Adjustable or Non-Adjustable 2nd Stage?

[Zung]

If it's Apeks, you can outsmart them by getting a 3rd party knob from here for $15

 

[aacavalier]

:shocked2: OK.....so here's the next question.....does anyone have any feedback regarding Zeagle? This particular LDS is looking to outfit me with a Zeagle ZX DS-V and an Aeris 3 guage console with a X1 computer! Anyone have any info on this?

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I very happy with my Zeagle regs. They are well-designed and perform well.

I use a basic Aeris XR1 (air only) dive computer and am happy with it. I prefer wrist mount to console, but that is a personal preference thing.

If you ever decide to go the DIY route for servicing, Zeagles are very easy to service, Zeagle factory service manuals (well written!) are available online with a little searching, and Zeagle is one of the few companies that will sell parts to their customers.

I use a different first stage (Flathead VI), but use the ZX 2nd stages (have 2 of them). I like them a lot.

There are really very few "bad" choices (in fact, I cannot name even 1) among current regulators. There are so many good regs available that it becomes "overload" trying to choose!

I think the more important choice when starting out is choosing the dive shop rather than the regulator brand. I'd give my business (if I still used dive shops for servicing ) to the shop with friendly, honest and competent techs, and just use the regs they sell and service..... However, a shop like I'm describing would be happy to service your regs, even if they didn't sell them to you, because they know by doing so they will create a lasting relationship... ok, off my soapbox...

Pick the reg you like, then go dive and have fun!

Best wishes.

 

[Kern]

The cracking pressure control adjusts how much effort is required to open (crack) the valve & allow gas to flow into the 2nd stage. If the Venturi is set to dive, gas will keep flowing without any further inhalation effort, until you exhale, thus increasing the pressure on the inside of the diaphragm & so shutting down the valve.

With most regulators, the dive/pre-dive switch is a venturi adjustment which does not prevent a freeflow but does limit the severity of the FF.

I'v not looked into every 2nd stage, but for the ones I have looked into, if the 2nd stage is in proper working order, the pressure build up inside the box when its set to pre-dive, must close the valve & so shut down the free flow.

 

[aacavalier]

I think the more important choice when starting out is choosing the dive shop rather than the regulator brand. I'd give my business (if I still used dive shops for servicing ) to the shop with friendly, honest and competent techs, and just use the regs they sell and service..... However, a shop like I'm describing would be happy to service your regs, even if they didn't sell them to you, because they know by doing so they will create a lasting relationship... ok, off my soapbox...

Now this brings me to another question........one LDS says if I buy equipment from them, as long as it's under warranty, when I bring it in for annual service, all I pay is the labor charge and NEVER pay for parts! Another LDS says if I buy thier equipment, the annual service will cost me labor plus parts! What is everyone else experiencing with this? Is it common to have to pay for "normal wear" parts if it's still under warranty?

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Now this brings me to another question........one LDS says if I buy equipment from them, as long as it's under warranty, when I bring it in for annual service, all I pay is the labor charge and NEVER pay for parts! Another LDS says if I buy thier equipment, the annual service will cost me labor plus parts! What is everyone else experiencing with this? Is it common to have to pay for "normal wear" parts if it's still under warranty?

In my mind, "normal wear parts" consists of all the o-rings and low/high pressure seats -- everything that gets replaced during a regulator overhaul.
There are, of course, other soft regulator parts that will need to be replaced at some point (every few years?), e.g., mouthpieces, 2nd stage exhaust valves, 2nd stage diaphragms. These parts are not usually replaced during an overhaul. The reg owner will always bear the cost of such parts.

Various manufacturers specify different regulator servicing intervals in order to keep the reg "under warranty." For instance, Scubapro stipulates that its regs should be overhauled annually. In contrast, Apeks/Aqualung says to overhaul its regs every other year, with a simple reg inspection (no overhaul) on in-between years. Atomic Aquatics also states that its regs should be overhauled every other year. At least for Scubapro and Apeks/Aqualung, I know that, so long as the reg is maintained "under warranty," the reg owner will not have to pay for overhaul parts kits. However, he/she is still responsible for paying labor charges. For a typical reg overhaul (one 1st stage + two 2nd stages), labor charges alone can run $50-$85.

For divers interested in buying their first reg setup new, it's difficult to make sense of the various reg servicing charges in figuring out the "total cost of ownership" of a reg over several years. Many years ago, when I was buying my first reg, I had narrowed down my choices to an Aqualung reg and a Scubapro reg. In the end, the 2 year servicing interval of the Aqualung reg (vs. the annual servicing of the Scubapro reg) was a significant consideration.

Now I service my own regs. Overhaul parts kits can be expensive and difficult to source (since companies like Scubapro and Apeks/Aqualung only provide kits to authorized dealers), but I find that my "total cost of ownership" has gone down because I only service my regs when necessary (every 3 years for my "go to" reg setup; longer for my backup set). I monitor the health of my regs on a very frequent basis and overhaul them when appropriate.

I think you've received a lot of good advice in this thread. Most newer divers don't want to be bothered with DIY servicing their own regs. It takes some patience and time to learn how to do it properly. Find a local shop with friendly employees and competent reg techs. As LeadTurn_SD pointed out, there are so many great regs on the market nowadays. The marketing of the regs would lead you to believe that more expensive regs perform better...but that's certainly not always the case. Arguably, the single most important factor which affects reg breathing performance is the skill of the reg tech who last overhauled/serviced/tuned the reg. If you want to save a few bucks, choose a robust middle-of-the-line reg with the features you want. It might not be made of "unobtanium" or have user-adjustment knobs, but it should breathe great without having a propensity to free-flow so long as it's tuned properly.

 

[Capt.Gene]

:shocked2: OK.....so here's the next question.....does anyone have any feedback regarding Zeagle? This particular LDS is looking to outfit me with a Zeagle ZX DS-V and an Aeris 3 guage console with a X1 computer! Anyone have any info on this?

You could save some money getting the Envoy Deluxe instead of the DS5.
The Envoy Deluxe is the same reg as the DS5 without the cold water/ice capability.

 

[aacavalier]

Thank you to everyone for the helpful info!