AGA, Poseidon, or Neptune?

[brandonquintero]

Greetings fellow divers.

I really want to buy a full face mask, but im not sure which one to get. There are a lot of different ffm's out there and it is hard for me to decide which one to get--especially since i really dont know much about them. At first glance, the AGA seems to have a better field of vision as opposed ot the Neptune by Ocean reef. And from what Ive heard from instructors, the Neptune isnt very reliable. ANy info as to what I should buy would be greatly appreciated. If there are any websites offering good prices on ffm's please let me know. Thanks.

~~Brandon

 

[rmediver2002]

It might be worth your while to try out some different versions for yourself. Have you looked into taking a training course on full-face mask diving?

http://www.adp.fsu.edu/HistoryOfDiving/

Here is some basic information on various types of masks, I have not posted anything on the Neptune or Atmosphere yet but they are covered in another thread somewhat already...

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=340579#post340579

Jeff Lane

 

[caveseeker7]

Well, actually I am. The Poseidon is worth a look, both Poseidon and Interspiro have vastly superior regulators. It also depends a bit of what you do UW. If you film or shoot, the Neptune's reg is going to be in the way big time.

 

[JohnStrr]

and while I decided a FFM was not for me, after reading people's reviews of them I would get the AGA. Read about the con's of FFM while you're looking, there's a few.

 

[TX65]

My current FFM is the Poseidon Atmosphere. In the past, I have used the AGA and Exo in the light FFM catagory. In addition, I did some test dives on the Neptune.

The AGA and Poseidon are very similar. The same designers created both of them. The Poseidon is really an evolution of the AGA design.

Of course, the Poseidon incorporates the very well proven Poseidon Jetstream 2nd stage. There is also rumbling that the Poseidon Xtream regulator will work on the Atmosphere but I havent given that a try. Poseidon has quietly produced some of the finest regulators in the world for over 20 years. Not that there is anything wrong with the AGA, but the Poseidon 2nd stage will probably be easier to service then the AGA unit.

IMHO, the Neptune is nothing more then an entry level intro FFM. It is not a commercial grade unit and if you buy one, you will probably end up buying a AGA or Poseidon before too long as you gain more experience.

You will hear people on this board who are negative on FFM equipment. Most of that comes from never using one or from a bias instilled in them by an instructor or dive shop that is not experienced in their use.

The biggest con people bring up about them is related to emergency gas supply. That con being that you cant just grab another regulator from someone else without having to don a backup conventional mask.

Personally, I dive with a CMA (Cover My A--) mentality so I have my own backup gas supply that I can switch to without ditching the mask. I also do carry a backup conventional mask in the event I do need to tap into another person's supply.

While people clearly acknowledge the pro's of using one, they claim that unless you are doing those kinds of dives, you dont need this "highly specialized" piece of diving equipment. A FFM is not a highly specialized piece of equipment. It is just a different kind of equipment.

A course like the one offered by FSU is a nice overview of their features, benefits and operating requirements.