BattleshipTexas
Registered
Howdy. Let me start my first post by saying thank you to this community. For the last three weeks I have spent hours reading questions and replies, and I appreciate how helpful and informative this community is toward one another. It has been a tremendous help to me as I navigate the myriad regulator options to make my first purchase of one.
For background I am still a novice diver (~40 dives) even though I was certified as Advanced Scuba Diver over twenty years ago. With the kids now older I have decided to reengage diving and recently completed a refresher course and Nitrox certification. I know from those forty dives that everything I want to see is in 66ft/20m or less of warm, ocean water along the Atlantic coast of the Americas or islands of the Pacific as I am content to watch colorful wildlife move about. To keep skills fresh I may dive in local quarries (Carolinas) when the water temperature is at or above 68F/20C, and for the foreseeable future I don’t see an interest in technical diving.
I have narrowed my search down to the ScubaPro Mk2 EVO/R195 ($490 MSRP) and the Atomic Z2 ($459 MSRP). My thinking is that they are rock solid reliable and have local shops that can service them. I wanted to identify lower priced regulators, but other than Aqua Lung there is not a good market presence for anyone else.
The Mk2 EVO/R195 is not balanced in both 1st (piston) and 2nd stages, but it seems well regarded and conforms to EN250:2014 (“EN250A”) when paired with the R195 Octo. I have little doubt that it will have parts for years to come and is easily serviced. The warranty is lifetime against defects so long as you can document the prescribed maintenance (a paperwork headache).
The Z2 is balanced in both 1st (piston) and 2nd stages and has an extra HP port in case I want to add an air integrated computer in the future. While I know that theroretically balanced is easier/more consistent to breath I don't know that I will notice it in the type of diving I qualified above. I was not able to confirm it meets EN250A. Atomic has been around for 25 years, seems to be a solid player, but I have read some comments that the servicing kits and labor are relatively expensive compared to other manufacturers. The warranty is lifetime without the need to document the prescribed maintenance.
I welcome your opinions on these two regulators along with suggestions for other points I should consider in evaluating these side-by-side.
Thanks,
Wesley
For background I am still a novice diver (~40 dives) even though I was certified as Advanced Scuba Diver over twenty years ago. With the kids now older I have decided to reengage diving and recently completed a refresher course and Nitrox certification. I know from those forty dives that everything I want to see is in 66ft/20m or less of warm, ocean water along the Atlantic coast of the Americas or islands of the Pacific as I am content to watch colorful wildlife move about. To keep skills fresh I may dive in local quarries (Carolinas) when the water temperature is at or above 68F/20C, and for the foreseeable future I don’t see an interest in technical diving.
I have narrowed my search down to the ScubaPro Mk2 EVO/R195 ($490 MSRP) and the Atomic Z2 ($459 MSRP). My thinking is that they are rock solid reliable and have local shops that can service them. I wanted to identify lower priced regulators, but other than Aqua Lung there is not a good market presence for anyone else.
The Mk2 EVO/R195 is not balanced in both 1st (piston) and 2nd stages, but it seems well regarded and conforms to EN250:2014 (“EN250A”) when paired with the R195 Octo. I have little doubt that it will have parts for years to come and is easily serviced. The warranty is lifetime against defects so long as you can document the prescribed maintenance (a paperwork headache).
The Z2 is balanced in both 1st (piston) and 2nd stages and has an extra HP port in case I want to add an air integrated computer in the future. While I know that theroretically balanced is easier/more consistent to breath I don't know that I will notice it in the type of diving I qualified above. I was not able to confirm it meets EN250A. Atomic has been around for 25 years, seems to be a solid player, but I have read some comments that the servicing kits and labor are relatively expensive compared to other manufacturers. The warranty is lifetime without the need to document the prescribed maintenance.
I welcome your opinions on these two regulators along with suggestions for other points I should consider in evaluating these side-by-side.
Thanks,
Wesley
