ProudNPrejudiced
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My top choice right now is the Atomic ST1. Anyone have any suggestions? Should I go higher grade, lower grade (like a Z2x), or different brand?
Deciding on what to get for a (very good) reg.
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What type of diving are you planning on doing the most of? What's your budget? What other brands have you looked at? Where are you located for servicing of the reg considerations? Atomic's are good regs. Lots of regs are good regs. Lot's are even great regs and won't cost you your first born child or an arm and leg.
... and here I was just going to yell "troll"...
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ProudNPrejudiced
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Recreational/scientific, but many many times a week. So something high performance that doesn't get trashed fast with use. I.e. Atomic. An ST1 is about as much as is be willing to pay. I hear the T2/T3 don't really perform better and are just crazy expensive.
One word - HOG. I have a dozen of them myself as personal regs. Singles, doubles, Sidemount, stages. You can't kill em, you can service em yourself, and way less expensive than many others.
To paraphrase a statement made in another post recently: Buy some HOGs at the upcomming Black Friday event, dive them for a year, sell them for a reasonable cost that the market can bear, and you can do the same thing again with little additional investment. New regs every year..... bliss!!!!
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
If this is a troll:
Do some research find the most expensive reg possible then start calling around to all the LDS's and find out which one has it marked up the highest, and I'd go with that one. If it's more money it means it is better.
Don't forget to get it fully serviced every year whether it needs it or not because it is life support equipment and your life depends on it.
You should also find the most expensive place to get it serviced because they will do the best job. You get what you pay for after all.
If this is not a troll:
Get a Hog like Jim recommends. They are sealed diaphragm style, rugged, priced right, and you can get parts for them and do your own rebuilds if you are so inclined. Hog even has classes for this.
I have one and I got it with a few extra parts kits. The whole thing was $315 with a cold water first stage, a second stage, and a few parts kits, shipped to my door with no tax and no shipping. I already have several 2nd's to use as an octo and several SPG's laying around. But a whole set up including two 2nd stages and an SPG is still just over $400, and you get to choose the hose lengths you want.
It breathes just as good or better than any of my Scubapro regs.
Do some research find the most expensive reg possible then start calling around to all the LDS's and find out which one has it marked up the highest, and I'd go with that one. If it's more money it means it is better.
Don't forget to get it fully serviced every year whether it needs it or not because it is life support equipment and your life depends on it.
You should also find the most expensive place to get it serviced because they will do the best job. You get what you pay for after all.
If this is not a troll:
Get a Hog like Jim recommends. They are sealed diaphragm style, rugged, priced right, and you can get parts for them and do your own rebuilds if you are so inclined. Hog even has classes for this.
I have one and I got it with a few extra parts kits. The whole thing was $315 with a cold water first stage, a second stage, and a few parts kits, shipped to my door with no tax and no shipping. I already have several 2nd's to use as an octo and several SPG's laying around. But a whole set up including two 2nd stages and an SPG is still just over $400, and you get to choose the hose lengths you want.
It breathes just as good or better than any of my Scubapro regs.
Dr. Lecter
Contributor
What will you use it for? A yoke ST1 was my very first reg, and while I still use the 1st stage on my single tank rig I've since sold the 2nd stage. Notably, it has never been serviced and still puts out the same IP it did shortly after I bought it. One of these years it may start creeping, but it's more likely I'll service it at the 5 year mark just because.
As a recreational reg that will probably outlast you without ever corroding or having the EAN limitations associated with Titanium, it's hard to beat the ST1 just the way it is. As a technical reg, it's not a great choice unless you're getting a different 2nd stage and a monel piston upgrade in the 1st stage. On the plus side, it will breathe great and is backed by Atomic. OTOH, you simply won't be able to tell the difference between performance levels of an Atomic piston versus a lower quality diaphram within recreational diving depths, and even if you could the dirt cheap Z2 or Z3 breathe the same as the ST1. SS is more durable than chromed brass, but chromed brass is plenty durable.
If you're doing serious cold water diving(ice diving, not NE Atlantic in the winter diving), or you want to eliminate the service costs associated with sealing piston regs, you should look at diaphram regs like HOG or Apeks. Personally, I think Apeks are better built but Hog has excellent customer service. Take your pick.
As a recreational reg that will probably outlast you without ever corroding or having the EAN limitations associated with Titanium, it's hard to beat the ST1 just the way it is. As a technical reg, it's not a great choice unless you're getting a different 2nd stage and a monel piston upgrade in the 1st stage. On the plus side, it will breathe great and is backed by Atomic. OTOH, you simply won't be able to tell the difference between performance levels of an Atomic piston versus a lower quality diaphram within recreational diving depths, and even if you could the dirt cheap Z2 or Z3 breathe the same as the ST1. SS is more durable than chromed brass, but chromed brass is plenty durable.
If you're doing serious cold water diving(ice diving, not NE Atlantic in the winter diving), or you want to eliminate the service costs associated with sealing piston regs, you should look at diaphram regs like HOG or Apeks. Personally, I think Apeks are better built but Hog has excellent customer service. Take your pick.
Atomic makes excellent regs.
I would recommend also checking out the Scubapro MK25 or MK17 w/ an A700, S600, G260.
I would recommend also checking out the Scubapro MK25 or MK17 w/ an A700, S600, G260.
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