Thoughts on J valve rods

[EHowe]

Does anyone use pull rods? Now that I have my J valve working smoothly I,m thinking I would like to use it as designed occationally. I mount my tank low and use a crotch srap so reaching it is not impossible, but also not easy. I've read that some people dont like them because they get snagged on stuff. Thoughts and opinions?

[antique diver]

Yes, at some point in the life of the J-valves it became popular to remove the pull rod to avoid entanglements. That was great when I was 20 years old and more limber so I could easily reach the valve with my left arm.

Now I wear the cylinder lower so the double hose is in proper position for best breathing, and it seems that my reach in that direction is more limited due to my older joints. I feel more comfortable using the rod.

I don't recall ever actually becoming entangled because of it. The lower end with the loop seems to be the most likely place to snag a line or some kelp or whatever, but I think I could reach it well enough to deal with that.

[1969ivan1]

I don't use the jrod myself. I find that if you stand on your head that the tank will fall more forward making it much easier to reach the lever. Your results may vary of course. I have a nice collection of j rods of course, but they are all hanging in the basement on a nail.

[Ron]

I use the pull rods. I check the rod as often as I check an SPG when I dive it. I'm pretty limber, but it makes it easy to be lazy and check to make sure that your valve knob is up. Plus, it's part of the classic part of diving that, for me, makes it cool.

[Superlite]

Always distrusted the Jvalve rods. Seems like they always liked to catch on things. Did like the J lever (on valve) when it was in operating position with lever up and aimed at the back. Or also the lever aimed at the back and pointed down. To activate you needed to move the lever up. I believe the lever down and aimed at the back was originally thought up by cave divers to prevent accidental activation of the reserve function.
The advent of the SPG and later computers made the reserve valve a thing of us vintage guys. Course likely (me especially) never paid any attention to the crazy things. Ya'll remember the famous "knocker" valve that USD marketed. Another gimmick (by my standards).
Anyway, the rods make great lobster ticklers.....

[captain]

Actually I think it was the Navy that came up with reversing the J valve lever to be down at the start of the dive and up when the reserve is switched on.
The only thing that can be reversed is which way the lever points when the reserve is on or off.

Some may not have ever noticed but the early USD 3 piece manifold and single J has the J lever pointing back away from the diver, the later solid bar manifold has it pointing at the divers back. It is not a matter of simply reversing it because it won't work because of the position of the stops cast into the manifold. This may have been something the Navy wanted.