Cheap reg for cold water?

[scc135]

Looking to pick up my 1st reg and looking for recommendations for a cheap cold water regulator. I want to try ice diving next winter too, so something that can go with that would be great. I'm reading that the Zeagle Envoy is good for that? Any others?

 

[clifftondiver]

Be wary of cheap scuba gear You definately get what you pay for. For ice diving, you'll want a sealed 1 first stage, those are NOT cheap.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

How cheap?

By cold water regulator, I assume that you're talking about an environmentally-sealed first stage.

People on SB seem to like the HOG cold water D1. It hasn't been out on the market very long, but $150 for a sealed first stage and $100 for a second stage are attractive prices. Might be worth a shot.

Apeks, Aqualung, Atomic Aquatics, and ScubaPro make some very good cold water-rated regs, but they cost more than the HOG offerings.

 

[Tortuga68]

I had a D1 cold, which I have since passed on to my buddy - they're good

Personally I use Apeks. You can pick up a 2nd hand Apeks DST for about the same price as a D1 cold, look in teh classifieds here, or on eBay

Just check you can get spares where you live

I wouldn't use a 'cheap' reg for cold water and/or deep diving, not worth saving a few $$ for a free-flow

 

[mnscuber]

As clifftondiver and Bubbletrubble pointed out, you definitely want a sealed regulator. From what I can tell the Zeagle Envoy does not have a sealed first stage.

Here in MN some shops only sell sealed regulators due to potential free-flow issues of non-sealed regulators in cold water. Being a popular model in my area, I bought an Aqualung Titan LX Supreme from a local shop (the Supreme is their sealed version). Shops here also sell Zeagle and Sherwood which have sealed models.

I'd also check in with whoever is hosting the ice dive and ask what regulator they recommend.

 

[Tortuga68]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/83190-zeagle-envoy-vs-envoy-deluxe.html

 

[scubafanatic]

although I'm not a cold water diver, I do own a pair of the 'last' generation of Aqualung Titan LX's, with a dry-sealed 1st-stage, and it's always been highly recommmended as a good cold water, reasonably priced reg.

 

[Reef Tank]

I want to try ice diving next winter too, so something that can go with that would be great. I'm reading that the Zeagle Envoy is good for that? Any others?

Since you will only be trying ice diving once just rent from the dive shop and focus on your warm water reg.

P.S. I live in NW MN.

 

[adambayam]

Check out the Oceanic CDX5 and the pricier FDX10 first stages.

Apeks is another great name - the XTX series all have the Environmental Dry Sealing System.

A little higher up on the price range is ever popular Scubapro who have the MK17 and MK25 first stages.

Adam

 

[scc135]

OK, still a bit new to this, but cheap means comparatively, I get that 100 bucks won't get me anything (well, at all), but if there's a cold reg that's 500 vs one that's 800, the 500 one is still "cheap."

As for mentioning the Envoy, I thought I saw that on scubatoys' website that it was environmentally sealed but apparently it was the envoy deluxe. Thanks for the link to the envoy vs envoy deluxe thread. Why would you sell a 2nd stage that's cold water have it come with a 1st stage that isn't?