Aqualung Calypso getting better

[Zef]

Stopped by the LDS today and was inquiring about prices on regulators that I could use on my pony bottle. The owner of the shop recommended the Aqualung Calypso as an inexpensive possibility. I responded that my wife has a Calypso reg set and it is not recommended to use when water temp is below 10c....he responded that the new generation of Calypso 1st stage is EU cold water rated and the 2nd stage is almost identical to the new Titan 2nd stage.

For an inexpensive regulator (1st and 2nd stage @ 150 Euros) the only downsides I can see to the new version of the Calypso is that this model still only has 1 HP port and it is still not 300 Bar rated....the DIN version only has 5 threads vs. 7 threads on the part that screws into the tank valve.

The 1 HP issue is not a problem for me as on my pony bottle I will only be using an SPG, not an SPG+transmitter.

Now that it is cold water certified this should be a good simple inexpensive piston workhorse.

-Z

 

[JackD342]

Yes, current version is CW rated, although Aqualung does not market it that way, and does caution against use in extreme cold water. WOB stats are pretty impressive too, for an unbalanced piston entry level set. The construction of the previous QC versions did NOT allow them to be rated for CW.

The sole difference between the Titan and Calypso 2nd stages is the printing on the front cover. Otherwise identical.

Yeah, the DIN version isn't sold in the US, probably one reason being that 200 bar falls a bit short of the common (almost standard) 3000 psi fill and would rarely fit any DIN valves in the US and Caribbean. And if adding a yoke adapter to it, may as well start with yoke.

As long as you are considering that unit, I think you can also get an ACD conversion kit for it in Europe if you desire that feature. (Or maybe it is already on the DIN, and the conversion is only for yoke?) And of course you can get an HP port splitter if you really need two. HP Twin Adaptor

 

[Zef]

Yes, current version is CW rated, although Aqualung does not market it that way, and does caution against use in extreme cold water. WOB stats are pretty impressive too, for an unbalanced piston entry level set. The construction of the previous QC versions did NOT allow them to be rated for CW.

The sole difference between the Titan and Calypso 2nd stages is the printing on the front cover. Otherwise identical.

Yeah, the DIN version isn't sold in the US, probably one reason being that 200 bar falls a bit short of the common (almost standard) 3000 psi fill and would rarely fit any DIN valves in the US and Caribbean. And if adding a yoke adapter to it, may as well start with yoke.

As long as you are considering that unit, I think you can also get an ACD conversion kit for it in Europe if you desire that feature. (Or maybe it is already on the DIN, and the conversion is only for yoke?) And of course you can get an HP port splitter if you really need two. HP Twin Adaptor

The DIN version does not have the ACD...I am not really that interested in it as it makes the regulator that much more complex, especially with regards to servicing it.

I picked up the 1st and 2nd stage, no octo for roughly 150 euros...I looked at the price of the octo sold separately and it would seem more economical to purchase a second set of the 1st and 2nd and use the 2nd stage from that set as a octo and keep the other 1st stage as a spare.

-Z

 

[ams511]

A quick search is that 150 euros is less than 170 U.S. dollars. On Leisure Pro a Calypso is $299, so the price is almost double here in the US. Just curious, did the 150 Euros also include VAT?

The second stage here is $175 but the Legend Glacia is discontinued and is $210. The Glacia is a cold water second.

 

[Zef]

I purchased a few things at the same time. the 150 euros was an approximation. I think I paid 160 euros in actuality because the original price was 192 euros with VAT but I received a 20% discount. (VAT is 21% here). Still a great price, especially compared to what it would cost me stateside....I saw that leisure pro one for $299 as well.

I have found a lot of diving gear is less expensive here even with the currency conversion. For instance, my wife's calypso reg set that she bought a few years ago has the qd fitting on the 2nd stage. I picked up the qd to threaded adapter for our save-a-dive kit,....the adapter cost me 25 euros including VAT, but that same adapter from the US would have cost me $50. Si-tech silicone wrist and neck seals are almost half the cost hear with VAT than they retail for in the US.

-Z