First Reg - overwhelmed

[Lopez116]

Thanks everyone for your opinions and advice so far.

 

[Oldbear]

+1 for Atomic, AquaLung and ScubaPro Regs...

 

[cbm32]

I bought a used set off from craigslist right after getting certified and had them serviced. They did the job and allowed me to dive a while and figure out what I really wanted. At that point I took a look around and was getting ready to buy Aqualung Titans. I saw some really good deals on used sets and really liked them........ then I saw that I could get brand new HOG regs for just about the same price as the used Titans I was looking at. I went with the HOG's and LOVE them. Then I got tired of messing with the Din to Yoke adapter when diving in Fiji and bought an EDGE first with a HOG second when they were on sale at Dive Right in Scuba. Switched one of my HOG seconds and gauges over to complete the set and would never hesitate to go EDGE first with HOG seconds again. Havent tried the EDGE seconds but I assume they would be fine as well.

 

[Capt.Gene]

Should you decide to purchase new reg's, the best value is the mid priced model. The flagship is overpriced, and the entry level model is likely to disapoint.

 

[paulw]

There is some great advise here so I'll throw my O2 in, I would spend the money and buy a good reg to start with (ie Aqualung Legend - Apeks XTX200 - Atomic M1 or B2) :

First it will just plain breath better giving you a much better dive experience
Second it will be more dependable (it is your lifeline) and last a lifetime
Third you will be able to get a really good name brand reg serviced about anywhere, not just at home but even on dive trips
Fourth if you decide to leave diving it will be easy to sell

Spend more and treat yourself to a nice reg, you will be happy you did in the end.

 

[antattack]

Different opinion here.

There are many good choices out there, and every bit of advice in this thread thus far would be a good choice.

Please consider that your regulators will be with you for many years if you choose wisely. All regulators need regular parts and service. So you probably want to choose a regulator that is supported by a local dive shops equipment team. You probably want to choose mainstream gear that isn't trying to introduce a new valve seat or exotic bubble deflector. Finally, you will want to choose gear that is supplied by a company that is profitable and will still be around in ten years.

Again, any of the companies mentioned in this thread fill these requirements.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Gene gave the best advice so far. In fact there are some regs that would fall in the mid range of price that the average recreational diver would not be able to distinguish from regs costing twice as much.

 

[buddhasummer]

Aqualung Titan is a great breathing, reliable and relatively cheap reg. But as many others have said you will not go wrong with any of the major brands and in fact almost any mid level reg will likely suit your needs just fine. If your budget can stretch an Atomic Z2 would be and excellent choice. Good luck, shopping is so much fun.

 

[halocline]

There is some great advise here so I'll throw my O2 in, I would spend the money and buy a good reg to start with (ie Aqualung Legend - Apeks XTX200 - Atomic M1 or B2) :

First it will just plain breath better giving you a much better dive experience
Second it will be more dependable (it is your lifeline) and last a lifetime

Expensive regs like the ones listed are no more dependable than simpler entry-level or mid range models by the same companies. The truth is that all regs are very dependable if they are maintained well, and many are dependable even if they're not...sherwood and scubapro unbalanced piston regs are among those bulletproof workhorses. They are also among the least expensive and simplest regs out there, whose design has not changed significantly for decades.

Ignore the B.S. about spending more because the reg is your "lifeline". It's the oldest sales trick in the book, and it's flat out wrong.

Buying used is a great way to get regs IF you either know enough about them to evaluate what you're buying, or if you have a friend or mentor that can do it for you. I know a lot about regulators and I would not consider buying a new one; the prices on used regs are simply too good to pass up (in the right situation) and the truth is that regulators have not appreciably improved in decades.

A perfect reg for you might be a lightly used aqualung titan, or SP MK2/R190. But there are many choices, and it's really hard to go wrong if you stick to the major brands like SP, aqualung, sherwood (not the SR1, though!!!!)and recently HOG has been very popular. Just make sure you buy a yoke reg if you're using yoke tanks.

 

[ams511]

If I was looking for a good starter set I would look at this. Hollis is Oceanic which is a very reputable brand. If you go used and want cheap, then look for a Sherwood Magnum set up. They usually go cheap and are usually cheap to service.