Mares Proton Ice Extreme, Proton Ice Extreme Octopus User Manual

REGULATORS

PROTON ICE EXTREME - PROTON ICE EXTREME OCTOPUS

WARNING

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CAREFULLY READ THIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL BEFORE USE, AND KEEP IT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations. You have purchased one of the finest, most dependable regulators available on the market today. Your Mares regulator
has been constructed using manufacturing processes and materials which are the result of fifteen years of continuing research and
evolution. This sophisticated technology is backed by the guarantee that every component of your regulator has been tested at our modern
facility in Rapallo, Italy. All this is synonymous with reliability, a fundamental requirement for any piece of diving equipment, which you will
find in EVERY Mares product.
This manual is intended as a guide for experienced technicians, and not as a comprehensive instruction book on all aspects of diving
equipment for inexperienced repair personnel.
MARES periodically offers technical training courses at its factory. Technicians are strongly advised to obtain specific practical training in
the servicing of MARES diving equipment before attempting any repairs.
Carefully read all parts of this manual before undertaking any repairs.

Important:

Any critical information or warnings that might affect the performance or result in the injury or death of the technician, regulator owner, or
other persons is highlighted with the following symbols:

DANGER

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Indicates an imminently hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.

WARNING

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Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.

CAUTION

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Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. It may also be
used to alert against unsafe practices.

MARES reserves the right to modify any products, processes and manufacturing techniques at any time. It is the technicians' responsibility
to acquire the latest information and parts from Mares for service and repairs to be performed.

IMPORTANT:

If the instructions provided in the manual are unclear or difficult to understand, please contact Mares before using the regulator or
attempting any repairs.

WARNING

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Carefully follow these and all the other instructions concerning your Mares regulator and all other SCUBA equipment.
Failure to do so could lead to serious injury or death.

WARNING

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As with all SCUBA equipment, Mares regulators are designed to be used by trained, certified divers only. Failure to fully
understand the risks of using such equipment may result in serious injury or death. DO NOT use this regulator or any
SCUBA equipment unless you are a trained, certified SCUBA diver.

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EC CERTIFICATION

The Mares regulators described in this manual have been tested and certified by Registered Test Centre No. 0426 - Italcert - Viale Sarca
336, Milano - I, in compliance with EC directive 89/686/EEC of 21 December 1989. The test procedures were conducted according to
the EN 250: 2000 standard, in conformance with the aforesaid directive which sets out the conditions for marketing and essential safety
requirements for Category III Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The certification testing results are the following:

Model Warm water Cold Water Marking Position

(Temp. = > 10 C (50 F)) (Temp. < 10 C (50 F))
Proton Ice Extreme Approved Approved CE 0426 On the first stage
Proton Ice Extreme Octopus Approved Approved CE 0426 On the hose

The CE 0426 mark of the Proton Ice Extreme Octopus is an adhesive label affixed to the hose. This label must never be removed. If the
label is accidentally removed, the applicable CE mark for the Proton Ice Extreme Octopus will be the one on the Mares first stage to which
it is connected.
The CE mark certifies compliance with the essential health and safety requirements (DE 89/686/EEC Annex II). The suffix 0426 after the
letters "CE" indicates the Italcert Registered Test Center in charge of monitoring the production under Art. 11B DE 89/686/EEC.

REFERENCES TO EN 250: 2000 - OBJECT - DEFINITIONS - LIMITS

Object: The requirements and tests provided for in EN 250: 2000 are aimed at providing a minimum safety level for the operation of diving

breathing apparatuses at a maximum depth of 50 m / 162 feet.
Scuba - Definition: Self-contained, open-circuit compressed air underwater breathing apparatus is an apparatus which has a portable
supply of compressed air carried by the diver, allowing him to breathe underwater.

Scuba - Minimum equipment (EN 250: 2000):

a) Air tank(s).
b) Regulator.
c) Safety device, e.g. pressure gauge/computer, reserve mechanism or alarm.
d) Transport and retaining system, e.g. backpack and/or straps.
e) Facepiece (mouthpiece assembly or full-face mask or diving helmet).
f) User instructions.

Limits (EN 250: 2000)

- SCUBA - Component Groups (EN 250: 2000): The SCUBA unit can be made up of separate pieces of equipment such as a

tank, regulator and submersible pressure gauge. The Mares regulators described in this manual can be used with other SCUBA
unit components certified according to directive EEC/89/686 and EN 250: 2000. The air contained in the tanks must conform to the
requirements for breathable air set out in EN 12021.

DANGER

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Mares regulators and octopus are designed and intended for use only with clean, compressed atmospheric air. Do not use
this equipment with any other gas or enriched air.
Failure to adhere to this warning may result in serious injury or death due to fire and explosion or the serious deterioration
or failure of the equipment.

WARNING

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Mares regulators, alternative second stages, and gas delivery components are designed for and compatible with open circuit
SCUBA using compressed air or enriched air (Nitrox) mixtures not exceeding 40% Oxygen ONLY.
These limits conform to the DAN Nitrox Industry Workshop Proceedings of November, 2000.
Failure to follow this warning may result in SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH to the user due to fire, explosion, or the deterioration
or failure of the equipment.

- Maximum depth: 50 m / 162 feet.

- Pressure max 232 bar (international YOKE CGA 850 adapter) Fig. 1a.

- Pressure max 300 bar (DIN 477/50 screw) Fig. 1b.

- Warm water regulators - water temperature over or equal to +10°C (50°F).

