Buying mid - high end regulator vs replacing it every few years

[Marie13]

@Angelo Farina they're universal to the industry in this country. I don't know of anything that is really unique to scubaboard as far as acronyms or diving terms.

The big firearms forum I’m a member of uses LGS for Local Gun Store.

 

[buddhasummer]

I'm forever consulting google for acronyms, I'm both old and a little slow, not a winning combination.

 

[noctshadow]

Thank you everyone for your opinions!

At the level you are diving, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to notice any breathing difference in any of the regulators you have listed provided that they are serviced and tuned properly.

I would recommend getting a sealed diaphragm first stage, if anything because they are easier to keep clean with intermittent use in the salty stuff. I would avoid sealed pistons as they are expensive and annoying to seal *likely an extra $50/service to reseal an Atomic as an FYI*.

I would go with option 4 and get a @Deep Six Signature. You're in for $800, but you have a regulator that breathes as well or better than your Option 1's, BUT it includes the first service for free including parts, so that saves $100 just in labor for you. It has a 2-year service interval, so at some point in the next 4 years you can opt to take the service course. The service course is not required and won't void the warranty, BUT it gets you a free parts kit *you pay shipping* every 2 years which is unique to this brand.
This gives those regulators the lowest cost of ownership in the industry and they are VERY easy to service. Buy an IP gauge and learn how to use that and listen to tell when they need service, send it in for the first one, and you have 4 years to figure out if you want to DIY or not.

I heard of Deep Six, but haven't seen anyone personally who uses them, so I couldn't ask someone for their opinion. From my understanding, Deep Six is very similar to Edge/HOG, where you can service your own regulator. I took a look at their website, it seems the 1st/2nd stage combo for signature is about $380, much more reasonable. I don't mind learning and I consider myself handy, but still afraid I'd mess up the assembly. But the free 1st service is very tempting. How's their regulator compared to Edge/HOG? I remember reading other posts and saw that you also advocate their regulators as well?

I would do option 1.1 something more along the line of the Atomic Z2 or 3 or scubapro Mk11 s560 or C370

They will go more than 2 years and are easily self serviced if you want to learn but you’ll have to learn here.

From my understanding, sourcing parts for Atomic or Scubapro isn't that easy in the US, and learning to service them is even harder. Do you have any suggestions on where to learn them besides forum? I don't want to learn how to service part that's critical for underwater thru reading other people's comments.

Not limiting it at all, in fact I like the 15x quite a lot, and I even bought one for my wife... I was just meaning that the Mares will be fine for most diving, until maybe he decides to get into ice diving, when I would recommend a Poseidon...

I agree. The 15x seems to a decent entry level regulator set, for being sealed and balanced. And I have no doubt that it will last for more than 2 years if properly cleaned and stored. That's why it makes little sense to spend $100 a year to get it serviced when I can buy a brand new set every 2 years, even though it may seem like a waste. I can always donate it to a friend or sell the used one for cheap.

feet, Fahrenheit, and $. I'm going with NA being North America, specifically USA.

Yep you're right tbone, i'm in the US.

 

[MichaelMc]

I heard of Deep Six, but haven't seen anyone personally who uses them, so I couldn't ask someone for their opinion. From my understanding, Deep Six is very similar to Edge/HOG, where you can service your own regulator. I took a look at their website, it seems the 1st/2nd stage combo for signature is about $380, much more reasonable. I don't mind learning and I consider myself handy, but still afraid I'd mess up the assembly. But the free 1st service is very tempting.

Servicing second stages is very close to dirt simple.

This is service for the grandparent of most second stages. Dirt simple.


Ones with plastic cases are slightly more complex as it has extra o-rings to seal the metal barrel from the plastic case. The G250 is the child of the 109. It is what most current second stages are a near clone of. As you see, it is slightly more complex due to the plastic case adding a few extra steps and parts.


Adding a venturi adjust adds a few more parts, o-rings and steps, but it is all very simple. The 109 shows the core idea. The others are just embellishments on that idea.

I have each of these and the deep6, which is very similar to service. So that covers the second stages. As you can see, either dirt or very simple.

The first stages are a bit more complex. Very doable, but you can also send them off to various shops that will service them.

 

[noctshadow]

Since you are only doing up to 20 dives a year I suggest option #4:
Buy a mid range set and an IP gauge. Learn how to take good care of your regs and how to test the IP. Then only service as needed, maybe every 5 to 10 years....

I'd love to do that, but the learning part isn't that easy, meaning finding someone to teach you. As mentioned in option 3, most of the dive shop/instructor are specific to certain brands, so they will only teach you how to service those regs (although I believe the principles would be the same). And then you'd still run into the issue of sourcing the parts. Most known brands (like Aqua Lung, Scubapro) don't sell you the parts directly in the US. A good example would be Aeries parts being discontinued after it was bought by Oceanic, and now I can't service it myself even if I want to.

 

[noctshadow]

Servicing second stages is very close to dirt simple .

This is service for the grandparent of most second stages. Dirt simple.


Ones with plastic cases are slightly more complex as it has extra o-rings to seal the metal barrel from the plastic case. The G250 is the child of the 109. It is what most current second stages are a near clone of. As you see, it is slightly more complex due to the plastic case adding a few extra steps and parts.


Adding a venturi adjust adds a few more, but it is all very simple. The 109 shows the core idea. The others are just embellishments on that idea.

I have each of these and the deep6, which is very similar to service. So that covers the second stages. As you can see, either dirt or very simple.

The first stages are a bit more complex. Very doable, but you can also send them off to various shops that will service them.

Wow thanks for the links! My understanding is, you need to have a tank and an IP gauge to check and service the 1st stage. Is that true? having a tank isn't a viable option for me as I live in a small place, if that's the case.

 

[happy-diver]

Option 2 - Get a budget regulator set, such as Oceanic Alpha 10 + SPX ($200), Cressi XS2/AC2 ($200), Mares Rover 15X Regulator ($210), or Mares Prestige 2S Regulator ($185)

Most of the budget regulators have non-balanced piston 1st stage, have basic functions. They’re the ones you normally see at the dive shops for rental. I can practically buy a new set every 2 years, which nowadays is the normal service internal if I follow the proper cleaning procedures after every dive. Pretty much they’d be “disposable”, use it till it breaks or every 2 - 3 years.

This is really smart, why didn't I think of it

 

[MichaelMc]

Wow thanks for the links! My understanding is, you need to have a tank and an IP gauge to check and service the 1st stage. Is that true? having a tank isn't a viable option for me as I live in a small place, if that's the case.

Yes, you need a tank to service the first stage. You could rent one, but, by some manuals, you also need varied pressures as you reassemble, low to high as you seat things, so that would be complex.

You also need a first stage attached to a tank to check the second stage, though that is much simpler to check and adjust.

The scuba pro 109 is a great simple reg to learn with that is also good performing. I find its children perform better, but the 109 is very useful. For first stages, something sealed like the deep6 (similar design to Apeks DST) is nice.

 

[buddhasummer]

I'm a big fan of Apeks first stages, stupid simple. 109/156/G250/V second stages great performing and also very simple. Not saying there aren't others but these are my preference from a performance/ease of self servicing perspective.

 

[buddhasummer]

Re needing tank, yes you do, I don't own tanks and have been known to tune regs at dive site.