Atomic....Z2/3....B2...M1.......thoughts?

[jakehbk]

Per Atomic, all of their regs breathe the same. If this is your first reg you probably will have bought another one by the time you get to the point of wanting the extra features of the M1. The B2 1st stage has a swivel, but the Z2/3 has enough LP ports that you should be able to find a hose routing that you like.

I would probably get the Z2 OR the Z3 and the jam nut in case you want to swap hoses.

I want to add that braided hoses are not the one stop shop solution that they are sometimes portrayed as. They sometimes have a mind of their own with taking weird sets that change their routing, some brands can be abrasive to skin and other gear, and it's just a minor annoyance but a good portion of mine are some weird wrench size instead of 9/16.

 

[Geo7]

And another thread established: PU-core braided hoses have a shelf life of 5 years. Nylon core rubber hoses have a shelf life of 60 years. Atomic and Poseidon seem to have the sturdiest hoses from what I have seen.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I like the swivel hose. I use it on my solo set up with my Zs. I don’t miss the stage swivel. Single tank no octopus, it’s kind of unnecessary with the hose swivel. Plus it puts the 2nd I to a neutral position in my mouth. All I am losing is a very minor potential failure point.

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

I own the B2, ST1, and 5x M1's. They are all sealed.

Easier said than done I know, but try not to overthink it.

We're splitting hairs here, but I'd say the M1 has the most flexibility. Standard fittings (you can add a comfort swivel later), wider exhaust (not that big of a deal to me in my experience), and no titanium parts allowing you to use high EAN mixes if you later change your mind.

However, the ST1 has the best feel of those three. The yoke mechanism has a very plush feel when putting on and off the tank. Performance is the same. I have a few apeks regs too and nothing has equaled the feel of this ST1 I have.

 

[BoltSnap]

With the B2, do you find the rotating turret makes that much of a difference?

I find it easier to work with with hoses. I can live without it but it is certainly nice to have. I look at it that it is more expensive to have but not that much more expensive. For what it costs to buy, I rather have it than not. If money is an issue, I'd skip a couple of meals and save money to buy it and never have to ask myself; what if.

And why do you currently use the B2 over the M1 for recreational diving - just because of the swivel? No other real advantages?

I bought my B2 about 20 years ago, as a B1. Atomic didn't have an M1 then as far as I can remember.

I prefer the ST1 overall for recreational diving.

(I'm still considering Apeks and Aqualung, but if I can at least narrow down the Atomics then this gets me on my way to a decision!)

The Atomic regulators are miles ahead and TCO is much less over the lifetime of the regulator with better performance and reliability. They are certainly better value.

 

[BoltSnap]

Atomic and Poseidon seem to have the sturdiest hoses from what I have seen

Atomic does for sure based on my experience.

 

[BoltSnap]

the ST1

I had my ST1 serviced for the first time since 2012 few months ago. I had it serviced because I had the opportunity when visiting the UK (before the covid issue) and thought to do then just as a precaution not because it had issues. Its performance before the service was according to mfg. specs exactly even after almost 8 years of heavy use without service. The used parts came back to me very clean without any issues. It made me think that I could have gone longer before taking it in for service.

 

[rsingler]

I had my ST1 serviced for the first time since 2012 few months ago. I had it serviced because I had the opportunity when visiting the UK (before the covid issue) and thought to do then just as a precaution not because it had issues. Its performance before the service was according to mfg. specs exactly even after almost 8 years of heavy use without service. The used parts came back to me very clean without any issues. It made me think that I could have gone longer before taking it in for service.

Was it sealed?

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

ST-1s should be sealed from the factory when new.

 

[CapnBloodbeard]

The Atomic regulators are miles ahead and TCO is much less over the lifetime of the regulator with better performance and reliability.

In what way are they miles ahead?

We're leaning towards the Atomic at this point....the Atomic package also comes with an SPG and LPI hose, whereas we'd need to buy those with the Aqualung package, so that still saves us a couple of hundred $$$