Autodump

[Dominic]

I've got a low-profile Apeks autodump on my drysuit, which I've not had any problems with until the last few weeks. But now it's starting to be an arse, and it's not dumping air when it should.
So I'm considering dumping it (no pun intended) and replacing it with a SiTech one.
Two questions:

Is it worth it?

How much hassle is it to change them over?

Many people have slated Apeks low-profile in favour of SiTech, but how much better are they?
Is it a simple unscrew old & screw in new, or are SiTech like the Apeks with half a dozen ways of putting it together and only one correct?

[Finless]

Fill the hole in and get a cuff dump - you know it makes sense really.

[awalker]

I am really interested in the answer to this as well. As it looks like I might be fitting one very soon.

As an addition to this question

My wifes otter drysuit has been fine for 3 years however it needed a new zip fitted. About a month a go or so, it seemed like a good job.

It now leaks on every dive through the low profile Apeks dump valve. It was pressure tested after having the zip fitted could this have damaged the dump?

[Finless]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (awalker @ Sep. 24 2003,16:14)]IMy wifes otter drysuit has been fine for 3 years however it needed a new zip fitted. About a month a go or so, it seemed like a good job.

It now leaks on every dive through the low profile Apeks dump valve. It was pressure tested after having the zip fitted could this have damaged the dump?

I would have thought it more likely to have got dirt in it.

If there is nothing to daunting about dismantling an autodump I'd take it apart and clean it (making sure the rubber flange is not damaged or perished). No problem to do on a "cuff dump" but I don't know on an autodump.

[Dominic]

Trouble with that, Finless, is that Apeks state there are six ways of putting their autodump together. And only one of them works...

[MartinS]

Hi Dom
I fitted my SiTec dump myself, so if I can...
Place rubber washer against back of dump, push through hole in suit, add final washer, do up back nut - job done!
Now I think even you could manage that!
Regards
Martin

[Davey Willo]

My Aedura had a low profile Apeks and worked brilliantly, when I had my Brittanic made I requested the SiTech dump and personally I think it's nowhere near as efficient as the Apeks was..

[Mark Chase]

I have herd loads of issues with low profile Apex dumps and only 1 on sitec. I had a sitec and it never let me down. I had a low profile Apex and it did. My new suit is an 03 and it has a Low profile Apex which works fine but leeks all the time and I do seem to need to adjust it a lot but maby that me (and I also have a cuff dump)

I understand that folowing loads of complaints 03 are binning the use of Apex low profile dumps

Fitting the sitec was very easy and it never leeked. It was very easy to purge manualy though I only ever did this to try it out. It was a fit and forget item.

ATB

Mark Chase

[Dominic]

On balance, there's more yeas than nays for SiTec.. Still, maybe I should hedge my bets and put the SiTec on my right arm and leave the Apeks on the left

[jasondrake]

The Apeks low profile dumps are fairly poor from a durability point of view - that comes straight from the mouth of the Apeks engineer who ran my Apeks service tech course. They work  but easily fall apart, as backed up by my personal experience. They are simply not designed to be stripped and put back together very often, and the parts are pretty flimsy. The old higher-profile ones are much tougher, last longer etc (again from the mouth of Apeks and from experience.) Si-tec valves work pretty good but aren't as tough as old high-profile Apeks dumps. (just from experience)