so i am binning it. Just was interested to see how far others push it.

[Dr T]

i am sure some would say it is fine, but for those dives i would go one weekend to the next, but not beyond that. just my preference....


ash

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by AM1

Brents OC/DSV is excellent, I saw the actual unit a few weeks ago in Bradford.

However, watch this space, as APD are not the only ones bringing out the BOV for inspo.

Another case for the opposition. Unless the breathing quality is really good at depth, there is really not much point fitting a BOV. Otherwise, any CO2 hit is just compounded with the stress of breathing at dpeth from a poor OC/DSV second stage, plus the knowledge that another switch must be made, if the BOV is connected to inboard gas.

The old Paragon was a classic case in point, terrible BOV, although things are improving now, but it's still not there yet. For deep deep, I'd much rather stick with offboard bailout with a reg that is a known quantity and breathes efficiently.

Rgds
AM

Ann picks on the one totaly crap BOV on the market. The Paragon was totaly usless fo any sort of diving IMHO.

The Golum and the V4tec both use Apex TX50 internals. I have my one plumbed into of board gas and id happily breath it at any depth for any amount of time.

On my off board i have another Apex TX 50.


The problem with off board bailout is the regs dont get used. As a result they often fail. I have had more problems with regs since going CCR than i ever had OC. I am constantly fighting corosion and leaks on my bailout regs. As a result I trust bailing out to the BOV more than i trust the off board regs.

The off boards are detuned to help prevent free flow. As a result my BOV probably breaths better than the of boards in OC mode.


As for CCR mode the BOV no doubt restricts breathing when compaired to the Inspo mouthpiece. But the same can be said for the KISS, Meg, Dolphin, Optima, rEvo, Paragon etc etc. Either due to the counterlung design or due to loop design.

The Inspo is one of the best WOB units out there.


ATB

Mark

[frosty the snowman]

I was at the AP factory a few days ago. The new BOV has been made but requires a bit more testing and I was told it will be available in about a month.

[Paul Brookes]

Originally Posted by Timbobaggins

No cannot find ought about an apd one. Where do i find ifo re the Golem one please.

Golum Gear:
Golem Gear, Inc. - Rebreather BOV - DSV/OC - clamped

Divematics:
C2 Mouthpieces-DSV(Dive/Surface Valves)

Regards,
Paul

[jptaylor9]

Originally Posted by Mark Chase

As for CCR mode the BOV no doubt restricts breathing when compaired to the Inspo mouthpiece.

That's the rub... you degrade the breath of the unit on every dive, increasing the WOB & who knows causing a CO2 hit. To offset the slight chance of a CO2 hit, that's a 1 in <big number> chance & should be avoidable if you don't push your scrubber in the first place.

Add to this the extra complexity of hoses, quick connects & heavier mouthpiece; I'd personally rather stick with the standard inspo mouthpiece.

But each to their own...

[AM1]

Originally Posted by Mark Chase

Ann picks on the one totaly crap BOV on the market. The Paragon was totaly usless fo any sort of diving IMHO.

The Golum and the V4tec both use Apex TX50 internals. I have my one plumbed into of board gas and id happily breath it at any depth for any amount of time.

What you *would* do and what you *have* done are two entirely different matters. Most of these BOVs are rubbish at depth and therefore pointless as bail out facilitators unless plugged into offboard bailout and including a decent OC second stage. Pointless. Even at that, I'd rather breathe from a decent OC reg at depth than a half-baked BOV.

Originally Posted by Mark Chase

The problem with off board bailout is the regs dont get used. As a result they often fail. I have had more problems with regs since going CCR than i ever had OC. I am constantly fighting corosion and leaks on my bailout regs. As a result I trust bailing out to the BOV more than i trust the off board regs.

No, regs fail because of slack diver attitude. ALL your gear should be regularly used and checked. The safety equipment outside the parameters of day to day diving equipment requires much more stringent checking. Using a BOV as a substitute for rock-solid gear maintenance is a bad mentality.

Originally Posted by Mark Chase

As for CCR mode the BOV no doubt restricts breathing when compaired to the Inspo mouthpiece. But the same can be said for the KISS, Meg, Dolphin, Optima, rEvo, Paragon etc etc. Either due to the counterlung design or due to loop design.

Anything that degrades WOB is a no-no. For the risk/benefit ratio, I am not having my WOB deep compromised for the sake of an onboard BOV that is nothing more than an internet chatroom-induced security blanket. That security blanket will not breathe the same at depth as a decent offboard second stage. All these diver add-ons are just the brainchild of some marketing guy rubbing his hands at divers that are too lazy to do the job properly and without slob-knobs.

There is no need whatsoever for ADVs, HUDs or BOVs. None whatsoever. More add-ons=psychological comfort blanket=complacent diver=unable to cope with task loading.

Regards

AnneMarie

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by jptaylor9

That's the rub... you degrade the breath of the unit on every dive, increasing the WOB & who knows causing a CO2 hit. To offset the slight chance of a CO2 hit, that's a 1 in <big number> chance & should be avoidable if you don't push your scrubber in the first place.

Add to this the extra complexity of hoses, quick connects & heavier mouthpiece; I'd personally rather stick with the standard inspo mouthpiece.

But each to their own...

Agreed its a compromise. i have to say i didn't find any WOB issues with the Golum or the V4Tec on the Inspo. The Ansti machine can find them but I cant.

There is a definite increase in WOB switching to the KISS that I don't need a machine to point out.

The extra weight and hoses etc are also a pain but then so is carrying bailout gas.


In my build up for the cave course i practiced bailing out to OC using the conventional system just in case the instructor insisted we do this an not use the BOV. Doing this reminded me what a PITA going OC was and I also managed to flood the unit when the BOV free flowed and i switched to CC to stop it not a smart move when its not in the mouth


The point being i would rather stay on loop and sort out an issue if the choice is go fully OC or stay on loop.

Since using the BOV i am much more inclined to switch to OC and then resolve the issue. Especially as OC is a 10ltr blown to 250bar and i am not eating into my dill at 70m.

My preference now is go to a reliable known gas if there is a problem. That means bailing to OC. A bov makes this quick, easy, safe and reliable.

The down side is cost, weight and complexity. All things i am willing to put up with for the sake of my kids.

ATB

Mark