Best Reg for the Money?

[Locus]

Where do you live?

I live near Vancouver, BC.

 

[SandyRobinson]

I like what Superlyte27 said about the DiveRite. I just bought a new DR XT2 second stage to put on an older DR first stage and am looking forward to using it. While I use Atomics for primary regs, I use some DR for stages and have been pleased with them. Also, my daughter uses a DR and she has been happy with hers.

 

[chrpai]

Private Message "wedivebc" on this board and ask him for the lay of the land. I see a Hog dealer in Vancouver that someone mentioned and he replied they were good.

I'm sure he can walk you through the whole process of getting a Hogartharian BP/W and long hose regulator or whatever else you decide you want.

---------- Post added June 5th, 2013 at 04:00 PM ----------

The shop in question is Ocean Quest Dive Centre. They get good reviews here:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/western-canada/416373-ocean-quest-dive-centre.html

 

[Superlyte27]

I really don't see much difference between HOG and Dive Rite now that DR have got rid of the horrible crispy soft purge cover.
They're both based on the same original and made in the same place.
I've bought HOGs based on great support here on Scubaboard and with their online dealers. I've no reason to think DR doesn't also have great customer relations.

Personally for really really cold water I'd go with an enviro sealed diaphragm 1st stage and an unbalanced all metal 2nd stage like a Scubapro 109, Mares MR11/111 or US Divers Arctic / AquaLung Glacia, these last two have two heat sinks in the reg and can also have a third additional sink in the middle of the hose.

Look at the Dive Rite and HOG side by side. The tolerances aren't the same. The owner of Dive Rite is a good man. The owner of HOG... err, uh... LOL
The Dive Rite has the best Life Time Parts Guarantee I've ever heard of in a regulator. The HOG has no lifetime parts guarantee.

But it's your money, and your reg, and your decision. I have all my gear, and I love it.

 

[Fishpie]

I've never paid someone else to service one of my regs so the whole "parts for life" is irrelevant for me.
Now, if I came into your shop with the old parts from my DR reg and you then gave me free rebuild kits.......somehow I don't see that happening.

 

[Superlyte27]

I've never paid someone else to service one of my regs so the whole "parts for life" is irrelevant for me.
Now, if I came into your shop with the old parts from my DR reg and you then gave me free rebuild kits.......somehow I don't see that happening.

Depends on who you were honestly.
Good customers get a lot more than that kind of service in our shop. Probably why we've been in the same building and owned by the same guy for almost 4 decades.

 

[elan]

Best bang for a buck for cold water?

conshelf with metal second or scubapro mk11 with BA156/or 109

---------- Post added June 5th, 2013 at 06:00 PM ----------

and what is that value of that cranking pressure, out of curiosity?

If I remember correctly, the new XT reg has the lowest cracking pressure to breathe of any regulator ever.

 

[Fishpie]

Thanks Superlyte, you must be one of the good ones.
Can I also have a dig through your "old and broken" buckets?

 

[bbarnett51]

I put in my recommendation based off of personal experience and the test I posted agreed.

HOWEVER, pick just about any reputable company and you will likely be happy.

 

[Locus]

A member here has PM'd me regarding a deal on a Mares Carbon 42 first and second stage, new for $390. Does anyone have experience or a strong opinion on this particular reg? Is it a good deal at that price?

Mares Carbon Regulator - 2009

---------- Post added June 6th, 2013 at 12:41 AM ----------

Because HOG sucks.

Could you please elaborate on why you dislike HOG? I know that they're relatively new to the scene but that's about the extent of my knowledge about them.

Rather than depend on the personal preferences of others, why not try the ones your LDS has (I'm guessing they rent what they stock)? You may get a great deal and find you don't like it. Then what? Sell it for a loss? There goes your bang for the buck. A reg is far more personal than a BC or a computer. Would you buy a wet suit without trying it, or at least trying it on? I probably tried a half dozen regs before finally buying one, and it was the first piece of dive gear I bought. Some didn't fit right, some didn't breathe right, some just didn't feel right. I finally decided on the Titan LX Supreme. That's why I don't buy personal gear on the internet.

I asked about this at my LDS, but the owner told me that they don't really rent out the new hotness. Seemed a little strange to me; what better way to sell the new stuff than to let people try it out?