Northwest Dive Club

Is anyone using the Seacure Hi-Flow?
Long time ago, I used to love my Seacure mouthpiece on OC (stopped using them when I became an instructor).
I am starting to experience jaw fatigue on the long CCR dives. Looking at all the reasons why I stopped using them, I don’t think they apply now.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

The first thing Mel had us do to our Megs in class was put a seacure on them. Ive never dived mine any other way.

Sandra - FYI that it's very much not recommended on the Inspiration by APD. That said, neither is a KISS BOV on that unit, or the mods I did to my KISS BOV to bore it out, put a decent reg into it, or get it to use the APD threads and check valves on my Evo...so YMMV.

Long story short, the Secures all eventually end up leaking. I used one on one of the other rebreathers I had for a long time, and it worked pretty well, but I'd get a year or so out of it until I found I would have a wet loop or bubbles around my mouth when breathing, and it'd always end up being the fault of the Seacure.

Unless you're doing a lot of scootering, which causes quite a bit of drag, usually most fatigue issues can be traced to a need to adjust the weights on the loop hose more optimally, so there's not the tension on your jaw from the mouthpiece. Particularly on stock mouthpiece on an Inspiration, it's one of the most streamlined DSVs out there.

camerone wrote:Long story short, the Secures all eventually end up leaking.

Huh. I've had mine on my Meg since 2007. No problems so far.

I know it’s not recommended by AP, but was hoping someone had been using them
Seacure has started to list a few rebreather models (Meg is in the list), but not mine.

Thanks

I had one on my first KISS and it was ok if you double zip tied it. I put it on the new one and it started to split so I went with something more generic. I love Seacure on OC but since I switched all my regs to Apeks, I can't use them anymore.

I think you will find that most rebreather manufacturers will not recommend putting a Secure on their rebreather, it does increase the work of breathing (WOB) on most units.

That said, a lot of people do, and the high flow model is the one to use if you are going to install one.

I have found the key to getting a good seal that lasts is to heat the mounting area of the Secure with water or a hair dryer getting the material soft and then installing it tightening down the tyewrap carefully but firmly so as not to ruin the mounting area of the Seacure.

Once it is mounted then I put a bead of silicone seal all around the mounting edge between the DSV and Secure and then let it dry for 24 hrs before use.

This system has worked well for me over the years and pretty much eliminates the leak problems.

will the standard comfobite mouthpieces not work on an RB?.... I'm on OC but I traded in my seacures for comfobites about a decade ago they're IMHO way more comfy than my seacures were.

Sorry for the 'surf by hijacking' but I just had to ask.

I really like the seacure on my rebreather but i would recomend only lightly molding it because if you sink your teeth in to far it will cause you to swim around breathing through your almost clenched teeth and your work of breathing will be high. Boil the backside and you can make it fit almost any opening, and after you mold it and it has cooled and dried pull it off and use some aquaseal or silicon to glue it in place before zip tying it. No leaks, no jaw fatigue, no work of breathing, no problems.

I also had it leaking once, so I put a few wraps of electrical tape on the BOV orifice to make a tight fit. The plastic of the mouthpiece is too stiff and zip ties didn't provide enough pressure to keep it tight. So far so good, no more leaks.

One of the things I really admired about my Evolution, even though it was not so comfortable on long dives was the mouth piece. It forces your teeth apart, with a hefty block, the most in the industry from what i've seen. At first I thought it was just uncomfortable and then later I grew to appreciate how it was designed to improve WOB. When I switched to a meg, I was agast that the mouth piece they put stock on the unit had almost no bite guard (the worst in the industry from what i've seen), allowing the teeth to almost touch... no big deal until you start breathing heavy, as in when you are stressed and winded. I've stayed away from the Seacure mouth piece for the same reason. the stock mouth piece on my rEvo has a decent bit guard on it, an improvement over the meg in that regard.

I would caution someone from changing out the AP mouth piece on an evo/inspo, if you replace it, make sure to maintain a nice open bite... it's the kind of thing you won't appreciate till you are in a bad situation with co2 build up in your blood from exertion.

My favorite so far on the meg is the comfobite, with a retainer, which allows me to relax my jaw while still keeping a grip on the mouth piece and it's got a decent bite guard... I don't think you'll find one like that that will fit the larger size of the Evo/inspo.

regards,
g

Thank you guys,
All are really good point to consider, as usual this forum is very helpful and informative.
If I end up switching, I will post my report.