Double hose manufacturers

[oli4]

Hi,
I'm looking to purchase a double hose regulator. Is there any new manufactures out there? I've looked at the Argonout Kraken and the product is great but I'm somewhat put off to buying it.
Looking forward to any input.
Thanks
Olivier

 

[herman]

You really have 2 choices, an AK or restore/upgrade an old USD reg. Nemrod was the last manufacturer to make DH regs for the public and they stopped making DH regs in the 90s. The Mistral that Aqualung made in the 2000s was frankly a huge POS, it is no where near as good as an AK.
The AK is the best DH reg that has been produced. I recently had mine checked on a commercial flow bench and it beat the crap out of a Scubapro MK25/A700, SP MK17/G260 and an Atomic Z3 ( these were to comparison regs in the machine). The only reg that beat it was a Posiedon MK3.
I was on the design team for the AK and mine is a prototype. Bottom line, if you want a modern DH reg, the AK is the only game in town.

 

[Nemrod]

I am not sure what is putting you off and perhaps do not want to know. But I can assure you that in the world of double hose regulators nothing, NOTHING, beats a Kraken. It is the most advanced, well engineered, tested, developed double hose regulator ever made. It uses a proven first and second stage design that is easy to service and parts for which will be available forever or as long as you live until they have a pill that grows gills. Is it absolutely perfect, no, but the Kraken is darn close. And then there is the new Kraken DSV mouthpiece unit and a new super heavy duty hose loop for more technical diving.

There are no other double hose regulators currently manufactured aside from the VDH Argonaut Kraken. The last effort, pitiful at that, was the AL New Mistral and the military only and exceedingly rare AL Mentor of which maybe a couple have escaped into civilian hands. Enough to know that the Kraken is a superior design though the Military Mentor has some cool features as well.

N

 

[rhwestfall]

@oli4 :

Just curious as to what has you turned off toward the Kraken?

 

[oli4]

@oli4 :

Just curious as to what has you turned off toward the Kraken?

It's a personal thing. I do believe the Kraken is a SuperB reg.

 

[Bryan@Vintage Double Hose]

@oli4 :

Just curious as to what has you turned off toward the Kraken?

 

[Bryan@Vintage Double Hose]

Please elaborate......I'll be glad to share the actual details if you like?

 

[rhwestfall]

Superb? I do think so. I find the performance of it to be as good as any of my single hose ScubaPro and Poseidon regs.

There is also the option of "hot roding" an older USD double hose, but essentially you are adding the components that are the Kraken, and not getting the performance enhancement of the redesigned cans.

I am only vaguely aware of another DH that was attempting to come to market, but seems to have been more a "bigfoot" and is just folklore.

 

[Nemrod]

I believe the other recent attempt was called the SeaWolf. Not sure what the story is or was. N

 

[tbone1004]

what @herman said. The problem you are facing is that if you have a personal reason not to get the Kraken, then you have to go vintage. If you go vintage, you still have to go through the same people that built the Kraken in order to get parts for them, so if it's a beef with the guys that build/sell them, then there really isn't a way to avoid it