Budget regulator

[Swedinsidemount]

Found a name brand budget regulator package for $400 that is balanced and sealed. Do I really need to go for big bucks for warm water recreational diving?

HOG regs aren't bad for the buck. Those are my go to's for traveling and short tropical dives, other wise you could step it up and get a Zeagle or Base model Scubapro, if you want to go hardcore then an Apeks or high end Mares is what I'd suggest

 

[BoltSnap]

For the absolute best value in regulators with best performance and reliability, Atomic's Z2 with sealed first stage is tops, I can't see anything competing against it:


Dive Regulators: The Z2/Z3 Regulator from Atomic Aquatics

 

[Robbyg]

For the absolute best value in regulators with best performance and reliability, Atomic's Z2 with sealed first stage is tops, I can't see anything competing against it:


Dive Regulators: The Z2/Z3 Regulator from Atomic Aquatics

After being out of the Hobby for some years it's really strange to see how Atomic Regs are not really talked about much today. Several years ago they seemed to be so popular and sought after. Today not so much even though the Regulators have gotten better and reviewers still seem to think they are very good. It seems like once they changed hands to Huish Outdoors something happened and the diving community just got turned off.

I still have a B2 and another one on its way. After my first few breaths with my B2 I knew I was in love with it and realized just how bad my older Cressi model really was.

 

[Carlos Diver]

After being out of the Hobby for some years it's really strange to see how Atomic Regs are not really talked about much today. Several years ago they seemed to be so popular and sought after. Today not so much even though the Regulators have gotten better and reviewers still seem to think they are very good. It seems like once they changed hands to Huish Outdoors something happened and the diving community just got turned off.

I still have a B2 and another one on its way. After my first few breaths with my B2 I knew I was in love with it and realized just how bad my older Cressi model really was.

That hasnt been my experience. I dive mostly Atomic and I have yet to be on a liveaboard, including indo-pacific where at least one other diver wasnt also diving them. The last liveaboard I was on, four other divers (so 5 out of 14) all had Atomic Regs. While I know that isnt the norm, I dont think it shows a ``turned off'' community.

If anything, with a lot of people, the price just turns them off. There is a huge market now, especially with cheaper, intro regulators. A new diver is unlikely to drop nearly a grand into an intro reg and octo setup for a hobby they dont even know if they will like. Factor that in with most dive shops like to sell packages to new divers (90% of which never do any research) and those packages rarely if ever come with anything Atomic. That includes me. When I first started diving, I couldnt tell you a single company other than Aqua Lung and I only knew that because that is what my dad owned.

Buy the Z3, pair it with a cheaper budget octo, and call it a day. It has everything you will need for the next 10 years and will breathe equal or better than anyone else's top end setup for hundreds less.

 

[Robbyg]

That hasnt been my experience. I dive mostly Atomic and I have yet to be on a liveaboard, including indo-pacific where at least one other diver wasnt also diving them. The last liveaboard I was on, four other divers (so 5 out of 14) all had Atomic Regs. While I know that isnt the norm, I dont think it shows a ``turned off'' community.

If anything, with a lot of people, the price just turns them off. There is a huge market now, especially with cheaper, intro regulators. A new diver is unlikely to drop nearly a grand into an intro reg and octo setup for a hobby they dont even know if they will like. Factor that in with most dive shops like to sell packages to new divers (90% of which never do any research) and those packages rarely if ever come with anything Atomic. That includes me. When I first started diving, I couldnt tell you a single company other than Aqua Lung and I only knew that because that is what my dad owned.

Buy the Z3, pair it with a cheaper budget octo, and call it a day. It has everything you will need for the next 10 years and will breathe equal or better than anyone else's top end setup for hundreds less.

I should have been more specific and said that in posts on this forum the Atomic Regs do not seem to be all that popular, also on casual google searches the Atomic is most of the time not even listed in the top 10 Regulators. I certainly see a lot of people raving about Scubapro on here. I agree with you about the Z3. It's only a pity that the LP hose turret does not swivel. If that does not matter to the buyer then it's a great regulator at a reasonable price.

 

[gqllc007]

Look at the Deep6 signature series with the Signature octopus...A little over your budget but excellent and top notch...Best bang for the buck...

 

[Pressurehead]

• Scubapro MK25 Evo First Stage
• Scubapro G260 Second Stage
• Scubapro R095 or R195 Octopus
• Termo SPG
  

• Atomic Aquatics Z2 First Stage
• Atomic Aquatics Z2 Second Stage
• Atomic Aquatics Z2 Octopus
• Termo SPG

Here the Scubapro is just $24 cheaper for the above and almost $100 cheaper then the Atomic Z3 [withZ3 and Z2 2nds].
The prices vary the world over it seems.