- Cold water regulators - water temperature below +10°C (50°F).
Under the EN 250: 2000 standard, water is considered to be cold at a temperature below 10°C. To use MARES regulators in cold water

conditions, always install the CWD (Cold Water Diving) kit. THE CWD KIT SHOULD ONLY BE INSTALLED BY AN AUTHORIZED
MARES SERVICE CENTER.

FOR NORTH AMERICA ONLY

CWD KIT

Because the Proton Ice Extreme is meant to operate in particularly demanding conditions and for professional use in cold water, the V32
first stage is equipped with the CWD kit, which fully isolates all the internal sections of the first stage from contact with the water.

COLD WATER DIVING

According to standard EN 250: 2000, cold water is that at temperatures below 10°C.

Attempting to dive in cold water conditions (below 10°C) without adequate training may result in serious injury. Before
diving in cold water, it is advisable to take a special training course under the supervision of a certified diving instructor.

WARNING

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When diving in cold water conditions, parts of the regulator may be subject to “icing” phenomena. The variables that influence the
possibility of ice forming inside and on the regulator are: temperature of the external environment, water temperature, temperature of the
air in the tanks (and therefore the amount of time that the tanks were exposed to the cold before the dive), fresh water rather than salty,
the level of humidity in the air in the tanks, the amount of air demanded by the regulator during the dive, and the breathing rhythm.

WARNING

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Since it is not possible in practice to control all of these variables and therefore to prevent freezing of a second stage in all
situations, the Proton Ice Extreme equipped with the CWD kit could nonetheless demonstrate “icing” phenomena. In this
event, regulators may not function properly. This may result in serious injury. Therefore, to minimize the potential hazards,
it is essential to be adequately trained in the prevention and handling of the problems which may arise from a regulator
subject to “icing” phenomena.

Particularly in these situations, the following precautions should be observed:

1. Take a course to learn cold water diving techniques.

2. Refill the air tanks only at filling stations equipped with an efficient filtering and moisture removal system.

3. When preparing for a cold water dive, keep the tanks and regulator in a place that is sheltered from the cold until just before starting
the dive.

4. Open the tank control valve for one or two seconds to make sure there are no water droplets or small ice crystals. Also check the inlet
opening of the regulator.

5. In the event of repetitive dives, take particular care to ensure that the regulator is perfectly dry before starting the second dive.

6. Avoid breathing from the regulator outside the water.

7. As much as possible, try to prevent water from entering inside the second stage during the dive.

8. Never operate the purge button when not underwater.

9. Use the purge button as little as possible. In any case, never hold it down for more than 2 or 3 consecutive seconds; pressing it for
longer may cause ice to form.

10. Try to breathe normally in order to minimize the cooling effect produced by the higher air velocity during overbreathing.

WARNING

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Do not pierce or prick the diaphragm of the CWD and avoid directing powerful jets of water against it (as for example from a
hose). This could puncture the diaphragm or displace it, leading to subsequent oil leaks or infiltration of water. In these cases,
it is necessary to disassemble the CWD kit and replace the diaphragm. This operation must be performed at an authorized
Mares repair shop following the instructions in the maintenance manual.

- The Proton Ice Extreme Octopus second stage may only be used with certified Mares regulator models.

WARNING

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For safety reasons, it is not advisable to use an Octopus second stage that is not a certified Mares Octopus. The manufacturer
declines responsibility for damages to persons or property resulting from the use of different Octopus second stages. The Mares
Octopus second stages have been designed and tested for use on first stage low pressure ports OTHER than the preferential
port used for the primary second stage. An Octopus second stage may NOT be substituted for a primary second stage, and
must in no circumstances be connected to the preferential low pressure port intended for the primary second stage.

WARNING

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For safety reasons, the submersible pressure gauge / high pressure safety device to be assembled on the regulator must
comply with the standard EN 250:2000. According to this regulation, with an upstream pressure of 100 bar, the maximum
permitted airflow through the connector toward the first stage must not exceed 100 liters/min. If you have a submersible
pressure gauge / high pressure safety device that complies with the EN 250:1993 standard or a different specification,
check whether the instruction manual indicates the value of the maximum airflow.
The use of submersible pressure gauges / safety devices that do not comply with the EN 250:2000 standard, or which do
not have an indication of the maximum permitted airflow through the first stage connector, may result in serious accidents.

GENERAL WORKING PRINCIPLE

Regulators reduce tank pressure, referred to as inlet pressure, to a pressure suitable for breathing. Modern regulators do this in two
stages connected by a hose. The first stage provides pressure to the second stage; this reduced pressure remains constant despite the
sizeable changes undergone by the cylinder inlet pressure during the dive (dropping from 3000/4350 to few hundred psi). The second
stage brings pressure down to ambient pressure and delivers air only when the diver inhales. Each stage of the regulator contains an
internal valve. When the diver inhales, the pressure inside the case is lowered and a pressure differential (imbalance) is created across the
diaphragm (beginning of inhalation). The response of the diaphragm is to bend inward, contact the lever and open the second stage valve.
Air continues to flow into the case until the pressure balance is regained (end of inhalation).

FIRST STAGE

For the second stage to work properly, the first stage must deliver air at a correct and - most importantly - constant intermediate pressure.
This characteristic, provided by all Mares first stages, is essential for obtaining optimal adjustment of the second stage and ensuring top
performance for the entire duration of the dive, regardless of tank pressure. All MARES first stages are available with the following types
of tank valve fittings: international YOKE CGA 850 adapter (max pressure 232 bar), or DIN 477/50 connector (max pressure 300 bar), in
accordance with the standard EN 250:2000.

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