Aqua Lung - Legend or Legend LX?

[Bombarie]

Thanks guys - your help is much appreciated.

Hallmac, thanks for verifying the design of the 1st stages. I guess I really am looking at an additional EUR 100 for a BRA knob and less than the ultimate cold water performance (which I don't need), then. That EUR 100 buys me the LX Octo and saves me some money for the cold beers in the Egyptian desert (will come at a premium, that is for sure!). Need to sleep a night about it....in the meantime,
any input in general on whether I should buy a 2nd stage with or without a BRA knob is highly appreciated (diving is a great thing but dreaming about regs is IMHO a little over the top).

SeaJay: The Aqua Lung brochure mentions they bought Apeks from Ken Ainscough in 1997. Mr Ainscough still advises on the design of the regs, so the brochure mentions. Thanks for your pointer, will check out whether my LDS will consider servicing an Apeks reg (I'd probably go for an ATX 50/40 combo) I bought online (cannot find a single ds on the Dutch market that sells them - it is almost all Mares, Dacor and Scubapro overhere).

Again - thanks for your help.

 

[SeaJay]

No prob.

I just bought an Apeks ATX50/DS4/ATX50 for $490 (421 EUR), including shipping to my door, from http://www.DiveInn.com By the way... That's including the backup. If I hads purchased he ATX40 "octo" instead, it would have only run me $402 (346 EUR).

To compare apples to apples, the Legend LX Supreme, which you say is a bit pricey and running you 380 EUR, can be compared to the Apeks ATX50/DS4 only at $311.57 (268 EUR).

The Apeks regs from DiveInn.com are highly recommended... Great service, great price, great reg.

 

[Aquanaught]

At my LDS the Aqualung Legend LX Supreme(din) and the Aqualung Octopus LX cost 450 euro together. I will buy this regulator most probably after I finished my Padi OWD course and have tested the reg myself.

 

[oxyhacker]

The difference between the supreme and non-supreme models is in the tuning and the trim. There is no mechanical difference between them!

The Supreme is tuned to flow a little less, which allows it to meet the CEN coldwater snowflake standard at the cost of breathing a tiny bit harder. You can turn one into another with a half a turn of a screwdriver.

 

[Bombarie]

Oxyhacker - thanks. From the equipment tests at www.divernet.com I learned that the Legend versions where considered a bit prone to freeflow, that appears to correlate with your remark.

Have slept a night about it now and think that EUR 100 for an additional knob is a bit too much - incline to purchase the Legend, unless I can convince my lds to service the (cheaper, thanks SeaJay for the pointer) Apeks Atx50.

Thanks for all your help - much appreciated. Look for a review of 7 days (unlimited!) diving at Wadi Lahami in Southern Eqypt on this site end November.

regards, Arjan.

 

[Mgnau]

ut: My local LDS sold me the Legend LX and my wife the Legend. If you want LX on the reg buy it, but only because you want it to say LX. They are both great and if there is a difference in performance I don't see it. Only price. I have used both in cold and warm water no problems.

Sorry Scuba Pro owners but Scuba Pros I've used was like sucking thru a ten foot garden hose. Lost 5 minutes of dive time wearing myself out breathing.

 

[mmcdds]

Personally, I like the LX. I like regs with adjustable second stages. I lkie being able to tune them down while I'm at the surface and I like opening them all the way (or nearly all the way) while I'm diving. A non-adjustabel second stage can't be set that sensitive or it would free flow everytime you even look at the water. This is not to imply, however, that the Legend is anything other than a great reg.

 

[ew1usnr]

After reading this thread I did a search for a Legend to see what it looked like (see attached photo).

I have a question about this: "The 1st stage has a black, polyurethane coating to protect the exterior metal surfaces."

It seems like salt water could get under that coating and cause corrosion. Has anyone noticed that to be a problem?

Thanks.

 

[ScubaRon]

Water won't get under it unless you damage the coating. In that case proper rinsing should remove any salt.
ScubaRon