aqua lung regulator

[camille.masson]

Hi all,

I have an opportunity to buy this regulator "aqua lung calypso" for a very good price.
I just was wondering if anyone had any experience with this regulator, any opinions, problems, etc...

Would be awesome to hear from you all soon

thanks

 

[jago]

It does his job, no more no less. As an unbalanced reg, it can be uncomfortable beyond 18-20 meters (55-60 feet).
Good for beginners or on a deco bottle.

 

[camille.masson]

what do you mean by uncomfortable?

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.
It depends on which Calypso you are refering to. There have been 3 basic design changes to the Calypso over the years, the first model appeared in 1961. The current one is a lower end model but should work fine for most new divers. ALthough they were good regs in their time, the older 2 versions are no longer supported so unless you know a really good (and long time) US Divers tech the odds of you getting it serviced is pretty slim.
Bottom line, if it's one of the later models (easy to tell, the second stage will be plastic) then it should do nicely as a first reg, If it's one of the older models - metal second stages, I would suggest you pass on it. While solid regs that will still perform nicely if serviced, getting it serviced is not going to be easy so those models need to be left for those of us who restore the old regs for the fun of it....or find yourself a good old US Divers tech.

 

[camille.masson]

As far as I know it is this one; Aqua Lung - Professional Diving Equipment. But will have a closer look at it when I go see it. I am just a beginner diver and just want something practical and easy to take care of. Obviously I don't want to spend money on something that's going to need services and etc all the time. Thanks for all your help.

 

[herman]

It does his job, no more no less. As an unbalanced reg, it can be uncomfortable beyond 18-20 meters (55-60 feet).
Good for beginners or on a deco bottle.

Balancing has nothing at all to do with performance at depth, it simply keeps cracking pressure constant as tank pressure varies. I am not sure where this myth comes from but my guess is it comes from LDSs (local dive shops) trying to sell more expensive regs to uninformed buyers.

 

[herman]

As far as I know it is this one; Aqua Lung - Professional Diving Equipment. But will have a closer look at it when I go see it. I am just a beginner diver and just want something practical and easy to take care of. Obviously I don't want to spend money on something that's going to need services and etc all the time. Thanks for all your help.

That is the newer model. You realize that every regulator requires service at certain intervals. Most brands require service every 1 or 2 years to maintain the warranty. The labor cost of this service is the responsibility of the owner however, most brands will cover the cost of service parts as long as you maintain the service interval. The value of this is a much debated issue but in any case, you do need to realize that any reg is going to require service from time to time regardless of brand or model.

 

[jago]

Balancing has nothing at all to do with performance at depth, it simply keeps cracking pressure constant as tank pressure varies.

Try a Calypso at 60 feet with a pressure of 700 psi in your tank.

The labor cost of this service is the responsibility of the owner however, most brands will cover the cost of service parts as long as you maintain the service interval.

In some countries, you have to pay the labor cost and the service parts whatever is the brand.

 

[camille.masson]

You realize that every regulator requires service at certain intervals.

I do know that they need servicing. Just don't want to buy something that's going to break easily or need to be serviced all the time...
As a beginner diver, no deeper than 30m, would you suggest this regulator or rather go with another. I do dive regularly, nearly every weekend....

 

[herman]

Try a Calypso at 60 feet with a pressure of 700 psi in your tank. In some countries, you have to pay the labor cost and the service parts whatever is the brand.

Depth has little effect on the preformance of a reg util you get to depths that exceed the recommened depths for rec diving. Depth only becomes an issue when the density of the gas increases to the point it can not flow easily within the reg, 60 feet is no where near deep enough for it to be a factor. Unless the reg is improperly set up, it is very unlikely the average diver will notice the difference in the cracking of an unbalanced reg until the tank pressure gets into the low hundreds.


The Calypso should do nicely and if you do get it at a good price, you can always sell it, getting most if not all your money back.