What is your favorite of all time regulator?

[rob.mwpropane]

Deep6 for the same reason. Great support and easy folks to work with.

I currently have Deep 6 for the same reason, they treat you like an adult. Excited to take the class this weekend...

I mean, wouldn't the general consensus be the one that your breathing on at the moment (as long as it's tuned right)? Maybe I'm missing something, but if blinded I don't think I could tell a difference....could you seasoned divers really tell? Like fine wine and all that?

 

[buddhasummer]

Can tell different characteristics but not necessarily better assuming equally tuned.

My choice was not based on best breathing but considering all aspects, for example ease of servicing, robustness, reliability, the need for speciality tools, ease of getting kits etc.

 

[Ripley]

I own only one (for now): Apeks ATX100.
In him I put my trust.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

My choice was not based on best breathing but considering all aspects, for example ease of servicing, robustness, reliability, the need for speciality tools, ease of getting kits etc.

That makes sense.

 

[USdiver1]

That we are discussing favorite is by definition subjective. The qualities that I find make a regulator a favorite are not necessarily those that you would judge favorably, so there is that. I do think that the majority of us look far beyond just the breathing characteristics and reliable performance, although they are clearly very important, for if favorite status was only based upon looks alone, the GSD Spinnaker would have made my list, reliability be damned.
That said, aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder, and as far as visually stunning regulators, such as the GSD Spinnaker, I'd have to also put the AMF MR-12 II at the top for single hose regulators. Workhorse / bulletproof reliability are what put the SP MkV / R109, AMF and USD regulators on my single hose list, I don't consider them to be super pleasing to the eye [except for the MR-12] but they perform very well and can take a hell of a lot of abuse without compromising their reliability.
The SP MkVII / Pilot is effortless breathing [when in tune], if you have ever used a Pilot you will remember it, nothing else breaths as easily, or is more difficult to source parts for / keep running.

Double hoses are an acquired taste, and in their realm, the single stage regulators have a special place in my heart. Nothing sounds as cool as the intake woosh of a USD Mistral or Voit 50 Fathom [except maybe hearing Darth Vader use his Dacor in the original Star Wars movie]. My personal preference is a 1963 USD Jet Air [the one with the sticker label] with yellow hoses and a black mouthpiece. Beautiful to behold and awesome to hear working at depth.

 

[Nemrod]

Can tell different characteristics but not necessarily better assuming equally tuned.

My choice was not based on best breathing but considering all aspects, for example ease of servicing, robustness, reliability, the need for speciality tools, ease of getting kits etc.

Same here. I did not put my AL Titan LX Supreme as number one easily. I chose it as my favorite because it is robust, reliable, easy to service and in this case, the breathing WOB is superior, it just works. My Argonaut Kraken is right there for the very same reasons and now I will add an aesthetic predisposition. @USdiver1 mentions that DH regulators are an acquired taste, perhaps for most but DH regulators were what I learned on and I have never made a complete adjustment to single hose regulators. So, I admit to be conflicted, while I will not change my order, when I reach into my dive locker/bag, it is the Argonaut Kraken that usually gets the nod, especially if solo diving or photography is on the plate.

You know, I think what puts the Titan LX over the Kraken for me is the portability. The Titan LX coils up snug as a bug in a rug into it's little AL carry bag, READY to GO! The Kraken, well, I remove the hoses and all accessories and the yoke assembly (easy on a Series I, not as easy on a Series II) and then it too will easily go into a regulator carry bag, just some assembly required. And there is another aspect, I do not mind allowing deck hands to rig my gear and swap tanks with the Titan LX but with the Kraken, I do not like anyone touching it so I have to do all the work , lol. Portability is part of my equation, 4.6 pounds on the left and 7.0 pounds on the right.

James

 

[Perryed]

It`s like asking who is my favorite child or grandchild. Waaaaaaaaay to subjective!

 

[Joris Vd]

I have a couple of favorites.

Allround:

scubapro mk5 in DIN + 109's (with the g250 guts). The best looking regulator ever made in my opinion.
Great conversation starter and they perform like a charm for dives I do. (all around 100-110 feet max).

The only thing I've started to get a bit worried about is metal/brass fatigue with the small screws that keep the second stage together. I've had a couple break when I service them.

The problem child:

and I currently also have a love/hate relationship with my cyklons. I kinda don't trust the first stages. They tend to get very creepy after a while.
I've had it several times if I haven't been diving for a while and I test them on my tanks, that the second stage also starts stuttering like a scooter bike. The only way to fix this is by getting them soaking wet first. (I feel like when I dive regularly they function perfectly).

I was thinking of running them with xstream first stages, but haven't yet because of the price

Secret crush:

If I could find a DIN-version of the US Divers conshelf xiv I would buy it instantly and probably dive them even more than my mk5/109's . But sadly they are very hard to find...

The sensible choice:

I've been looking for SCUBAPRO MK19's for over two years now. In my humble opinion, the mk19 + g250 is a near perfect combo and I would trust it any day of the week over the mk25/a700 or similar combo's.

 

[Gaumel]

Hola amigos.
I can do almost anything for a Poseidon reg. My favorite Is the Jetstream, and I am saving a little to go for the MK3 first stage.

 

[Bigbella]

I currently also have a love/hate relationship with my cyklons. I kinda don't trust the first stages. They tend to get very creepy after a while.
I've had it several times if I haven't been diving for a while and I test them on my tanks, that the second stage also starts stuttering like a scooter bike. The only way to fix this is by getting them soaking wet first. (I feel like when I dive regularly they function perfectly).

I would occasionally run into similar problems with older Cyklons, that were in need of service.

Almost exclusively, there was some particulate matter within the first stage, that had managed to damage the Delrin HP seat, either from a fouled air source, or from clumsy unhygienic repair. Scratches to sealing surfaces will also cause that issue. A worn piston is another all-too common problem; and I usually replace them as a matter of course, since they are relatively cheap; can otherwise quickly trash a new seat, and cause that IP creep. If in doubt, I'll usually examine those bits under a stereo microscope. More likely than not, I'll see obvious wear.

This was a problem, well known to techs for decades (Harlow even discussed it in his 1999 Scuba Maintenance and Repair, if I recall), but strangely hadn't found its way into any of the collective Poseidon manuals, whose girth already rivaled old Manhattan phone directories.

Establishing a stable IP to factory specs, will also solve some of the issues with the second stage. Mine certainly do not "stutter." There can also be some detritus under the inhalation diaphragm, not allowing for a complete seal . . .

I was thinking of running them with xstream first stages, but haven't yet because of the price

We've also attached the Cyklon second stages to Xstream firsts, years ago; and they do function quite well. The combination is even approved of, in the service manual -- just crank that IP; and Poseidon is now marketing that very combination as the Cyklon X -- a couple of decades too late, in terms of marketing, in my opinion . . .