Best Reg at 100ft?

[Falcon99]

Mares MR 22 here with an Abyss 2nd stage. I've had it down below 100 feet several times explicitly to check the performance (Hey, I'm an engineer - its just the way we are ).

That thing breathes so smoothly, even when I concentrate, I can't notice any difference between 10 feet and 100.

I'm kind of sold on the Mares.

James

 

[liormic]

DeepTechScuba once bubbled...
I am not familiar with Sherwoods other than that they have a good reputation. You need to ask your Sherwood dealer if your reg is "balanced" or "unbalanced."

I dive with a ScubaPro Mark 20 first stage and 2 ScubaPro S600 second stages attached to it. This is a balanced reg.

I also have a ScubaPro Mark 2 first stage which I will match up with a ScubaPro S600 second stage for a pony or stage bottle. The Mark 2 reg is NOT balanced.

A balanced reg should perform well all the way down to 150 ft.

An unbalanced reg with start to show breathing resistance anywhere deeper than 50 ft.

If you are going to start diving deep, defined as more than 50 ft, then you need a balanced reg.

Definitly, a balanced reg is more comfortable as you go deeper, but it's more expensive. Yes, the MK16, MK20, MK25 and more are very good but the man asked for a reg to 100 ft.
The MK2 is GREAT at that depth and the real test is how it's delivering gas for 2 people at the same time.
The MK2 does it. It's totaly NOT as you discribed as showing resistance to breathing at anywhere deeper than 50 ft.
It's good for 100 ft. and more.
The resistance for breating comes only when you're low on gas but that's one of the things with unbalanced regs.
I don't think a sport diver who do not excceed the 100 ft. depth needs a balanced reg.
I have other reg wich is balanced and I use it for deeper dives but it's more expensive and I see no reson to buy an expensive piece of equipment when you're not going to fully use it and you have a very good aslternative wich is much more cheep and delivers what you need.
If you check the cost-effective ratio, I think the MK2 is one of the best if not THE best.

 

[jbichsel]

the Oasis, have it checked. Increasing the IP on the first stage may take care of your problems and save you $$$. I dove for about ten years on an Oasis, vintage 1990. Never had any problems and dove frequently past 100'.

I currently have an Aqualung Legend LX. Awesome. My CD/instructor uses the same and routinely exceeds 200' with no reports of difficult breathing. I hope to test mine down there soon.

 

[mmcdds]

I've had my Apeks ATX200 down in the 80 to 100 foot range a number of times and it breathed as effortlessly down there as it did at 20 feet.

 

[wetnorm]

jwlast once bubbled...
You raise an interesting point about replacing the first stage. With the Oasis (2003 model) I'm using a Genesis GS2000 first stage. Originally had the GS2000 second stage, hated its performance in the 100ft range, assumed it was the second stage, and made the swap to the Oasis. Still not getting good perforamce in the 100ft range. Might be time for a complete change (first and second stage).

>Due to my relative inexperience I defer comparisons to the more seasoned divers in this forum who have breathed several regs "side by side" to make a truly objective comparison.
>I did want you to know, however, that my new GS 2000 (1st and 2nd) worked very well at 105 fsw. I could adjust it so it felt as if it "blew" air at me with the least inspiratory effort ( I read that this is the way many describe their fine breathing high end regs, eg. SP,etc). My c-class unadjustable AquaLung had some effort but overall was good at 57 ffw.
>In your case, maybe there is need for servicing, or perhaps matching 1st and 2nd stages (both new, or both from same maker), as you say, is your next step. Perhaps the GS 2000 DAD 1st stage has a lesser useful lifetime, as well.
>Anybody out there with a really "old" GS 2000 that can speak to its endurance like the scores of folks that rant about their "legends?"

 

[diverlady]

I have Oceanic Delta 3 second stage and have had it below 100 ft several times with no trouble breathing. It can be adjusted for breathing on the side. (I also have an Oceanic 1st stage)

Just had it at 102ft, 41F diving the Arabia in Tobermory, Ontario on Sunday, no troubles at all. I've had them for about 2yrs now.

Diverlady

 

[5615mike]

I've had my AL LX below 130 on over 10 occasions and I've never had the least bit of a problem. My wife dives the same rig and she has experienced the same.

 

[SubMariner]

Like keyshunter I used to dive a Blizzard (circa 1991) up until about 3 years ago, when I switched to Mares Abyss.

Again, while the Blizzard was a balanced reg, it wasn't high performance: at 100' or so it definitely felt like a little more effort was required to breathe. Not so with my Abyss, which breathes as well at 110' as it does at 10'.

~SubMariner~

 

[Thalassamania]

My bias is for diaphram regulators (no moving parts in contact with sea water). For some very deep dives (a while back) my buddy used used Poseidon Odin regulators for his EAN-32 and I used left-handed MARES MR-12 BETA regulators with MR-12 NAVY 1st stages. For bottom-mix my buddy used ScubaPro
MX-X/G250 regulators and I used MARES MR-12 NAVY regulators.

I now use Mares MR-22 Rubys. I've tried the new V-42, it's good - but I'll stick with my old Ruby's.

 

[matt_unique]

Pretty much anything breathes OK to 100'. Your Oasis should be totally fine at those depths. I would get it serviced to see if they find water in the first stage (most people rinse with only the "dust" cap) or if there is sediment, etc.

--Matt