Tymberwolf
New
Need help picking my next Hollis regs and those are my options, any tips?
Cheers!
Cheers!
200DCX LX vs 500SE DC7
- Thread starter Tymberwolf
- Start date
-
- Tags
- hollis regulators
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
- Messages
- 17,249
- Reaction score
- 9,445
- Location
- Somewhere between here and there
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
Any particular reason you're only looking at Hollis?
OP
Tymberwolf
New
All my kit bar wetsuits are Hollis, love the brand. Fantastic kit.
- Messages
- 17,249
- Reaction score
- 9,445
- Location
- Somewhere between here and there
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
Good enough.
- Messages
- 20,561
- Reaction score
- 14,938
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
I'll disagree with @buddhasummer
You live in England, buy Apeks. Far better regulators, and a FAR better company and brand... Support local business. You'll probably spend less, you will get a better regulator, and you are supporting a regulator made in England instead of Taiwan.
Also the 500se is a garbage second stage. If you like that design, buy a Poseidon Xstream, it's infinitely better.
I don't often differ with @tbone1004 , but I think the Hollis 500se is a very nice reg. Its valve mechanism is servo like the Poseidon, but of a different design. The servo itself is a downstream valve, so you'll get a warning if your first stage IP starts to creep. The gas flow is a little less abrupt when the servo triggers the main valve. Like the XStream, it is pretty much position-independent, due to the proximity of the exhaust valve.
It is much drier than its Omega predecessor. I love mine, though I ended up adding a right angle connector and 48" hose to the second stage instead of a too-stiff stock hose, to route it up under my arm.
The plastic case, like the Omega, needs gentle handling when attaching hoses. Hoses must be attached to the valve BEFORE attaching that assembly to the case, to avoid damaging the plastic valve holder with wrench torque on the hose connection. But the case design is nice and compact, and with my 90° swivel was very comfortable.
That said, Hollis support is going thru a rough patch right now, since the purchase by Huish. I think it'll end up better than before the purchase, but that's not guaranteed.
The DC7 first stage is a mixed bag. Great balance and crisp performance. Very lightweight. But hose routing is one choice only, unless you add swivels. Mounting it upside down makes it worse.
If you have service and parts, I wouldn't recommend against it. But for sheer confidence that things will be supported 15 years from now, Poseidon and Apeks might be better choices. Tough call, especially if you like your previous Hollis regs.
It is much drier than its Omega predecessor. I love mine, though I ended up adding a right angle connector and 48" hose to the second stage instead of a too-stiff stock hose, to route it up under my arm.
The plastic case, like the Omega, needs gentle handling when attaching hoses. Hoses must be attached to the valve BEFORE attaching that assembly to the case, to avoid damaging the plastic valve holder with wrench torque on the hose connection. But the case design is nice and compact, and with my 90° swivel was very comfortable.
That said, Hollis support is going thru a rough patch right now, since the purchase by Huish. I think it'll end up better than before the purchase, but that's not guaranteed.
The DC7 first stage is a mixed bag. Great balance and crisp performance. Very lightweight. But hose routing is one choice only, unless you add swivels. Mounting it upside down makes it worse.
If you have service and parts, I wouldn't recommend against it. But for sheer confidence that things will be supported 15 years from now, Poseidon and Apeks might be better choices. Tough call, especially if you like your previous Hollis regs.
- Messages
- 20,561
- Reaction score
- 14,938
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
@rsingler all the 500se's I've seen/touch/dove have either leaked *air or water...*, and just feel cheap. Most Hollis second stages don't, but for whatever reason these ones just feel cheap. They certainly breathe very differently than a Poseidon, but I'll stand by my point that since the OP is in England, buying a regulator from Huish is not something I'd ever recommend just by proximity. Poseidon is going to be cheaper than Hollis in the UK if he wants to stay on a side exhaust, but for a "normal" second stage paradigm, I'd really just buy Apeks. I sold all of my Apeks regs years ago because of specific issues with owning them in North America, but if I lived in the UK, I would likely switch everything over to Apeks.
Fair enough. The case is not as sturdy as the XStream; I'll give you that. My sample size is "1", and mine was nice and dry, but there could easily be variability.
Since I still think it's a nice second stage, I think the best argument you've got is the OP's location, coupled with Poseidon quality. Plus the fact that the XStream first stage is the best diaphragm design in the world.
Since I still think it's a nice second stage, I think the best argument you've got is the OP's location, coupled with Poseidon quality. Plus the fact that the XStream first stage is the best diaphragm design in the world.
Hey there, I just came across your message, as I was about to post a classified with the items you are looking at. I have the Hollis DC7 (Yoke and DIN). Each comes with two 200LX DCX second stages. It is less than a year old. I am selling each set for $600 (shipping on me). PM me if you are interested, I will send you photos as well.
My name is Sam. Thanks!
Attachments
Similar threads
