Difference between AL Tital and Titan LX

[fstr]

I am trying to make up my mind on which reg to buy. I recently certified as an open water diver and want to buy 1st regs for me and the wife. I read a lot of good things about Aqua Lung and like their lifetime warranty. And compared to scuba pro they seem to offer more value for the money. I did some price comparisons and it seems the LX is about $125 more expensive. Is it worth it going with the LX? Reason for choosing between AL & scuba pro is because these are the 2 high end brands supplied in my area by LDS's. (Oh and Atomic - would love to find a reason to buy a Z2)

It's very tough knowing now what sort of diving I will do with it. I live in the midwest but do not forsee doing winter diving here. The quarry was cold enough last weekend! I would rather buy a decent reg now and buy another specialized one in future if I go to some sort of extreme diving.

The sticker shock of buying 2 complete sets of gear is forcing my to try and pinch pennies while at the same time buying quality.

BTW - I did my open water with a oceanic that free flowed and I had to turn it around every time to stop it from free flowing. My pool dives with a scuba pro never free flowed. Very annoying. Would like to buy a reg that does not suffer from this problem if possible?

 

[Nemrod]

The Titan LX has essentially the same second stage as the Legend. Yes, it is worth it. N

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Aqualung Titans are rugged, workhorse-type regs. They're a great value in my opinion. I think that Aqualung does a pretty poor job of differentiating the Titan LX from the Titan in their marketing materials. From handling the regs at an LDS and perusing the Aqualung website, I learned that the Titan LX has a slightly smaller, lighter 2nd stage than the Titan. Nemrod may be right about the similarity between the Legend 2nd stage and the Titan LX 2nd stage, but I'm not a reg technician, so I don't know if the guts are really the same. Cosmetically, they look very similar. The Venturi adjustment knob on the Titan LX is slightly different from the one on the Titan. Both are paired with the same Titan 1st stage (4 LP ports + 1 HP port). As far as performance goes, I haven't personally used the LX version, but I did rent the Titan reg for my OW class years ago and it breathed well at recreational depths. I currently own an Aqualung Legend (older version, non-ACD) and an Apeks ATX100. Both breathe silky smooth at depths of approx. 135 fsw.

With regard to your problem with the free-flowing Oceanic reg, it was most likely a consequence of inadequate maintenance and/or de-tuning due to overuse...but this is to be expected of all rental regs, regardless of brand. All of the major brands have reliable reg designs -- you'll likely only notice the difference in work of breathing at extreme depths or in inverted positions.

Regardless of your reg choice, make sure that you take care of your regs after diving. Pressurize them on a tank, swoosh them back-and-forth in fresh water, purge them, and then soak them in warm fresh water for a while. This will prevent salt crystals from degrading certain reg parts. I'm willing to bet that your Oceanic rental reg was not maintained in this manner.

Good luck with your reg choice. There are a lot of good ones out there. The Titan is a solid reg. Remember to get it serviced annually. Dive safe.

 

[Hallmac]

It's very tough knowing now what sort of diving I will do with it. I live in the midwest but do not forsee doing winter diving here. The quarry was cold enough last weekend! I would rather buy a decent reg now and buy another specialized one in future if I go to some sort of extreme diving.

I don't know where in the midwest you are, but, if you are near Kansas City, I can let you try both and examine them if that helps.

 

[keyshunter]

I have both versions, and have dived them extensively. Both Titans have identical first stages. The difference is in the second stages. The regular Titan has a simple downstream second, and the LX has a balanced second which, other than faceplate, is identical to the regular Legend. Both are rugged, reliable, and it is doubtful if the average individual (in a double blind test) could tell the difference in breathing at normal recreational depths. At greater depths, the LX excells. The LX's metal air barrel would possibly help alleviate dry mouth problems in one who is sensitive to this.

I am not saying you should buy there, but as a means of comparison, Leisurepro currenrly lists the regular Titan at about $206, and the LX at 264.

 

[fstr]

I don't know where in the midwest you are, but, if you are near Kansas City, I can let you try both and examine them if that helps.

