Doubles, 1st stage

[Jorbar1551]

I purchased a doubles rig, but i still need to buy another 1st stage for my backup. Should i buy the same type of 1st stage that i am used to, so i will have two of the same 1st stages, or should i buy a different type?

Jordan

 

[MSilvia]

Unless the one you have now is unsuitable, I'd get the same type. Otherwise, get two that are good. Either way, I think you want them to be the same.

 

[Diver0001]

I purchased a doubles rig, but i still need to buy another 1st stage for my backup. Should i buy the same type of 1st stage that i am used to, so i will have two of the same 1st stages, or should i buy a different type?

Jordan

I happen to have two different ones. They're both good regulators and it doesn't cause any problems with hose routing etc. Esthetically you might want them to be the same but functionality is more important. The only reason I can think of to want them to be identical is so you can swap out reserve parts.

R..

 

[voodooconstant]

Don't you need to make sure your backup reg isn't a high performance one?

 

[Diver0001]

Don't you need to make sure your backup reg isn't a high performance one?

Why would you not do that?

R..

 

[Jorbar1551]

Ive got the titan lx for my first stage and primary 2nd stage. For my "backup" i have a atx40 which is in great shape. Should i get the apex 1st stage, or another titan lx 1st stage?

 

[diverryan]

Unless the one you have now is unsuitable, I'd get the same type. Otherwise, get two that are good. Either way, I think you want them to be the same.

I agree. Think about servicing them.....it might be easier to have them all serviced together rather than giving them to different shops if one shop does not service the two particular regulators you have. I just dealt with the same question and this convinced me to stay with the same kind of regulator.

 

[fasorud]

I agree. Think about servicing them.....it might be easier to have them all serviced together rather than giving them to different shops if one shop does not service the two particular regulators you have. I just dealt with the same question and this convinced me to stay with the same kind of regulator.

Not only that, but think about an OOA scenario (although it shouldn't happen with a DIR buddy team ). After you donate you primary reg, would you want to be breathing from a backup of lesser performance?

I would definitely have the same reg for both primary and secondary. Like my ATX50's on my doubles

 

[Don Burke]

I purchased a doubles rig, but i still need to buy another 1st stage for my backup. Should i buy the same type of 1st stage that i am used to, so i will have two of the same 1st stages, or should i buy a different type?

I went for two new regulators since the hose configuration for a single tank is different from either of the doubles regulators. While changing hoses around is not too difficult, it affords me another opportunity to screw something up.

I do not believe it is important that the two first stages be the same. I consider it very important that I trust both of them.

Having four nearly identical first stages in my collection makes it possible to recover from many problems without having to chase parts.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Don't you need to make sure your backup reg isn't a high performance one?

I hear that now and then and it makes absolutely no sense.

Your backup needs to be at least a good as your primary and both need to be adequate for the depths you are diving to. And you need to remember that when you are sharing gas, you will be donating your primary and you will be breathing off your backup.

I think the suggestion to use a low performance reg as the backup stems from a well intentioned but misguided belief that a low performance first and second stage are going to be far more reliable than a high performance first and second stage. That really is not the case to any significant degree as long as the equipment is well maintained. I suspect the divers who suggest this are the same divers who get overly obsessive about eliminating "failure points".

Personally, I like to use very simple unbalanced piston first stages for deco regs, but that has to do with the nature of the design (no HP air spaces past the seat/orifice) which makes it very O2 freindly and theoretically increases relaibility in high O2 applicatons. But by definition those high O2 applications are going to occur during relatively shallow and relatively non working portions of the dive where extremely high gas flow is not required. I would never consider using one as my backup reg on a deep dive.