Mistral Twin Hose Regulator

I recently bought one of the new Mistral Twin Hose Regulators and got the opportunity to try it out over the weekend. For any UW photographers considering one here are my first impressions.

Firstly, I was sold this regulator by a dealer who was happy to see it go to an experienced diver - he stated that he would not be prepared to sell it to someone without a good deal of experience - I'd agree! It delivers air depending on the relative height difference of the first and second stages and as a consequence I found that it requires a fair amount of effort to breathe off most of the time - especially so if you when shooting anything on the seabed, and the buoyancy of the hoses means that my gums did get a bit sore - some rebreather style hose-weights may help - I'll get some. Shooting upwards is another matter and here it delivered with very great ease! Forgetting all its other quirks, I'd say that its greatest asset was that it did allow me to approach skittish creature more closely than normal (leopard-spot gobies are very nervy here in Britain and I have very few decent shots of them - I doubled this number in one dive). It also reduced any distraction of bubbles in front of my face - I hadn't even noticed the motion this causes until it wasn't there (rebreather divers will probably say that this is an obvious thing!).

All in all I am glad that I bought it - I won't use it all the time, but I'll probably use it mostly in conjunctoon with my 100mm macro.

Interesting to hear your opinion, Paul.

I have heard that a number of Old School photographers have got them too. I remain skeptical, I have to say.

JB's review is well worth a read too:

http://www.divernet.com/equipment/0505dive...s.shtml#mistral

Alex

So I'm an Old School Photographer huh?

I just read JB's report and agree with most of his comments as you probably noticed. I hadn't really thought of the reg as a desirable piece of kit though! (Mind you I'm still wearing an ex-military rubber drysuit so style isn't a big issue).

The only comment that I'd add is that I reckon my head effectively blocked the view of bubbles to smaller creatures so that I appeared far more stationary and less threatening than I would with a conventional reg.

So I'm an Old School Photographer huh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ha ha

But I have heard that Scoonesy has got one and so has Amos Nachos. But that is on the grapevine rather than from either of them.

Alex

In good company then?

I got one, too. I was holding back my opinion until I sold it, but I can't resist.

The Mistral is the worst breathing regulator I've ever used while in a face down position. It was so bad that I switched to my alternate half way through the dive just so I could relax. The alternate was an Aqualung alternate from 1988, last serviced in '95 that I had pulled out of the parts bin. It breathed much better than the Mistral. On the second dive I got a little more comfortable with it, but it was still pretty awful

As for bubble interference, an SLR shooter doesn't have the problem as your mask is against the viewfinder.

If you scape barnacles of the bottom of a boat for a living, this is the reg for you.

It would also be good for Eric when he is blowing rings.

Closed Circuit! Then you will see the difference!

I'd love to give it a try, but at the price they are asking? Forget about it

Out of interest, I match my wife reasonably well for air consumption. When I tried the Mistral I though that its increased breating resistance would increase my air consumption but it didn't. Lungs are feeling fitter than they were though!

Or you can just use a hood....

When I first started wearing the hood I noticed that throught the dive I leak air out my nose (something i didnt know i did before). The hood covers my face completly and the my mask seal is actually in the hood. So air that I exhale out my nose goes into my hood. At first this was a big problem as it increased my boyancy to an extent I couldnt deal with (i refuse to wear a weight belt) But then I got smart and cut a slit in the back of the hood.

Now when I exhale out my nose the air is diverted to the back of my and is diffused out 2 slits. I suspect this would reduce the scaryness of exhaling at least as effectivly as the mistral and doesnt make breathing difficult.

Ummm no offense William but are you on crack?

Are you trying to tell us that the entire breath you exhale goes out of your mask and into your hood? Nothing comes out of your reg whatsoever???

Am thinking you should start playing the Dijeridoo (sp?!) whilst you are still there

in the land of OZ

mike

ps easy folks i am just kidding around and giving him a hard time....

Yep mike, it's called nitrogen narcosis.....

No That isnt normally how I dive. Normally it would take about 10 minutes before I started to have problems before I cut a hole in my hood. But I have tryed fully exhaling out my nose and it does work...