I plowed through a number of threads on SB, I read the Ferrari vs. Hummer comparisons, and I'm none the wiser. The analogies are meaningless to me. Going just by the official specs, the Aqualung line seems to be offering better parameters in a similar price range, and yet for mysterious reasons, Apeks seems to be the brand of choice among tech divers. What's so "Hummer" about Apeks regulators, in what sense are they more reliable than Aqualung? Some people report that some regulators breathe noticeably easier than others despite having the same (or lower) test scores. Are there any important aspects of breathing comfort that are not reflected in the test scores? What are they?
Aqualung Legend vs. Apeks XTX for cold water tech dives.
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if you decide to go with apeks, just go for the atx range. all of the atx/xtx regs have the same internals (from the 40 on up). the higher the number, the more blingy the faceplate. i use atx 40s and ds-4s on both my twinset and stage. had them down to 2*C and have done up to 15 minutes deco with them, no issues. if you really want a twiddly knob (atx 50s), you can buy them aftermarket for about $5 and there is a handy youtube video that shows you step by step how to fit it.
i can't comment on the legend, sorry.
i can't comment on the legend, sorry.
ams511
Contributor
Aqualung makes good gear, I doubt anyone would ever classify it as unreliable. Apeks was a local UK company that made gear designed for the UK diving. As I am sure rivers can attest, North Sea diving is much harder on equipment than diving in the Caribbean. The brand gained a reputation among tech divers as being both bullet proof and a good breather. The brand was distributed in the US by Zeagle until 2000, when Aqualung purchased the company and began selling it themselves.
Most Apeks first stages are sealed, the exceptions are the UST and US4. Most Aqualungs are not except for the Glacia and the supreme versions. So if cold water diving is in your future you want a sealed regulator.
Apeks second stages (with the exception of the T20) are designed to resist freezing in cold water, this does not affect warm water performance and actually helps with dry mouth.
Most people myself included have not dived both so cannot make a head to head comparison. I own Apeks regulators and can attest they breath well. I have not used a Legend so I cannot comment on that but be warned that test machines pick up differences that a human cannot.
Another consideration is that people claim there is no difference in breathing between the Legend and the Titan LX models. So you can save some money with the Titan LX.
In my opinion the Apeks ATX-40 package is the best deal on the market right now and as Rivers mentioned can be upgraded.
Most Apeks first stages are sealed, the exceptions are the UST and US4. Most Aqualungs are not except for the Glacia and the supreme versions. So if cold water diving is in your future you want a sealed regulator.
Apeks second stages (with the exception of the T20) are designed to resist freezing in cold water, this does not affect warm water performance and actually helps with dry mouth.
Most people myself included have not dived both so cannot make a head to head comparison. I own Apeks regulators and can attest they breath well. I have not used a Legend so I cannot comment on that but be warned that test machines pick up differences that a human cannot.
Another consideration is that people claim there is no difference in breathing between the Legend and the Titan LX models. So you can save some money with the Titan LX.
In my opinion the Apeks ATX-40 package is the best deal on the market right now and as Rivers mentioned can be upgraded.
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ams511
Contributor
Just a small correction. DST is also sealed. the US-4 and UST (if such a thing exists) are not sealed. the d is dst/ds4 stands for dry sealed.
Thanks for catching my mistake, I corrected the original post. Yes, there is a UST, I didn't realize there was such a regulator either until I received one on an eBay deal. I thought it may be only for the US market but Scubaspares does list it so I guess it is available in Europe also.
I've dove both AL and Apeks, in Greenland, New York and Great Lakes.....Although I presently dive HOG, due to self-servicing and readily available parts, Apeks was by far the better reg. over AL's line for cold, deep diving....As was stated above, it's a UK co. and built for their tougher, colder environment......Only thing I don't like about Apeks, is since AL took them over, parts are not readily available to individual divers....But as far as I know they still make a solid product......But I find HOG just as well made and a lot less expensive.....AL actually did me a favor by driving me to HOG........
Thanks for all the intel. The idea of servicing my own regulator certainly appeals to me. It feels more organic, like watching a cucumber grow before I put it in my mouth. Suppose I did go this route, would HOG be my only option? Some of you apparently service your own Apeks regs, but I do not work in a dive shop, and I am not connected in the scuba industry. What are the chances of me getting self-service kits, and where could I learn to service Apeks? Also, I presume any modification I make to a reg would void the free parts for life, although I think it's implied here that rebuilding an Apeks regulator every year or two isn't really necessary.
@j2s, could you please elaborate a bit on the difference between AL and Apeks in the dives you made?
Although I am not there yet, I would like to be able to eventually use this regulator for deeper Trimix dives. When you say that people do not generally pick up the differences in breathing, do you mean only at recreational depths? Do you think Titan LX Supreme would provide adequate performance for this type of diving?
When you say all of the atx/xtx regs have the same internals, do you mean only the 2nd stages, or are 1st ones also pretty much identical internally?
When you say bulletproof, are you referring specifically to the components that require servicing? Does it mean that one would potentially have to rebuild an Aqualung more frequently than an Apeks when diving in a cold water environment?
@j2s, could you please elaborate a bit on the difference between AL and Apeks in the dives you made?
Although I am not there yet, I would like to be able to eventually use this regulator for deeper Trimix dives. When you say that people do not generally pick up the differences in breathing, do you mean only at recreational depths? Do you think Titan LX Supreme would provide adequate performance for this type of diving?
When you say all of the atx/xtx regs have the same internals, do you mean only the 2nd stages, or are 1st ones also pretty much identical internally?
When you say bulletproof, are you referring specifically to the components that require servicing? Does it mean that one would potentially have to rebuild an Aqualung more frequently than an Apeks when diving in a cold water environment?
You can find the apeks service manual online. But to be honest, I know people who have gone 5 years without servicing their apeks regs. They either tend to service them when they start to breathe a bit funny, or sell them and buy a new set of atx40s/ds-4s. I'm not sure how easy the parts are to source in the US, but they are very easy to source in Europe. I'll be doing my trimix course this summer and I'm using my trusty apeks. I know people who have taken them to tech 2 depths (75m).
I've taken apart both hog and apeks regs. I didn't notice any difference in parts.
*Note I am not saying they are the same, I'm just saying the parts were very similar.
I've taken apart both hog and apeks regs. I didn't notice any difference in parts.
*Note I am not saying they are the same, I'm just saying the parts were very similar.
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