Buying full setup / Thoughts?

[L13]

Mod clean up needed on aisle 3!

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Aisle 3 has been cleaned up by the mod team

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Just so everyone knows. I reported this post, not any of the others. Hopefully someone else will help me out the same way next time I get out of hand.

 

[Luke99]

You need to get out of the mindset that price is a direct indicator of quality when it comes to scuba gear. Much of the price you see is about brand premiums and distribution models.

For example most of the retail price of Atomic and ScubaPro regs comes from the markup at the retail level and the brand premium they can charge in North America.

Zeagle and Mares and Hollis (and most other brands you find in shops) have the same distribution model costs, but can't charge as large of a brand premium. This also applies to ScubaPro in Europe.

Deep6 designs, manufactures (actually outsources the manufacturing to Taiwan, but that reduces costs at their size), and directly sells their own gear, This allows them to undercut the pricing of the other brands at any given quality level.

DGX is a big reseller. I don't believe they make anything, but they do contract for various products under their own name. They can sell these direct to the consumer at a very reasonable price.

Back to the regs. Deep6 is an excellent choice for your current and future diving conditions. Sealed diaphragm regs are inherently well suited for cold and murky conditions. The company was founded by Chris Richardson (@cerich on the site) who had previously designed the regulators for HOG EDGE which are also good choices.

I'm also not a fan of sealed piston regs. Sealed diaphragm are actually sealed, there are 2 rubber diaphragms between the water and the working parts. OTOH, Atomic and ScubaPro piston regulators are sealed by packing grease in the ambient chamber which houses the main spring and the shaft of the piston. If it's not packed completely, you can get unseen corrosion inside the reg.

I recommend this thread for more on the differences: Piston or diaphragm 1st stage ?

It's not so much that I'm stuck thinking if I pay more then I get more, I just want to get a wide array of opinions on the topic of these brands, particularly when it comes to the regulators. I think this thread is a perfect example in some cases people are very passionate both ways of arguments.

The deep6 VS. The Zeagle F8 seems like the comparison that makes sense. I may or may not want to do my own servicing, so shipping to the US would be extra cost for me. Considering the cost difference is likely only going to be between 100-200 more for the zeagle, that might make the most sense.

All feedback so far has been great and I really appreciate everyone taking the time to educate me on some things. If there are any other thoughts, they are very welcome.

 

[L13]

I may or may not want to do my own servicing, so shipping to the US would be extra cost for me. Considering the cost difference is likely only going to be between 100-200 more for the zeagle, that might make the most sense.

If you are doing your own servicing, you can't beat Deep6 for the ease of getting parts or service instruction/documentation!

 

[rhwestfall]

I'll throw a wrench in this and suggest a Sherwood SR2 - a sealed piston that doesn't need goop....

 

[lexvil]

It's not so much that I'm stuck thinking if I pay more then I get more, I just want to get a wide array of opinions on the topic of these brands, particularly when it comes to the regulators. I think this thread is a perfect example in some cases people are very passionate both ways of arguments.

The deep6 VS. The Zeagle F8 seems like the comparison that makes sense. I may or may not want to do my own servicing, so shipping to the US would be extra cost for me. Considering the cost difference is likely only going to be between 100-200 more for the zeagle, that might make the most sense.

All feedback so far has been great and I really appreciate everyone taking the time to educate me on some things. If there are any other thoughts, they are very welcome.

Here is a noticeable and forsome important difference between the D6 signature and the F8, the F8 doesn’t have a swivel (the bit that you screw the hoses into) the D6 does, I don’t care for swivels myself most of the time but I do also dive some Regs with them. A sealed diaphragm is a sealed diaphragm so the swivel/no swivel can be the tie breaker.

 

[lexvil]

I you are doing your own servicing, you can't beat Deep6 for the ease of getting parts or service instruction/documentation!

While this is somewhat true I can get other brand service kits from innumerable sources and the only certification I need to provide has pictures of dead presidents on it

 

[lexvil]

I'll throw a wrench in this and suggest a Sherwood SR2 - a sealed piston that doesn't need goop....

So true but mentioning it is like trying to set up your ugly cousin with your college room mate.

 

[lowwall]

While this is somewhat true I can get other brand service kits from innumerable sources and the only certification I need to provide has pictures of dead presidents on it

Innumerable? I know of only 3 places that will ship Mares service kits to the US and sometimes they show up on ebay. And good luck getting any parts other than service parts and maybe a coldwater kit. ScubaPro and Atomic are even better at locking down their parts which is why we need folks like @buddhasummer to help out. Of course, aftermarket service kits are obtainable for the more popular models of older regs.

And good luck finding up to date service manuals for most manufacturer's regs. Experienced techs can figure things out on their own, but it would be very nice to have stuff like torque specs and any technical bulletins on upgraded parts. Meanwhile deep6 puts their current manual right on the ole' intertubes: Service Manual

 

[lexvil]

Innumerable? I know of only 3 places that will ship Mares service kits to the US and sometimes they show up on ebay. And good luck getting any parts other than service parts and maybe a coldwater kit. ScubaPro and Atomic are even better at locking stuff down their parts which is why we need folks like @buddhasummer to help out. Of course, aftermarket service kits are obtainable for the more popular models of older regs.

And good luck finding up to date service manuals for most manufacturer's regs. Experienced techs can figure things out on their own, but it would be very nice to have stuff like torque specs and any technical bulletins on upgraded parts. Meanwhile deep6 puts their current manual right on the ole' intertubes: Service Manual

May be why I don’t use Mares.

 

[ChrisMBC]

Here is a noticeable and forsome important difference between the D6 signature and the F8, the F8 doesn’t have a swivel (the bit that you screw the hoses into) the D6 does, I don’t care for swivels myself most of the time but I do also dive some Regs with them. A sealed diaphragm is a sealed diaphragm so the swivel/no swivel can be the tie breaker.

Not to pile on more options, but the Apeks DST is another great sealed diaphragm first stage that has generally good service availability in Canada. If you're thinking about tech options in the future, I think a DST 1st/XTX50 seconds make for a great setup that's easy to reconfigure into doubles or stage regs in the future.