Best reg to last many years

[black1]

Hi all im shopping for my first regulator and i want the best for around $500, something that works excellent, good smooth airflow, durable, light, and good servicable parts and warranty, i know each person has there favorites but is there a particular one or brand that makes great regs with those qualities, i heard the Aqualung Legend is a good one, any ideas would be great, since this is my first and i have the money i want the best, thanks.

 

[diver 85]

Anyone of the 'Top 5 or 6's' middle price range ones will do fine......It doesn't take much..I'm still using as my pirimary rig my 1989 SP MK10 with G200 2nd stage---have had 3 different octos on it over the years(get tired of the way the old ones look).......

EDIT:---looks like you can get your top 5 or 6 right here(link)

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/275206-regulator-brand-poll.html

 

[lowridersvt]

Think the best reg in that price range is always the atomic z2 i have 5 atomics my m1's have at least 1000 dives on them other than regular service there is no issues with them

But any name brand reg now are good. Its more personal choice

 

[herman]

There are a bunch of good regs on the market and most all would fit the bill. I personally would limit my choices to Scubapro, Aqualung and Sherwood. These 3 have been in the scuba business a long time, there are lots of dealers world wide, support their regs for many years and all are reliable. This is not to say others are not worth looking at, Apex, Zeagle, Mares and a host of others make fine regs. I would avoid both ends of the price range from any brand, the least expensive models will not perform as well as a mid priced reg and the extra features on top end regs are more for sales than real diving.

 

[Jimmer]

I'm with Lowrider on this one, most any name brand reg is going to be reliable and good performing. Stick with the middle range, as most brands middle range, performs every bit as good as the top end for half the price. A good example of that is the Zeagle line. I own both Flathead VI's and DSV's and can't tell a difference side by side at 120 feet. The DSV's are about half the price of the Flatheads.

 

[Nemrod]

Hi all im shopping for my first regulator and i want the best for around $500, something that works excellent, good smooth airflow, durable, light, and good servicable parts and warranty, i know each person has there favorites but is there a particular one or brand that makes great regs with those qualities, i heard the Aqualung Legend is a good one, any ideas would be great, since this is my first and i have the money i want the best, thanks.

There is no best.

AquaLung Titan LX Regulator

The best has not been made for decades, the USD Royal Aqua Master. Best then and still best today.

N

 

[Packhorse]

Personally I prefer to use an adjustable second stage. Most adjustables 2nds are balanced but not all. ( scubapro 109 comes to mind). So I'd recommend a name brand adjustable 2nd stage and matching 1st.

 

[DoubleHoseDiver]

In a single hose....Conshelf. Tim

 

[-Aaron-]

If you are thinking about buying from a local dive shop you might check this out.

Atomic is doing a nice deal on regulators right now:

Atomic Aquatics
Click on the "Special Springtime Regulator Promo" link in the upper right corner.

They are selling Z2Xs for $499 retail and you get a very nice regulator bag free, warranty, etc. Might be able to work down a bit from there on the price with your local shop. Great deal on a nice regulator if you have an Atomic shop in the area.

 

[james croft]

I am also a fan of the double hose Royal Aquamaster for a double hose reg. The Conshelf is also one of my favorites for a single hose. They still dive as good now as they did forty years ago, which means they are very sweet breathers and bulletproof.