Another "Which Regulator to Buy" Thread

[Mverick]

I just happen to have 4 SP MK20/S600's and 3 Apeks tx100's new sitting here so I figured I'd check the size. The tx100 first stage is smaller than the MK20. And the tx100's second stage is about the size of a HP250. Also, the TX100 is sealed. And the increased size keeps the bubbles out of my face. Which I like.

Do you sell Apeks or Seaquest/apeks. There is a difference. The Apeks have a little harder cracking pressure. BUT they also are less apt to freeze. In the water around me, St. Louis, I like that more than a little less cracking pressure.

OH, if I go south to dive I take my MK20/G500UL. Just so I have less weight. I haven't moved up to the 600 yet because I haven't found a need for it yet. I like the size of the 500. But I also take a tx100. Both are great regs. But in dirty water like the Mississippi. Or Quaries, like Meremet springs, I prefer sealed.

 

[scuba_adventurer]

Yes, we sell Apeks. There are no Seaquest regs anymore, they market Apeks exclusively.

I was comparing a tx series to the G250, and the atx to the S600. So as a line, the SP regs are smaller. As far as first stages go, the lighter materials available from scubapro outweigh the size difference. Size mostly matters in second stages to prevent jaw fatigue.

I have said before that sealing is overrated, but that is up to the diver. I know that the rescue team here in KC that regularly dives the Missouri has Mk20s with many dirty water dives on them, and they have had no problems. Apeks is just starting to catch on here in KC.

I enjoy a top of line reg that is an easy breather. It is just a matter of opinion I guess.

 

[Mverick]

Well I just grabbed my G250 to check the size against the tx100 and the G250 has a greater diameter than the tx100. It is also longer from the face of the reg to the mouthpiece, which contributes to jaw fatigue. The bubble disperser is bigger but that's what keeps em out of your face.

I don't have any ATX's around. So I can't check those.

If you get your regs through Seaquest then they are Seaquest/apeks. And they change a few things in the second stage before they send them to the states. For the tx100 that is. I think for the 50's also.

And I know that the rescue team here uses anything they can get there hands on. A lot of Blizzards. And other sherwoods. Which are good regs also. I just like great regs a little more. But they usually don't go deep and if they do it's with a hard hat and surface supplied air and a com system.

To finish this off. Either reg is great. I use both.

But given the choice I prefer sealed. I've never had a Scubapro freeze up but I can see where it would be more prevalent to, so I like sealed for the tough stuff. But I still use my ScubaPro's all the time.

 

[Iguana Don]

"If you get your regs through Seaquest then they are Seaquest/apeks. And they change a few things in the second stage before they send them to the states. For the tx100 that is. I think for the 50's also. "


Mverick,

Please tell us exactly what they change. I have heard this before and nobody will tell us what it is that they change.

ID

 

[Mverick]

Well, I'll have to look around to find it again. I don't deal with the Seaquest/apeks since I can get the Apeks and don't have to worry about the problems with Seaquest. I can't remember EXACTLY so I'll look around for it at the house again.

But what it does is make a Apeks breathe more like a ScubaPro. But it also makes it more suseptable to freeze up. I'd prefer less chance of freeze up. US market likes the easy breathers.

I think when rodales tested the ScubaPro and Seaquest Apeks the ScubaPro beat it by a little. But not much. But that was on a machine. I find personal use tells me more about the reg. If Ice diving I would prefer sealed. But I've done it with a MK20/G500UL and it didn't freeze.

 

[Lost Yooper]

I got this off Apeks web site -- http://www.apeks.co.uk/apekshome.htm -- for all those interested. I haven't gone to Rodales to varify it.

--------

In the latest independent high performance regulator review in Rodale's Scuba magazine, which features the latest high performance regulators from the world's top regulator manufacturers, the APEKS TX100 was nominated as the best regulator.

The comprehensive tests and conclusions mean that the TX100 is quite simply the best regulator in the world. The laboratory tests were excellent but what was particularly pleasing for us was the fact that the regulator out-performed any other during the actual dive tests. This is after all the truest reflection of regulator performance.

As you may be aware Rodale uses a system of THUMBS UP for positive features and THUMBS DOWN for negative aspects. There were more THUMBS UP for the TX100 and the TX50 than any other regulators in the review and Apeks regulators were the only ones with NO THUMBS DOWN at all. The review is so recent that the results may not be on Rodale's web site yet. So you may have to contact Rodale to obtain details of the report.

Rodale Scuba www.scubadiving.com

 

[Ontario Diver]

me! (I hope)

The final push came down to Apeks Tx40/Tx0, Sherwood Maximus and Minimus, Mares Abyss and Epos, and ScubaPro Mk22/G250 * 2.


Dropped the Sherwood first for a number of reasons - primarily the amount of plastic vs metal.

The other three each had pro/cons Pros - all are easy breathing, all function well at depth, Heck - they are all top of the line regs for a reason.

I got to the point where I could not find really good reasons to drop any from the mix. Like I said - all good regs.

Since none are carried by my LDS - I had to go to other places anyway. Found four good shops, one about 4 km from my house.

There are issues and concerns about parts and servicing for all of them (Like there are just 2 APEKS dealers in Toronto.)

So....It came down to price, then it came down to dealing with the DS (price and service). Scubapro was most expensive and the DS hardest to deal with. The Mares dealer told me (on the sly) that Apeks was as good as Mares and the Apeks dealer told me that I'd be happy with a Mares as well. Discussions with both of these dealers were in excess of one and a half hours for each one.

At the end of it, it looks like I'll go Apeks for a few reasons (I'm still waiting on a final price from the Mares dealer):
1) since I want to buy a computer at the same time, the Apeks dealer will build a nice package for me (saves $)
2) the dealer is willing to train me on the maintenance of the kit
3) The Mares is more expensive (and the dealer farther away)
4) The other Apeks dealer is a IANTD wreck and cave dive instructor - I'm going to be doing some training there!
5) the Apeks dealer required that I rent and try before I dive. This was a little more difficult (but doable) with the other DS. But the Apeks dealer brought it up and I had to bring it up with the other dealers.

Of course my other thought was for dirty and cold water enviroments what would be better: a reg designed for the North Sea or one designed for the Med?

They are all very good,very safe, excellent regs - at this point I don't think that you could go wrong with any of them.

Thanks to all for your help. Without this thread I never would have considered the Scubapro - and that would have been a mistake!

Thanks to all again!

Matt

 

[Lost Yooper]

I choose Apeks despite not having a dealer for a few hundred miles. Heck, I don't even know where the closest Apeks dealer is to me.



Mike

 

[neil]

Originally posted by Iguana Don
"If you get your regs through Seaquest then they are Seaquest/apeks. And they change a few things in the second stage before they send them to the states. For the tx100 that is. I think for the 50's also. "


Mverick,

Please tell us exactly what they change. I have heard this before and nobody will tell us what it is that they change.

ID

Don,
I think this is how it goes: the original Euro version of the reg was designed not to freeflow easily, which brought it to some European standard. The easy way to keep a reg from freeflowing is to make the valve harder to open, aka increasing the cracking pressure. The original regs came with a longer balance chamber (2nd stage we're talking about) which compresses the spring to this effect. When the Apex regs first started coming from SeaQuest they had a notice to shops that shorter balance chambers were available to replace the originals. That's the difference. A good technician who didn't care about liability issues could also just file the nub on the original part to make it shorter.

Neil