I've been diving for about 5 years, and the used Oceanic Zeta that I got has worn out its welcome. I'm looking to upgrade to a new regulator, and am willing to spend about $500. I dive all over, from Northern Wisconsin, down to the south pacific, so I'm looking for a good, all-around regulator (I don't typically dive when the water's below 55 or so, though). I've used Atomic regulators before, and really loved them, and haven't read anything bad about them, save for the following two issues:
1. Their seat-saving design, which can stay open when not pressurized
2. Finding a service location isn't the easiest, as they're not one of the most common regulators.
As for the first issue, rinsing while it's still pressurized, or simply rinsing and keeping the first stage above the second stage while rinsing/drying will solve that. The second issue, however, worries me a little bit. On the forums and elsewhere, I constantly find people who say they won't use them/don't like them because of the problems with finding a service location in a foreign country, but I never find anybody who says they ever have problems that require servicing...What I'm wondering, is if any of you has actually witnessed a problem with one or heard about problems with one. The way I currently see it, Atomic's regulators seem to be incredibly reliable, and with proper servicing, I will never have to worry about it malfunctioning to begin with. Realistically, I'm getting the impression that it isn't an actual concern. I've looked into other brands, but it still seems as if Atomic makes a better functioning regulator. If you've had any experiences or any other reasons why I should be wary about one, please let me know, thanks!
1. Their seat-saving design, which can stay open when not pressurized
2. Finding a service location isn't the easiest, as they're not one of the most common regulators.
As for the first issue, rinsing while it's still pressurized, or simply rinsing and keeping the first stage above the second stage while rinsing/drying will solve that. The second issue, however, worries me a little bit. On the forums and elsewhere, I constantly find people who say they won't use them/don't like them because of the problems with finding a service location in a foreign country, but I never find anybody who says they ever have problems that require servicing...What I'm wondering, is if any of you has actually witnessed a problem with one or heard about problems with one. The way I currently see it, Atomic's regulators seem to be incredibly reliable, and with proper servicing, I will never have to worry about it malfunctioning to begin with. Realistically, I'm getting the impression that it isn't an actual concern. I've looked into other brands, but it still seems as if Atomic makes a better functioning regulator. If you've had any experiences or any other reasons why I should be wary about one, please let me know, thanks!
