Cave Regs

[rollinssm]

The Dive Rite regs can be cleaned in the water. I've done it. Good regs too.

However, purging the regs and waving them around has the same effect.

That really is not much of an issue though. As DA says you need to be able to swap 2nd stages around. I personally have the 2nd stages finger tight and I check them before getting into the water.

This is one of those areas where you should ask an instructor or hang out with your local tech divers and see what they are using and ask them questions.

Peter

Fully agree about the Dive Rite regs. The 2500 is wonderful!

 

[ScubaDadMiami]

Since Aqualung and Apex are now sister companies, you can find pretty much identical regs between the two product lines though the Aqualungs tend to be less expensive. I have two sets of Aqualung Legend LX Supremes for two years now, and they are (or at least were at the time) the easiest breathing regs on the market, even better than the Apeks.

Yes, you can take the second stage apart underwater if you really want to start unscrewing the cover. The hose routing is pretty clean though not the very best I have seen. Parts are available all over the world.

On the other hand, I would not throw out Scubapro or Dive Rite regs. There are others, too. There are lots of good choices these days.

 

[Spoon]

how would you guys rate the poseidon extreme? i know that you need tools for it but how would you rate it for caving???

 

[Mark Vlahos]

how would you guys rate the poseidon extreme? i know that you need tools for it but how would you rate it for caving???

I recently purchased Apeks DS4 / TX50 regs for doubles to be used in caves. I looked long and hard at lots of different regulators and narrowed it down to 4 different sets.

DiveRite RG2500. Looked like an excellent regulator but I did not like the internal comstruction of the second stage, specifically the way the dive/pre dive switch worked. I am sure the device works well but the way it was assembled seemed a little cheap to me.

Zeagle Tech 50D and equivalents. Liked the reg and internal construction.

Apeks DS4/TX50. I liked this one and both the Apeks and Zeagle were tied. I would have been happy with either one. I got a deal on the cost of service with the Apeks that I was not able to get with the Zeagle. Also on the Apeks if I get it serviced every year parts are free. The cost of service was the only factor in choosing Apeks over Zeagle.

Poseidon Extreme. I liked these regs and basically it came down to either one of the previous three regs or the Poseidon. I think the first stage looks great, absolutely no problem with that choice. The second stage however did give me some cause for concern. The fact that it is an upstream design does not bother me, Poseidon has been using this basic design for many many years and I think it is fine even in a cave. The design is a little finicky when it comes to parts and service. In my research I was told that the cost for service due to the lack of free parts can be high. I was told that the parts count is fairly low but if one or two key parts need replacement (as they probably will every two years or so) the cost of service can be quite high. This is more of an issue if you dive in salt water and are not able to be extremely vigilant about the post dive rinse. In fresh water only this service cost concern is greatly diminished, but not completely eliminated. The other thing that had me not pick the Poseidon was the initail cost. For two sets plus long hose and short hose the price really adds up quickly

So to look at my choices it came down to initial cost and long term costs of service. In this case the Apeks was the clear choice for me. If you only want to look at it from the standpoint of "Is a Poseidon regulator safe in a cave?" I would say yes, as a matter of opinion I would feel fine with any of the regulators in my final four in a cave. There were lots of other regualtors that I considered early in the process but eliminated for one reason or another that I would feel fine using in a cave.

On a side note, the fact that DIR divers so strongly endorse the DS4/TX50 combination actually had me slightly predisposed against this particular set. Not because it is not good gear, but rather because it would be a quick and easy default choice without much consideration. That is why I spent so much time considering the options.

Mark Vlahos

 

[Spoon]

I recently purchased Apeks DS4 / TX50 regs for doubles to be used in caves. I looked long and hard at lots of different regulators and narrowed it down to 4 different sets.

DiveRite RG2500. Looked like an excellent regulator but I did not like the internal comstruction of the second stage, specifically the way the dive/pre dive switch worked. I am sure the device works well but the way it was assembled seemed a little cheap to me.

Zeagle Tech 50D and equivalents. Liked the reg and internal construction.

Apeks DS4/TX50. I liked this one and both the Apeks and Zeagle were tied. I would have been happy with either one. I got a deal on the cost of service with the Apeks that I was not able to get with the Zeagle. Also on the Apeks if I get it serviced every year parts are free. The cost of service was the only factor in choosing Apeks over Zeagle.

Poseidon Extreme. I liked these regs and basically it came down to either one of the previous three regs or the Poseidon. I think the first stage looks great, absolutely no problem with that choice. The second stage however did give me some cause for concern. The fact that it is an upstream design does not bother me, Poseidon has been using this basic design for many many years and I think it is fine even in a cave. The design is a little finicky when it comes to parts and service. In my research I was told that the cost for service due to the lack of free parts can be high. I was told that the parts count is fairly low but if one or two key parts need replacement (as they probably will every two years or so) the cost of service can be quite high. This is more of an issue if you dive in salt water and are not able to be extremely vigilant about the post dive rinse. In fresh water only this service cost concern is greatly diminished, but not completely eliminated. The other thing that had me not pick the Poseidon was the initail cost. For two sets plus long hose and short hose the price really adds up quickly

So to look at my choices it came down to initial cost and long term costs of service. In this case the Apeks was the clear choice for me. If you only want to look at it from the standpoint of "Is a Poseidon regulator safe in a cave?" I would say yes, as a matter of opinion I would feel fine with any of the regulators in my final four in a cave. There were lots of other regualtors that I considered early in the process but eliminated for one reason or another that I would feel fine using in a cave.

On a side note, the fact that DIR divers so strongly endorse the DS4/TX50 combination actually had me slightly predisposed against this particular set. Not because it is not good gear, but rather because it would be a quick and easy default choice without much consideration. That is why I spent so much time considering the options.

Mark Vlahos

thanks for the info bro, certainly learned a lot i have mentioned this before, i will not have a hard time servicing and finding parts for the poseidon since the local distributor is a friend, parts are readily available and labor is virtually free in the Philippines . i currently own one set of the extreme and primarily dive this in saltwater without any hitches. reason why i ask if its good in a cave is that im going tech down the road and caving is defintely at the top of my list. only drawback of the poseidon for me is the initial purchase as they are more expensive than the apeks. the apeks by the way is my second and only other option.

i was also wondering if my 2nd set has to be an extreme as well or can i just get the odin/jetstream? this may sound stupid but im totally oblivious on doubles set-up, still relatively a newbie.

 

[drperi1]

Yeah. Save the money and go with 50s.

I love the 50s so much I have two of them. Best regs I've ever used. Top-notch work-horses, breathe great at depth, etc. etc. I've heard good things about the Zeagles, too.