Atomic Z2: Worth it? And, other questions...

[ocean chemist it]

Here's the deal, this is really just a bit more than I wanted to spend. Nope, i'm not willing to go up to the $500-$600 range.

With that said, would I be better off getting some cheap sub-$200 reg and replacing it with something better when I can afford a $600 reg... Or, is the Atomic Z2 a good reg that I will enjoy using, and will last a long time? I need to be very happy with it in order to spend this much (i'm a student, $$ is precious)

Questions about it:
1) Non-swivel second stage - Will I have jaw fatigue?

2) Where do I buy it to get the warranty? Prefer out of state to avoid tax (i'm in CA). Leisurepro has it on sale, but I don't see warranty info.

3) Servicing: Where, how frequently, is it worth it to go with a different brand if these are not easy to get serviced? (Keep in mind i'll be moving from this area in a year, not sure where yet, but will be somewhere in the contiguous states or Hawaii.)

4) Is this all-metal? It looks plastic, but talks about metal. I want metal due to moisture retention via condensation, and due to added ruggedness. I assume the heaviness doesn't factor in too much in the water, no?

5) Is there another metal second-stage that is cheaper that i'll be just as happy with for the same amount of time?

5b) I'm probably forgetting something, so just speak up if you have something to say that isn't asked about.

Thanks!
Angela

 

[Stu S.]

Going extra deep or real cold? If no, save your money for other things. A regulator under $200 may last longer, as it has less to go wrong. At 110 feet on the Captain Dan wreck, I got excellent results from an Oceanic that I got for $125 from Leisure Pro.

We are a diving family and have four regulators. The low-priced models seem just as satisfactory as the expensive ones. Oh yeah... we are happy and have fun.

 

[philmayer]

Atomic regulators are not allowed to be sold online by authorized dealers. It's one of Atomic's policies.

Leisure Pro isn't an authorized dealer, so they can get away with it. If you purchase from Leisure Pro, they generally provide the warranty to you -- meaning you have to return the reg to them for warranty service.

You shouldn't have any problem getting routine service, there are plenty of Atomic dealers. The service interval is every 2 years.

All of the Atomic regs are the same design, just with different materials.

I would NEVER trust my life to a sub-$200 reg. I would spend every penny needed to get a reg that I could trust. The $200 reg may work perfectly well, but all it takes is once for it to fail and you to die.

I use Oceanic Delta IVs and I love them. They're rugged, reliable, incredibly easy to breathe and Oceanic has fantastic customer service. And you can buy them online.

 

[tridacna]

Atomic regulators are not allowed to be sold online by authorized dealers. It's one of Atomic's policies.

Leisure Pro isn't an authorized dealer, so they can get away with it. If you purchase from Leisure Pro, they generally provide the warranty to you -- meaning you have to return the reg to them for warranty service.

Al

I have four Atomic regs. All bought from LP. All have been serviced by official Atomic dealers. Never been questioned about where I bought them.

 

[J.A.S.]

did you get free parts with your service? it's the only reason to buy from a dealer.

you can get it directly from the Atomics website for $429, don't bother with the B2 or even the T series. same reg just more expensive. but like STU said if you are staying within recreational limits (under 100fsw) . do your pocket a favor and get a deal from divesports or a MK11 scubapro, salvo reg or a zeagle envoy... even the xsscuba tri-metal is a good overall deal! .
if you are going colder than 45 degrees be sure to get it environmentally sealed one for safety.

safe diving!

 

[Stu S.]

I would NEVER trust my life to a sub-$200 reg. I would spend every penny needed to get a reg that I could trust. The $200 reg may work perfectly well, but all it takes is once for it to fail and you to die.

Hey, Phil... we have been using the Oceanic Alpha 7 for a couple or 3 years now. It is the same quality of construction and materials as what you use. It has less parts in it than the expensive models, so it has less to fail. I never had one below 150 feet, but the handbook says it meets Navy standards at 198 feet.

I got one for $99 and liked it so much I got one for my daughter. It is easy to use.

Go Gators!

 

[johnny_bravo]

My 0.02 psi

1) Second stage swivel is nice but not necessary (i dont have one on my Z2).

2) Well if you are not buying local i guess LP and their warranty should do.

3) The new Atomics including the Z2 have a 2 year service interval. And I'm sure there's an Atomic dealer somewhere in Honolulu.

4) The Atomic regs are very very light. They don't retain moisture that well though.

5) I hear some of the Mares regs and definitely the Blizzard and Oasis from Sherwood are very good at preventing dry-mouth. You can always install Apollo's bio-filter to any reg to provide this feature.

Cheers.

-J.-

 

[Scared Silly]

The Atomic Z2 is a fine all around reg. I have four of them and have used them down to 50m. Very smooth performer. The difference between it and a $200 reg will be just that performance. It will be easier to breath no matter the conditions (easy or hard breathing, depth, etc).

My advise is that if you can swing it buy it now - no sense in buying a reg twice. As for the hose swivel. Try it without it and see what happens. 99% regs out there do not have it.

As mentioned LP is not an athorized dealer so no warranty from Atomic Aquatics. LP has their own that matches. Service every two years from a dealer, the 2nd stage is plastic.

 

[philmayer]

Hey, Phil... we have been using the Oceanic Alpha 7 for a couple or 3 years now. It is the same quality of construction and materials as what you use. It has less parts in it than the expensive models, so it has less to fail. I never had one below 150 feet, but the handbook says it meets Navy standards at 198 feet.

I got one for $99 and liked it so much I got one for my daughter. It is easy to use.

Go Gators!

I'm a scuba snob, I admit it!

About 6:30 tomorrow we should know who is going to win the SEC this year. I was on campus for a while this morning and nobody was talking about tomorrow's game. That's very unusual. I think folks are pretty down on the team after the loss to Cal. It should be a helluva game tho!

 

[philmayer]

I have four Atomic regs. All bought from LP. All have been serviced by official Atomic dealers. Never been questioned about where I bought them.

Serviced, yes. But under warranty? You've got a good LDS, hang on to them.

My Delta IVs come with free parts if you maintain the service schedule and the dealer has to send the serial numbers to Oceanic for reimbursement for the parts. I don't know if Oceanic checks to see if the warranty is valid.