Aqua Lung vs Atomic

[eelnoraa]

Touch but equally good choices. I think the biggest question is which you can get local support. If you are a vacation diver, I think you will get wider AL network than Atomic if you are outside of North America.

 

[Gren]

Are you APO/FPO? dive gear express and DRIS both ship FPO to me incredibly quickly.

 

[snickerdoodle]

Oh hey, you're in Naples. We just moved here from there. Still not sure if was upgrade or downgrade.

 

[eelnoraa]

Haven't you heard, the most likely, issues occur right after a reg service. If you have to do it mail order, what if it comes back not working properly. Will you ship out for adjustment again? Unless you have tools and knowledge to diagnose and fix your own reg, but then you won't need mail order reg service anymore.

 

[Scared Silly]

Also, am I really crazy for considering having two regs instead of a regulator and an octo? I'm kind of wary of some of the quality of some of the octos I've seen around here and I feel like I'd be more comfortable with a "real" regulator as my backup, just in case.

You mean having two second stage regulators that are the same. No you are to crazy. In fact, a savvy diver would do that. Yeah you may not ever need to use a backup second stage but if ya do, do you want to be breathing off of a low performance regulator when Davy Jones comes a calling? (Remember, the reg in your mouth is most likely going to your buddy). Further, if the deck dork drops something on your primary reg ya still got a good second to use (while they replace your primary). Also if it is the same then easy maintenance.

As for the AL vs AA. I like AA cause they are easy to service and when it comes to parts totally interchangeable.

 

[snickerdoodle]

Haven't you heard, the most likely, issues occur right after a reg service. If you have to do it mail order, what if it comes back not working properly. Will you ship out for adjustment again? Unless you have tools and knowledge to diagnose and fix your own reg, but then you won't need mail order reg service anymore.

Worst case I use the boat rentals until it's all better or I find the AL service center here in Bahrain.

 

[DKL]

I have an AL Mikron also...it rocks. Light comfortable and the octo is a pretty yellow and black. Performance is awesome. I have it overhauled every year it costs about 70 bucks for the second and octo from my LDS.

 

[C Dub]

If you're ever thinking of moving to tech, you might want to look at 2 Atomic M1's. That's what I chose to do.

 

[herman]

Let me give you a alternative that will save you some money without sacrificing performance or quality. What you need to understand is the first stage of a regulator has very little to do with the performance of the reg so it makes very little difference which one you choose. Anyone who tells you differently is either BSing you to make a sale or just does not have a clue how regs work. Internally, all AL diaphragm regs (and AA piston regs for that matter) are identical so it makes no difference which one you buy, a micron, a titan or a legend. The only difference between them is the outer shell, the "pretty part". What does make a performance difference is the second stage and even then they are more similar than not. AL and most all other brands use 2 or 3 basic designs and add bling and "features" as the price goes up. All of the bling and past a point, most of the “features” are of little use. So, your best bet for a good performing regulator is the mid range first stage paired with the higher end second offered for that range....and that is mostly due to the manuf not offering the better second stages with the lower end first stages. I do recommend you get a better octo, the low end ones like the AL ABS are poor at best and it is best if you stick with the same brand. Not that it will not work but when you do need service, it prevents you from having to find 2 different service shops. By buying the mid range reg, you get the same performance and save money that can be much better spent on a better octo.

 

[Oldbear]

Earlier you mentioned mouthpiece...maybe that was humor I missed. Mouthpieces are cheap and all will get replaced at some point in the life of your reg. Some divers even purchase custom fitting mouth pieces.

As for regs...I would go with the best quality you can afford or feel comfortable with. I dive with an Atomic B2, ScubaPro S600/M25 or a AQ Legend. It depends what gear configuration I want to use that day. Quality will pay for itself.

If you are at an APO I would worry to much about service; $10 and you can send it to your favorite stateside LDS. I did this for 7 years while in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. I would be doing here but we have a couple of service techs on island.