Absorbent mesh size

James Appel

My question involves mesh size, the recommended mesh size for the Inspo Clasic is 8-12. This gives us something like a 3 hour scrubber time (give or take depending on a huge number of varables). My question involves diving in the super conservative limits, as many times I may only do a dive of 45mins in under 60' sw. I hate throwing out my unused sorb to see that it hardly has been used at all. So I was thinking IF I were to know that I was going to do such a dive (many times diving with my OC children). What if I were to use 4-8 grain size (which has roughly 1/2 the scrub ability). This shoud give me something like 1-1.3 hours of safe scrubber usage.

Just looking at all that nice clean unused absorbant makes me feel very wasteful, and 4-8 grain size is much much cheaper from what I understand.

Ok now I'll stand back and watch the flames fly........

hoppyinca

if you are judging the sorb as "nice clean unused" by the color... that is you are using sodasorb with the color changing indicator, don't beleive it!!!

I have been told by a VERY respected source, as well as observed it myself, after use the color may change back...

I have had near 3 hours on my sorb (mk15... so about 1/2 used)... didn't get arround to diving again, so a week or so later emptied the scubber and ther were only specks of blue...

so just a friendly fyi if that is how you were looking at things...

a great solution is just to dive more!!!!!

hoppyinca

decoweenie

Change that to will change back...

The amount of the sorb will change back will depend on the time after use. Longer time after use before checking = more sorb will change back.

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Padipro

Ok, so we are not relying on the color change to determine the usefull life of the canister but we are going on what the manufacture states. In the case of the Meg ISC says that the scrubber should last 3 1/2 hours with Snofolime 8-12. As James has already said our dives at this time are limited to 1 to 1 1/2 hours total bottom time due to, in my case being new to CCR diving and doing recreational dives with limited bottom times until I build enough time and confidence to venture deeper and longer. At this rate we are throughing away a lot of expensive unused Snofolime because of the short bottom times we are doing.

IF we use some common sence and realize that the canister life will be shorter, first of all because we are using Sodasorb and second of all because we are using 4-8 mesh is it unreasonable to use this absorbent on these shorter, shallow dives until such time as we start exceeding, lets say a 2 hour total bottom time?

I need to dive often to build up time and experience on the Meg but I can only dive once every other weekend so again I am throughing away a lot of unused Snofolime based on ISC's recommendation. I'd like to spend that money on diving not Snofolime IF it's not being unreasonalbe.

What are you're thoughts on this?

Let the flaming begin...

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Scott



IANTD Megalodon
IANTD Trimix
TDI Adv Nitrox and Deco
PADI MSDT

It could be that the sole purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others. Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds beating you.

aknelson

Look at the cost
It seems 8-12 is the most expensive
Is there an option to use the 6-12 grade which is very simular.

Anyone can explain the difference?

ATH

Padipro

Exactly, and the 4-8 is a little cheaper yet. I believe the differance is the size of the granules. The larger they are the less the canister will absorb so the shorter the working life of the scrubber. I also think the price has something to do with the fact that Snofolime is made in the UK and shipped to the US while Sodasorb is made in the US so the shipping cost is less.

FWIW I talked to Steam Machines, the major US distrubitor of Sodasorb, about the differance between the two and I was told that in the testing they did for the Prism Topaz they found a total of 3 minutes difference in scrubber duration between Snofolime and Sodasorb.

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Scott



IANTD Megalodon
IANTD Trimix
TDI Adv Nitrox and Deco
PADI MSDT

It could be that the sole purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others. Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds beating you.