Guest Post: Article from John Ratliff on behalf of the Sea Wolf campaign.

About John

With numerous certificates in the Health and Safety Industry, John is no stranger to diving.

A former Para-rescue diver in both the Navy and Air Force, (he is one of those boys making the good guy jump from an Air Force plane in the movie Thunderball) he is an inventor himself concerning diving equipment.

Some say the TV show, ‘Sea Hunt’ staring Loyd Bridges as Mike Nelson, could easily have been patterned after John.

Embrace a New Double Hose Regulator

Underwater Photographers need to get close to their subjects, especially for macro photography of small fishes and invertebrates.

Fishes especially are skittish of divers, primarily because of the breathing noises and bubbles from their modern, “single hose” regulators.

I have done a lot of photography in freshwater rivers where I need to get close to small fishes, and have found that my vintage double hose regulators work extremely well to get me close to these fishes without disturbing them.

Now, a new double hose regulator is hoping to be available, but it needs funding.

So I encourage you to get involved in the development of this regulator.

A lot of underwater photographers are turning to rebreather technology to get close to their subjects.

This is a risky proposition, as combining underwater photography with rebreathers can place a higher load on the diver, and make the diver vulnerable to some of the inherent defects of the rebreather system.

If you are looking at rebreathers for your underwater photography, please head over to these two sites, one on Scubaboard and one on Vintage Scuba Supply, to examine the risks of this equipment.

These sites are The Rebreather Mentality and Potential Safety Improvements in Rebreathe Design.

You may wish to use the money you would have spent on a rebreather/training for rebreather to instead fund this new double hose regulator for the 21st Century.

If you are interested in this new regulator, and consider the double hose as a safe alternative to rebreathers for underwater photography, please also go to our Facebook Website on the Sea Wolf Mk5 Double Hose Regulator.

Here are some examples of photographs I have been able to shoot while using a the Mossback Mk3 double hose regulator, which is the predecessor to the Mossback Mk5 Sea Wolf.

The funding site will be up and running the end of February, early March.

Notification will be made on this blog.

SeaRat
(John Ratliff)

By Michael Story
Mossback Enterprize/Sea Wolf Regulator
Guest Author

Recently I was asked why develop and produce a new double hose regulator when almost every diver uses a single hose.

Well, I will try to answer that.

It would be tough to try and beat a single hose regulator on performance, but I’ve done that with the Mossback Mk3 upgrade for the U. S. Divers Aquamaster and Royal Aqua Master regulators in 2009 with great success, as is so noted on my campaign ad from other divers.

It was tested by on a user at a facility in Pensacola Florida and this 40 year old regulator with the upgrade was comparable to the Apek brand; so that issue is moot.

However, these regulators are no longer manufactured, nor is the Mk3 upgrade.

But, there are other reasons a diver might want to try diving with a double hose other than performance.

Diving with a double hose is, by its nature, more comfortable to the diver.

There is less or no stress (depending on how the diver sets up their rig) on the teeth, gums and jaw muscles from the weight of the mouth piece.

The hoses (again if set up correctly, and every diver has their own needs here) float, lifting the weight of the mouthpiece off the diver’s teeth; this is a definite advantage for divers making multiple dives in a day.

And with the new mouthpiece of the Sea Wolf, the diver can select what ever comfortable mouthpiece bite they like or use the Trident Longbite teeth bit supplied with the Sea Wolf regulator.

Another physical and psychological reason for using a double hose is the lack of bubbles in ones face, ears and filling up a wetsuit hood.

There simply are no annoying bubbles expelled from the regulator mouthpiece, the exhaust hose directs the bubbles to the regulator attached to the tank on the divers back.

Lack of bubbles in the divers face is more comfortable than one who has never dove a double hose regulator could possibly imagine.

No distractions, no loud bubbling noise and for researchers and photographers, no fish frightened away.

Also, there have been many accounts of a single hose regulator diver, who is introduced to a double hose regulator and is not prepared for the unbelieveable quiet, unhindered experience; they are totally amazed at the difference.

Also, some divers state, “well I use or want to use a rebreather; it gives no bubbles at all, and does much of the same things a double hose does.”

My answer is yes, this is true.

A rebreather does provide all the same advantages.

However, a rebreather requires more training, expensive to purchase and operate as well as the accessories needed.

The cost alone of a rebreather is $5000.00 and up depending on the make and model, where a Sea Wolf Mk5 is targeted just under $600.00, or one twelfth (1 / 12) the cost.

Training to use a double hose is simple and requires only a pool check out for advance divers and a pool and open water checkout for new divers, up to advanced.

A Sea Wolf Mk5, as the Mossback Mk3 before it, can support a ‘Safe Second, (octopus) second stage, as well as a BC and drysuit if needed.

The Mk5 valve body has 4 LP ports and 2 HP ports arranged to accommodate the divers needs.

And lastly, any double hose regulator, be it of 20th century design or the new Sea Wolf Mk5 ‘will not freeze’ in extreme cold icy waters.

The 2nd stage is enclosed away from the moist breath of the diver, even when exhaling.

And then there is the image factor.

Just being seen with double hoses around ones neck on shore or your head underwater, attracts people.

Call it narcissism or masochism but you do feel as part of a privileged group of divers all the way back to Jacques Cousteau and his men on the Calypso.

I hope this answers many questions of divers, but if anyone has additional questions I will be glad to answer them.

Please visit my campaign site link below and my Facebook page Sea Wolf Regulator Campaign and Development.

Sea Wolf Mk5 Double Hose *DHR* Diving Regulator