beginner, tropic only, reg suggestion

[andy12]

Hi, I just got my ow license, and i only dive in warm water, I need suggestion for a regulator, best service will be from scubapro and aqualung. the question is should i buy basic reg like the (sp mk2 and r295/ aqualung titan/titan lx) or (mk17 s555/ legend).

what i need is a reg that can breath easy.

thanks
Andy

 

[Dirty-Dog]

My wife and I both use the ScubaPro MK11/G250V combo with the Air2, and love them. If you don't like the inflator alternates, the R295 would work admirably. They breath easy and there's no question that SP makes quality items.

 

[MC]

All comes down to budget. I think most regulators you can adjust to your style of breathing, some you can adjust in the water, while others you'll need to dial in before you get wet.

Going thru this with my wife and son who got certified last month. Ended up shopping the used market (some equipment from this forum). We went with regulators that are more work horses than high-end performance for a couple of reasons: 1) they are beginners not sure how much actual diving they will do 2) ease of getting them repaired- I'd rather drop them off at a local shop than mail them back and forth to a manufacter and 3)overall costs.

Wife's set up: Genesis Yukon with a Luna BCD along with a Sherwood gemini inflator/oct combo and a pressure gauge only console. She wanted the least amount of equipment hooked up.

Son set up: US divers Conshelf 21 with a XS scuba Airwave in-line inflator/octo and an oceanic 2 gauge console He will also have a Genesis React Pro wrist computere. He's using my old BCD (tusa) but fits him just fine.

I really like the XS scuba in-line air wave set up. Means you can attach it to ANY BCD out there, unlike the air2/airsources which means that if you rent a BCD you may be stuck w/o an octo.

I have a US divers SE2 regulator/second stage that was for my wife, but she wanted a smaller 2nd stage.

One other thing. Do some research what service shop you'll be using. Give them a call to make sure they'll service your equipment. Most will give you their impressions about the gear you are thinking about to help make your decision.

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Diving above 130+ and warm water, it's a question of price and personal choice. Both manufactures offer a wide variety of high quality products depending upon your budget.

 

[Downing]

Diving above 130+ and warm water, it's a question of price and personal choice. Both manufactures offer a wide variety of high quality products depending upon your budget.

Ditto that. You really can't go wrong here.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Whether a reg breathes "easy" (cracking pressure of approx. 1"-1.2" of water?) is more dependent on how well it is maintained and how the reg is tuned rather than any differences among reg brands/manufacturers.

Which brand does the most skilled, trustworthy reg tech service locally?
I'd let the answer to that question determine my reg choice.

 

[c5diver]

the mk 17 is a sealed diaphram first if you want to dive warm water only go mk11 555/r295 octo. if you must have the inhalation adj. knob you can add it to a s555 making it an s600 at a later date, say first service. just an idea to save some money now but upgrade later.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

The Mk17 is a wonderful cold water first stage and may be overkill for clear (non-turbid), warm tropical diving.

 

[scubapeter]

If you can get aqualung products and service locally, you should also be able to get apeks. For an entry level reg. in warm water, I would suggest either an aqualung titan or a apeks xtx20. Either one will provide good service and can grow with you as a diver.

 

[theduckguru]

Hi, I just got my ow license, and i only dive in warm water, I need suggestion for a regulator, best service will be from scubapro and aqualung. the question is should i buy basic reg like the (sp mk2 and r295/ aqualung titan/titan lx) or (mk17 s555/ legend).

what i need is a reg that can breath easy.

thanks
Andy

Lot of good regs out there that are good breathers for a whole lot less than SP or AL/Apeks.