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Newly purchased Faber 15lt Nirox tank.

This new standard seems to becoming more prevalent I was recently looking to purchase a Nitrox tank and was faced with the decision of either trying to get one with a conventional valve with a removable insert for use with both DIN or A clamp or move to the new M26 standard. In brief this new M26 has a larger aperture than the normal valves and has been introduced by Europe for tanks with oxygen mixes greater than the normal air variety which includes Nitrox so that the tanks can’t be mixed up although having different coloured tanks or banding them would have been easier, quicker and cheaper. The M26 issue has been around for a few years now but seems to be being adopted more and more by manufactures. Some dive centres are only selling Nitrox tanks with the M26 valve which means that you have a few decisions to make namely either go with it and buy an adapter to convert it down to the normal DIN first stage which works ok but you have an extra connection that could potentially leak. And if you use the adapter an A clamp may not fit over it. You could buy a new first stage with a M26 connection not a cheap option or you could get your A clamp converted to an M26. The other issue is if you move to the M26 first stage and you go on holiday will they have suitable tanks there or will you have to take an adapter to convert your first stage down to a DIN. In addition when you take your tank in for a Nitrox fill how long will it be before they refuse unless you have an M26 compatible valve.

Shaun

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