DIR, warm & cold water technical&cave diving/sidemount regulator

[Turtle Friend]

Happy New Year Scubaboard,

I am (PADI rescue diver, 82 dives, based in China but will return to Germany in 1 years) looking for my own 1st and 2nd stages incl. Octopus. Out of the ScubaBoard search I concluded that there are multiple regulators which are favored by different persons depending on what kind of dive the diver does and taste. My requirements:
• Currently cold & warm water dives (<30 meters)
• Future: in addition technical & cave diving, Sidemount
• DIR complaint --> excludes Poseidon Xstream, but requires DIN
• Nice to have but not mandatory: DIY service, color options
I was considering about:
1. Apeks MTX black DIN Venturi (not the recreational, but professional version due to available Venturi and black color). As their dealer responded to me that it is the same like the MTX-R.
2. Apeks XTX50
3. Scubapro MK25 evo a carbon
4. Atomic M1
5. Atomic Z2
6. Hog
7. Deep6
8. Others? Please specify
Which one would you choose or any other one? Does anybody has experience with the Apeks MTX black DIN Venturi? As they are all not oxygen cleaned, shall I choose a green, oxygen cleaned regulator whenever I will go into the technical diving direction?
Thanks for your support.

 

[Tribal]

As they are all not oxygen cleaned, shall I choose a green, oxygen cleaned regulator whenever I will go into the technical diving direction?
Thanks for your support.

You can get the regulators oxygen cleaned, no need to get green ones. The regulators of your back gas shouldn’t be oxygen clean anyway, you will use 32% or less.
As for the deco regulators everything works as long as they are oxygen clean. I have xtx 40’s and halcyon ones. I do prefer a swivel on those for better hosing routing between them tucked away or in use.
As for back gas there isn’t much different in most famous brands, make sure the hose routing is possible like you want it. No idea how it is for SM.

 

[Centrals]

XTX is the common name for Apeks 2nd stage. The number is refer to various models eg 20, 40, 50, 100 and 200.
All their 1st stages have dedicated names eg. UST, DS4, DST, FST and FSR etc.
XTX50 is paired with DST(dry sealed with turret) officially.

FSR with the 5th port.
DS4 with swivel(might not accepted by DIR).

 

[tbone1004]

I'd get an XTX50 with DST set if you're going to be living in Germany. I don't recommend them in the US since we have considerably cheaper options that don't have restricted parts kits, but in the EU the Apeks regs are cheap.
MTX is out because I don't think the first stage swivels which is a huge benefit for sidemount diving.
Scubapro can stay in if you want, but I tend to prefer sealed designs in general.
I wouldn't recommend Atomic at all
Due to location, I wouldn't go with HOG or Deep6.

 

[Turtle Friend]

MTX is out because I don't think the first stage swivels which is a huge benefit for sidemount diving.

Hey tbone1004, thanks for the reply and happy new year to you. SimplyScuba says “The Swivel Turret lets your hoses route more naturally by allowing them to pivot so your hoses don't kink.” In addition I think that the swivel turret means that you can circulate the 1stage around, right? When I saw it at a dealer that seemed possible. If that’s the case would you still prefer the XTX50 with DST or the MTX? Some people say that XTX is a proven design and MTX quite new and that’s why for cave diving they trust XTX more.
Thanks

 

[Germie]

I am very satisfied with just the Apeks DS4 and ATX50 (or 40, I never use the adjusttool). Or the Scubapro MK17. The best second stage is the G250V, but that is not available anymore. But if you can buy them second hand, I would do it.

 

[Protondecay123]

Poseidon Xstream Deep Mk 3

 

[CptTightPants21]

To address a couple of posts

DS4 is non-swivel/turrent. The DST is swivel and what you would want for sidemount.

My recommendation would be the Apeks DST/XTX 50s or Scubapro MK25s with you choice of 2nd stage--I prefer the size G250V or G260, some like the S600s. Halcyon is also an option and is identical to Scubapro. I wouldn't bother paying up for the carbon Scubapro if it is more money.

As none of those regulators on your list have titanium they are all O2 clean and can be deco regulators right out of the box.

 

[tbone1004]

Hey tbone1004, thanks for the reply and happy new year to you. SimplyScuba says “The Swivel Turret lets your hoses route more naturally by allowing them to pivot so your hoses don't kink.” In addition I think that the swivel turret means that you can circulate the 1stage around, right? When I saw it at a dealer that seemed possible. If that’s the case would you still prefer the XTX50 with DST or the MTX? Some people say that XTX is a proven design and MTX quite new and that’s why for cave diving they trust XTX more.
Thanks

I don't think the MTX brings anything to the table that the XTX doesn't. It seems to have the bottom port stock which is IMO required for adequate hose routing in doubles. Depending on your school of thought for sidemount they're either required, nice to have, or not useful at all. I don't use them in sidemount at all.

 

[Turtle Friend]

Poseidon Xstream Deep Mk 3

Thanks Protondecay, Poseidon Xstream MK was in my list first, but they are out because they are not compliant with DIR diving.