Wow! A plethora of "White Paper analysis with only
one fricken photo of an old Scubapro SEMI- isolation/Downstream type manifold!!!!
Here's a good Wikipedia definition for us
laymen. and some nice pictures to go with it.
"A scuba manifold is used to connect two diving cylinders containing breathing gas, providing a greater amount of gas for longer dive times or deeper dives. An isolation manifold allows the connection between the cylinders to be closed in the case of a leak from one of the cylinders or its valve or regulator, conserving the gas in the other cylinder. Diving with two or more cylinders is often associated with technical diving.
Several configurations are used, each with its own range of applications, advantages, and disadvantages."
Using the above definition, the following manifold
IS NOT and Isolation manifold, just a
direct dual tank manifold.
Vintage Dual tank single valve manifold with reserve valve..jpg
Below is a true isolation valve in the modern sense. in that can cut off flow to either a given piece of equipment or from a cylinder while still allowing the rest of the unit/units to function to wit; allow the diver to breathe....lol.
31Fk1kWf+QL._SX425_.jpg
And here is a fun chart. Which do you think kids are isolation and which are "just manifolds", let's see some hands?
Scuba_Manifolds_Schematic.jpg
I use an older Sherwood that I would call a semi-isolation manifold, due to its having only two valves and is incapable of completely isolating one tank from two fail point areas. Isolation in my mind means just that, the ability to completely isolate a component.
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