DIN or A-clamp? What do you Use?

[ianwheeldon]

just wondering if anyone out there has any preference for A clamp or DIN fittings. i've heard DIN are more prone to accumilating dirt and grit. (surley that depends on the owner)
any particular advantages of either?

[Digger]

<font color='#000080'>DIN Every time. It's much better. If you have a problem with dirt/grit getting into valves, you can buy special stoppers for them.

There's a webpage somewhere on why DIN is much better. Maybe Nigel's pages? Got it.

http://www.nigelhewitt.co.uk/diving/din.html

A good guide to why DIN rules. A lot. A clamp still works, but DIN makes me want to get up in the morning. And it's the only way to go if you want to do the 300bar thing. Which I do.

[ianwheeldon]

blimey digger. did you invent DIN or somthing? i'm convinced already. ta.

[John Gulliver]

I can tell you that A-clamp has been more or less completely replaced by DIN in the rest of Europe, including Scandinavia. Odd that the UK is still mainly A-clamp. I've never heard of anybody having problems with grit/dust but it's obviously sensible to use a dust cover on your reg first stage. You can get them to screw into your cylinder valve too but, like most people here, I personally &nbsp;don't bother.

[Digger]

<font color='#000080'>Now think of that. If I'd invented DIN. Well, let them believe it. Digger Industry Norm. Yep. It was me. You got me. Hands up.

It's the way to go. A-clamp just isn't reliable for my money. And there's a easy alternative! Why aren't we all diving DIN? Because dive shops sell A-clamp as the norm.

What gets me is a mate who dives with a DIN convertible tank, Poseidon A clamp to DIN converter and then screws in the DIN on the other side. Comedy effort, I'll give him that.

Only reason my stage is A clamp at the moment is because it's a 3/4 BSP valve, and I am yet to find someone who has a DIN valve like that for a reasonable price.

But, as you've guessed, I like DIN. A lot. Well, a lot more than A clamps.

Digs.

[Dominic]

I did once get a tiny stream of bubbles from my DIN fitting due to grit on the O-ring...

[Wacker]

<font color='#8D38C9'>DIN EVERY TIME
No problem with grit in 8 years of use, just need the ocasional light smear of silicone greese, on the first stage threads will keep all nice and smOOOOth

Wacker

[ianwheeldon]

thanks for all the replys.
i think i know which way i'll be going now.
A clamp.




just kidding.
cheers
ian.

[Dominic]

Somebody who lives further North than me, give him a slap wouldya?

[Mr T.]

Adapters, fittings, and whole host of Heath Robinson affairs - but what do YOU use on your tins?

Personally I use DIN for all my UK diving and A-clamp for my Blue (warm-water) diving.

So, YD Poll - what d'ya use in the wet?