Dive Rite or Scuba Pro

[Carribeandiver]

I have always used Scuba Pro regs and never have had a problem. Recently, my son got certified and I gave him my reg set up so I am looking to get one for me.
The brands and models I am considering are either a Dive Rite RG2500 and Dive Rite Standard Octo ... OR.....a Scuba Pro MK11 with a R395 and R295 as an Octo.
I do not recall ever seeing anyone boast about Dive Rite regs here and I wonder why.
Now before you all reply with the question that if I have never had any problems with Scuba Pro why am I considering Dive Rite, the answer is since Dive Rite supported divers way back when, I wish to support them now.
(back when Sheck Exley was doing his record setting deep dives and record setting cave dives, it was Dive Rite that often provided gear. These dives significantly helped in the development of new and improved equipment and methods)
So, the question at hand, is Dive Rite comparable to Scuba Pro, at least the aforementioned models?

Thank you and HAPPY NEW YEAR to Everyone. Dive Safe

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If you are used to SP and have a good tech to service them why not stick with what you know? I don't use either but work for a shop that sells both and in terms of sales they are about even with the majority of dive rite sales going to tech divers who can service and want to service their own regs. DR will sell kits to anyone and SP needs to go to a dealer. As far as performance goes there does not seem to be much if any difference. Both are high quality regs that perform under sometimes extreme conditions. I know a few tech divers and their preference is based more on personal choice, whether they want to service their own regs or not, and what they wanted to pay at the time they got em. If you want more opinions on dive rite regs visit the deco stop and ask there. Sp happens to be a very big company with a long history in the recreational diving industry. Dive Rite makes no bones about their gear being targeted towards the more experienced and technical communities. So as to why more rec divers are using SP as opposed to DR. Marketing my man, marketing.

 

[fireflock]

Both regs are solid and perfectly capable for recreational diving (and beyond). DiveRite policies regarding warranty, parts, and service are much better for the customer that the policies at ScubaPro, IMO anyway.

I'd go with the DiveRite.

Rich

 

[Couv]

Hello Carribeandiver,

Help us to help you by telling us what type of diving you will be doing. Deep, deco, cave, ice. Also, will you be servicing your gear your self or will you be bringing it in to a shop? Foreign travel?

couv

 

[PhilEllis]

If you are looking at the Dive Rite, I would suggest that you purchase the new Dive Rite RG3000 instead of the RG2500. The 2500 is being eliminated from their line in preference to the 3000, which features several redesigned features on the second stage. Dive Rite regulators are really good performers and will give you the quality you deserve from a top line regulator.

I don't have the RG3000 up on our website yet, but if you have any questions about the regulator, feel free to give me a call at (800) 601-3483. Thanks and good luck with your regulator search.

Phil Ellis

 

[David P]

more tech divers than rec divers use the DR. Most tech divers have somewhat "been there, done that" they know what they can do and they don't feel the need to brag (well...ok so that may be a stretch) ok they dont need to hoop and hollar about parts of their gear unlike alot of newer divers shouting that they have the best equipment.

I dive SP on single tanks, Apeks on doubles, but have rebuilt DR regs and quite impressed with them, if I needed more regs(like a hole in the head) I would look at the DR

 

[Carribeandiver]

Hello Carribeandiver,

Help us to help you by telling us what type of diving you will be doing. Deep, deco, cave, ice. Also, will you be servicing your gear your self or will you be bringing it in to a shop? Foreign travel?

couv

good question, sorry for not providing this information. I do predominantly warm water, Caribbean type diving. I also do some Florida Spring diving where the water is 68F. I do not do any cave diving, wreck penetration diving or tech deep diving. I am taking a cavern class in April which will be taught in the Florida Springs but the purpose of the class is to hone my skills and learn additional safety diving procedures. I "may" so some cavern diving after that but that will probably be secondary to my normal open water Caribbean diving.
I likely will not service the regs myself. And yes, most of my diving is done in foreign countries.

Happy New Year Everyone. Dive Safe.

 

[nniko]

I think both will work very well for you. My friend and I dive most of the time in cool water (4-7 degrees Celsius which is under 39 F, I guess) and he's got a Scubapro set and I've got a Poseidon Jetstream without "glycole hat" on it. Both work very well in these conditions. Only difference in performance is that my Jetstream gives a much stronger "wind" in my throat than my friends Scubapro, so I'd call SB a bit more sophisticated reg but they both have kept us alive in cool conditions underwater for two years without a problem.
Please, correct me if I'm wrong but I think that there really is no such "dive gear factory" as DiveRite. They get their products from the best factories in the world with a DiveRite logo! Looking at their latest reg Jetstream, the second stage is Poseidon Jetstream and the first stage is? The DR3000 looks very much like Apeks ATX50... I've been always veeerry happy with the Diverite gear I own.

Happy new year to all of you fellow divers out there...

 

[Craig Clark]

The nice thing about Scuba Pro is that they are a full line manufacturer of dive equipment and they make a very good regulator. Dive Rite on the other hand is not a full line manufacturer. Agreed, they have a full line in their catalog but, most of there product especially regulators have been farmed out to other companies. Scuba Pro used to make regulators for Dive Rite at one point but then Dive Rite found someone else that would make it for them cheeper. If you want something comparable to Scuba Pro then look at the Atomic line. The engineers at Atomic used to work for Scuba Pro and they have basically taken the flow through piston first stage to the ultimate. If I were you I would not limit my search there however because Apekz makes one of the finest sealed diaphram 1st stages you can buy. The new xtx 100 is one that alot of tech divers use.

 

[PhilEllis]

The nice thing about Scuba Pro is that they are a full line manufacturer of dive equipment and they make a very good regulator. Dive Rite on the other hand is not a full line manufacturer. Agreed, they have a full line in their catalog but, most of there product especially regulators have been farmed out to other companies. Scuba Pro used to make regulators for Dive Rite at one point but then Dive Rite found someone else that would make it for them cheeper. If you want something comparable to Scuba Pro then look at the Atomic line. The engineers at Atomic used to work for Scuba Pro and they have basically taken the flow through piston first stage to the ultimate. If I were you I would not limit my search there however because Apekz makes one of the finest sealed diaphram 1st stages you can buy. The new xtx 100 is one that alot of tech divers use.

You certainly can't hold it against a scuba company because they don't make all of their stuff. To my knowledge, no full-line scuba company does all of the manufacturing in-house. From time to time, I think Tabatia has made some regulators for ScubaPro, various cut and sew operations have made buoyancy vests for other companies. Lets face it....this industry isn't big enough to support very many manufacturers.

Phil Ellis