MrConclusion
Contributor
I am planning on SCR certification later this summer, which will be a good time for me because my buisiness slows down and the local lakes are warmer!
I have been looking into the Draeger Dolphin and the (Mares) Azimuth. Both of them have features I like, are within my budget, and don't seem to have a lot of terrifying incident reports.
If anyone has experience with both of them, I would love to know as much as you can tell me about which you would suggest, and why. I would also appreciate information from anyone with any experience with either one of them. Thanks in advance!
Here are some issues I'm kicking around, thell me if I'm thinking correctly:
1. The Dolphin is more common, even PADI recognizes it... but the Azimuth uses more off-the-shelf parts (hoses, DIN tanks, regs, etc.) However, I have heard that Azimuth-specific parts have been hard to obtain and expensive. Confusing!
2. The Azimuth doesn't rely on the controvertial Draeger sonic orifices, which seems nice. But are the Draeger orifices really that bad?
3. I like the Draeger OxyGauge, I'm not sure if I like the Uwatec Oxy2/AirZ combo, (The Oxy2 looks, in my opinion, pretty clunky when installed) and is also quite a bit more expensive - is it worth it?
4. The Azimuth comes with a much nicer flowmeter and exhaust valve pressure tester; while the Dolphin manual makes Draeger's solution look clumsier less efficient. (true?) However, the Draeger is cheaper, so should I put the difference into better testing/adjustment tools, and what would the be?
Again, thanks in advance! By the way, I will only be diving this unit only a few times (4-6 weekends, plus 1 or 2 week-long trips) every year.
I have been looking into the Draeger Dolphin and the (Mares) Azimuth. Both of them have features I like, are within my budget, and don't seem to have a lot of terrifying incident reports.
If anyone has experience with both of them, I would love to know as much as you can tell me about which you would suggest, and why. I would also appreciate information from anyone with any experience with either one of them. Thanks in advance!
Here are some issues I'm kicking around, thell me if I'm thinking correctly:
1. The Dolphin is more common, even PADI recognizes it... but the Azimuth uses more off-the-shelf parts (hoses, DIN tanks, regs, etc.) However, I have heard that Azimuth-specific parts have been hard to obtain and expensive. Confusing!
2. The Azimuth doesn't rely on the controvertial Draeger sonic orifices, which seems nice. But are the Draeger orifices really that bad?
3. I like the Draeger OxyGauge, I'm not sure if I like the Uwatec Oxy2/AirZ combo, (The Oxy2 looks, in my opinion, pretty clunky when installed) and is also quite a bit more expensive - is it worth it?
4. The Azimuth comes with a much nicer flowmeter and exhaust valve pressure tester; while the Dolphin manual makes Draeger's solution look clumsier less efficient. (true?) However, the Draeger is cheaper, so should I put the difference into better testing/adjustment tools, and what would the be?
Again, thanks in advance! By the way, I will only be diving this unit only a few times (4-6 weekends, plus 1 or 2 week-long trips) every year.