Very kind of you to offer, but I am in the Chicagoland area. Would have loved to try it out first. Thanks again

 

[fstr]

I have both versions, and have dived them extensively. Both Titans have identical first stages. The difference is in the second stages. The regular Titan has a simple downstream second, and the LX has a balanced second which, other than faceplate, is identical to the regular Legend. Both are rugged, reliable, and it is doubtful if the average individual (in a double blind test) could tell the difference in breathing at normal recreational depths. At greater depths, the LX excells. The LX's metal air barrel would possibly help alleviate dry mouth problems in one who is sensitive to this.

I am not saying you should buy there, but as a means of comparison, Leisurepro currenrly lists the regular Titan at about $206, and the LX at 264.

I was told by one of the LDS's that the LX is price controlled at 360 and the regular is not and they can offer it for far cheeper. But then again the same LDS told me the Balance BC is price controlled at over $700. It one of those places that want to push their opinion and they will spend 2 hours telling you that you should buy their recommendation instead of listening to want you want/need. They also told me the regular would do better than the LX in cold water.

With the lifetime warranty and parts I think it is well worth buying from a LDS (although I am big on internet shopping!). LDS prices for the LX range between 306 - 390. I have only one quote for the regular (235).

How would you define "great depths"?

 

[keyshunter]

I was told by one of the LDS's that the LX is price controlled at 360 and the regular is not and they can offer it for far cheeper. But then again the same LDS told me the Balance BC is price controlled at over $700. It one of those places that want to push their opinion and they will spend 2 hours telling you that you should buy their recommendation instead of listening to want you want/need. They also told me the regular would do better than the LX in cold water.

With the lifetime warranty and parts I think it is well worth buying from a LDS (although I am big on internet shopping!). LDS prices for the LX range between 306 - 390. I have only one quote for the regular (235).

How would you define "great depths"?

$235 for regular and $306 for a Titan LX are pretty good prices from an LDS. You might want to hold off a bit, however, because last summer Aqua Lung was offering a free octo with a regulator purchase. I don't know if they will offer this deal again this year, but you may want to check.

Just about everyone defines "deep" differently. My g/f and I did an informal experiment about 2 years ago. She was diving a regular Titan and I was on one of my LX's. When we switched, I did not notice a difference in breathing between Titan, and LX until we reached about 120 feet (the deepest we switched) and even then, the difference was slight, and may have been as much mental as physical. I have had both Titans (and their parent the Conshelf) considerably deeper, without incident. Also, tuning is very important, and someone else might have a different experience with the same models.

That said, I think that for the $71 difference I would buy the Titan LX.

 

[fstr]

My bad - typo - meant 360, not 306

 

[shoturtle]

With regard to your problem with the free-flowing Oceanic reg, it was most likely a consequence of inadequate maintenance and/or de-tuning due to overuse...but this is to be expected of all rental regs, regardless of brand. All of the major brands have reliable reg designs -- you'll likely only notice the difference in work of breathing at extreme depths or in inverted positions.

Regardless of your reg choice, make sure that you take care of your regs after diving. Pressurize them on a tank, swoosh them back-and-forth in fresh water, purge them, and then soak them in warm fresh water for a while. This will prevent salt crystals from degrading certain reg parts. I'm willing to bet that your Oceanic rental reg was not maintained in this manner.

Good luck with your reg choice. There are a lot of good ones out there. The Titan is a solid reg. Remember to get it serviced annually. Dive safe.

I am in complete agreement with you on the rental gear issue. I have use scubapro mk17 and mk25 rental gear and have had freeflow issues also. It is really a maintenance and over uses between servicing issue with their freeflow, as they are solid rigs. So I would not base my decision from rental gear.

Remember the USCG just announce after extensive testing that the have choose the oceanic delta 4 as the cold water reg because it is the least likely to freeflow and fail in cold water. There is alot of good reg out there take you time and check them all out. I would also check out some other LDS or give scubatoys or divesports a call, they are always willing to give a honest opinion on the type of gear you need. And the calls are toll free, if that matters anymore.