Best choice

[jsems00]

I have the chance to take my pick of 3 different regs. any one for the same price. They are an Atomic B2 with about 20 dives on it, a Zeagle Flathead 7 with Miflex hose with less than 50 dives or a ScubaPro Mk25sa/S600 with 10 dives. I can take my pick for the same cost. What is a fair price and what would be the best choice? I have been diving for a couple of years and have used borrowed or rental gear. Its time to buy my own.

 

[tangfish]

Atomic without a question!!!

 

[Fishpie]

If you will be diving in sub 45 F water the Zeagle.......if not they're all very good regs.
I wouldn't pay more than $200/225 if bought on eBay....

 

[Scared Silly]

When I was looking for regs I had similar choice. I picked the Atomics cause I liked the size and comfort of the their second stage. Build wise they are all good.

 

[Jimmer]

For cold great lakes water, I like the Zeagles, or any sealed diaphragm for that matter.

Jim

 

[EnriqueL6]

For years I refused to pay the extra money to get an Atomic regulator, but I finally gave in and purchased one about a year ago. I must say, I love it! Of course, it hasn't been up for servicing yet...so we'll see what happens there. Either way, I think it was well worth it. I have about 10 different regulators now (I'm one of those types of guys you keep borrowing gear from, cause all my friends borrow from me) and have owned somewhere around 20 regulators and I can't think of one that breathed easier than my Atomic.

I know when I purchased my Atomic, I had lifetime warranty for parts. Not sure if they all come with it or if just the recent models, but that is one of the main reasons I gave in. If the warranty is transferable then that might be worth it alone.

Either way, I have used all 3 of those regulators and liked them. I can't speak much about the price you'd pay. I've only bought new regulators (Don't like not knowing what the previous guy did with the regulator that is keeping me breathing at 120 feet). But taking it to the dive shop for servicing and testing would mitigate that, but I’m still not much of a used life support stuff.

 

[Dave616]

I also live in MI, just north of GR.
I have had two Zeagle regs, my current being the Flathead 7. I have used it while it was snowing in December prior to the ice covering the lake and I have also taken it under the Ice using a dry suit. I'm taking it to the Caribbean in May where water temp is 80-84*F.
I bought it because it was designed to be reliable in the coldest to the warmest water that "I" will be diving in. My LDS also sells Atomic, but said for my purposes, to stick with Zeagle.
The Miflex hoses are awesome. Whatever you decide, change out your LP hoses with Miflex hoses.

P.S. I'm not drinking the Zeagle Kool-Aid, I thought the Atomic looked cool and was hoping my LDS would talk me into one but they didn't. They did say that if I ever buy separate regs just for travel, they will talk me into one.

 

[DevonDiver]

Do some investigation so that you can ensure that you can get the regulator serviced in your local area. Along with service cost, that is a factor that is often overlooked.

Regardless of which reg is (slightly) better than the other... the real long-term issue is the cost and convenience of maintaining the regulator.

I dive with Mk25/S600. It's a fine regulator for most diving activities. I haven't dived with the Atomics or Zeagle...so I can't advise comparitively.

 

[Dave616]

Do some investigation so that you can ensure that you can get the regulator serviced in your local area. Along with service cost, that is a factor that is often overlooked.

Agreed.
My LDS will service my regs at any time for any reason because I bought them there. When people come in with regs (or any gear) they bought on the internet, he charges $40 just to look at/diagnose the problem.

So while you may save a few bucks by buying on the net, you may spend far more over the life of the product. Obviously if you are trained to service your own gear, it's not an issue.

 

[jsems00]

I know from renting that Scubapro dealers are all over the world. One of my concerns is that should I need service while traveling, am I going to have problems with the Zeagle or Atomic. Thanks for all the input.