poseidon purge

[Mark Cowgill]

Hi everyone, one day I will post on here without it being a question anyway if you dont mind here we go.
I have poseidon Regs and when you press the purge button there seems to be a hell of a lot of air comes out and it nearly powers you to the other side of Capern Wray, now thats ok but if I am diving the Farnes it could be a long journey back if I am facing the wrong way:) I know the harder you press the purge button the more air there is and I know with practice I could control the air flow, but in a real life situation where me or my buddy (who may be unfamiliar with this even after a buddy check) has to go to my octopus it could be a big problem, dont you just want to press the button and bang it in quick without thinking about how hard you are pressing the button,is it normal for these regs to do this as the Mares I was using while O/D had no where near as much of a kick and no matter how hard you pressed it the same amount of air was given.

Mark

[Gareth]

Mark

Which type of Posieden Regulators do you have?

The question is a little redundant - Posiedens have a much higher interstage pressure than most other regulators. This mean when you hit the Purge you get a bigger 'kick'.

This is one of the reason that a lot of people either love them or hate them.

The other point to be aware of is that the internal volume of the second stage is quite large (especially on Jetstreams). Being a side vent you need to remember to tilt your head to the side so that the exhuast port is lower than the inlet - this should ensure that when you purge the valve MOST of the water is forced out of the second stage.

Always be careful on the first breath after purging a flooded regulator, if there is water inside the second stage the higher interstage pressure can end up depositing it in the back of your throat!

They are Great Regulators, but they do have there quirks.
(Jetstreams are not noted as having a good breath in shallow water)

Gareth

[PeteM]

Hi everyone, one day I will post on here without it being a question anyway if you dont mind here we go.

Don't worry about it, that is what fora are all about

is it normal for these regs to do this

In short yes, Poseidons are famous for their gas delivery

[Mark Cowgill]

I have Jetstream Gareth,
Thanks for your answer, I think I am going to change them as they may be a little bit too advanced for me, they are brand new so I think my dive shop will exchange them no problem.

Mark

[Ben Panter]

I have poseidon Regs and when you press the purge button there seems to be a hell of a lot of air comes out and it nearly powers you to the other side of Capern Wray, now thats ok but if I am diving the Farnes it could be a long journey back if I am facing the wrong way:)

Disclaimer: This is a tip given to me by a Poseidon service technician, although recently when I looked I couldn't find it in the servicing manuals. If you have any doubts, you should take your reg to a dive shop and get someone qualified to do it.

If you have a cyklon, you can reduce the fierceness of the purge by turning a sleeve inside the reg. This acts on the 'venturi' effect of the reg by exposing or covering a small hole.

It looks like this:
91

and when it is turned it looks like this:
92

With this you can make the breath as fierce or calm as you like.

Ben

[Gareth]

I have Jetstream Gareth,
Thanks for your answer, I think I am going to change them as they may be a little bit too advanced for me, they are brand new so I think my dive shop will exchange them no problem.

Mark

Mark

Give them a few more goes to get a 'feel', before commiting to changing them, but talk to your dive shop first anyway.

A couple of other points with Jetstreams.
1. They have a +/- control on the second stage. This significantly increases the 'crack resistance', meaning you have to suck harder for the diaphram to deflect far enough to open the valve. This stops them purging when you jump in or are swimming against a current etc.
2. The purge button is not a button as such, you have to deflect the plastic onto the diaphram. This can make them difficult to purge if you are not familiar with them, practice yourself & ensure your buddy understands & has a go.

Points 1 & 2 shuold be covered in the buddy check!


Re-reading my post - the comment about not good in shallow water - they are poor performers in the pool, but good once you get a little deeper.
I don't use jetstreams myself, I've got cyclons, so my views on their performance in shallow water is based mainly on hearsay & limited experience.

Although I am a big fan of Posiedan regulators, I would not normally recommend Jetstreams to new divers.

My comments about clearing side vent regulators are very valid, especially posieden Jetstreams. I've seen very experienced users get a throat full of water because they didn't purge them properly.
Generally, if you dive with someone who has Posiedens, jetstreams in particular, practice using the AAS, purging it etc.

I'll stop commenting before
a - I get out of my depth & start talking B******
b - We start getting to technical.

Gareth

[Woz]

Jetstreams are good deep regs but awful shallow ones. I've used one for a couple of years and down in the dark stuff it's a lovely breathe. Anywhere abot 20m and it's rubbish. I've just swapped it out for an Apeks ATX 100 which has a lovely breathe at any depth. So I don't have to compromise at all, now.

I'd swap them out. Jetstreams are a very personal thing and not for the beginner.

[iain aitchison]

Hi Mark,

what Ben suggest will detune the DV which will reduce not only the purge but the overall performance on all breaths and purges.

I use the purge button on my poseidons only when the thing is back in my (a) mouth then as soon as the pressure is up to ambient it will shut off instantly. Much more gentle. Try it in the pool.

If the second stage is not carefully washed after a dive under pressure - or better being continually used on a regular basis the parts get a bit more sluggish. Use them a lot and wash them well and they will keep going.

regards
Iain