1992 US Divers Micra and Sea2--replace or keep?

[Damselfish]

jaw fatigue itself isn't a good reason to buy a new reg. Changing hose type, length or routing, or a different mouthpiece, is the solution. She could easily get a new reg and have the same problem, and wind up doing those things anyway.

That said, last year we decided to replace our 20 year old regs and bought Aqualung Mikrons. Nice travel reg, small and light 1st & second, and comes with a Miflex hose.

 

[JCR]

jaw fatigue itself isn't a good reason to buy a new reg. Changing hose type, length or routing, or a different mouthpiece, is the solution. She could easily get a new reg and have the same problem, and wind up doing those things anyway.

That said, last year we decided to replace our 20 year old regs and bought Aqualung Mikrons. Nice travel reg, small and light 1st & second, and comes with a Miflex hose.

I agree about the jaw fatigue ... I called Aqualung and asked about any major differences between our existing regulators and comparable current models. A helpful and knowledgeable gentleman indicated that the our existing regulators have a balanced first stage (he indicates it is a conshelf) that is much heavier than existing first stages. He suggested" it is heavy enough to be a useful self-defense weapon."

The second stage US Divers Micra is apparently a distant predecessor of the current Aqualung Mikron. Although some of the features of the balanced regulator are nice, for the type of diving we plan to do, there may not be enough difference at this point to justify upgrading.

My second stage SEA2 is also not balanced and the Aqualung gentleman suggested, "it is built like a tank" and should be fine for a good many years, although it was his opinion that it breathes a little harder than some folks like. He indicated there might be enough difference to think about an upgrade, depending on the type of diving we do.

It may be that my wife upgrades her regulator set and I will take hers -- pink color and all -- and sell the SEA2. Or, if she decides to keep hers, then we will both use what we have for awhile and see if there is a future reason to upgrade.

Based on responses so far, it seems as if there is no compelling reason -- other than travel weight -- to upgrade to new regulators. We can keep the regulators we have and upgrade the hoses and mouthpieces, and go from there.

JR

 

[JCR]

Called the dive shop and they say our first stages are "Cousteau" and not Conshelf ...

 

[herman]

Called the dive shop and they say our first stages are "Cousteau" and not Conshelf ...

FYI, Cousteau and Conshelf first stages have the same guts in them. A little different outside package but for all intents and purposes the same. Both are balanced. If by chance you decide to get rid of the Cousteau first stage, I am looking for one.

 

[JCR]

FYI, Cousteau and Conshelf first stages have the same guts in them. A little different outside package but for all intents and purposes the same. Both are balanced. If by chance you decide to get rid of the Cousteau first stage, I am looking for one.

Herman,
Thanks for the information ... that is useful to know. If my wife decides to get a new regulator set, then I will let you know first about the Cousteau. Related to this ... if I keep the first stage on my regulator set can I replace the second stage SEA2 with a different second stage (if that is possible) such as a Legend Apex, or G250v that is amenable to tuning, although I guess most can be tuned. I am wondering if the thoughts you expressed in another thread apply here:

"Assuming a first stage is working as it should - IP is set correctly and there are no mechanical problems, reguardless of make or type, it has very little to do with the preformance of the reg. 99% of the performance of a regulator is dependent on the second stage and the tech who set it up. An old low priced brand X tuned properly can easily breath better than a new top of the line brand Y that has been set up incorrectly. Some second stages do breath better than others, just keep in mind that tuning of the reg is as important as the reg itself."

So, just wondering if I can mix different second stages with the first stage cousteau?

Thanks,
JR

 

[JCR]

Answering some of my own questions: a search shows threads where folks talk about mixing first and second stages, although the preference seems to be to stay within the same brand beacuse of service issues. If the first stage is putting out a balanced pressure, then it would seem that getting a nice breathing second stage is an optional upgrade to my SEA2?

 

[herman]

Sure you can mix and match first and seconds. The Cousteau makes a good choice for a first stage. It's solid, a proven design (internally speaking) and easy to find parts for. It's easy to field service too which is the reason I want another one for my wife. It is a balanced diaphram design with an IP of 135 +/- 5psi although it will do nicely at 145 so pretty much any second stage can be used with it. The second may need a little tuning but that's no big deal. With the exception of Persidon, every reg I know of is within 10psi of the 135 psi nominal of the Cousteau so pretty much any second you want will do nicely. Granted you might get a little guff from a shop if you put a different brand- Scubapro for example- on it just because they do not service them but strickly from a technical point of view there is no reason at all not to. My regs are often a hodge podge of brands and types, just depends on what I feel like and what I have recently got new. Seems like I saw DA Aquamaster had a couple of freshly serviced G250s for sale- they would do nicely and if DA serviced them, they are right.

 

[JCR]

THANKS! Any thoughts on a nice breathing all metal second stage?

 

[halocline]

THANKS! Any thoughts on a nice breathing all metal second stage?

Yep, scubapro 109, preferably upgraded to balanced/adjustable. I'm sure DA aquamaster has one of those he'll sell. He's moving, which means he's doing some pruning to his well-stocked dive locker. The nice thing about buying something from him, as Herman mentioned, is that you can be sure it's serviced expertly. I have a friend that bought a MK25/D400 from him a few years back. On our last dive trip I was going to rebuild it, but it still looked totally clean inside and worked perfectly, so I didn't bother.

 

[ZzzKing]

THANKS! Any thoughts on a nice breathing all metal second stage?

Your friendly, neighborhood Aqualung dealer can order a new Conshelf XIV second stage for the low, low price of $275 or you can get a used one on eBay for $25 or $30.

I think Mares makes an all metal reg. Old Scubapros are nice. Also available on eBay. If you buy on eBay, you will die. If you are okay with that, you can find some nice metal second stages.