First Reg Set

[stuartv]

If the Mk25/S600 is less money, I would go for that. It will work just fine in cold water.

I would get the octo to be the same as the primary. I.e. if you go Apeks, I would get a second XTX50 as the octo. If you go SP, I would get a second S600 as the octo.

I dive with the "primary donate" plan for helping an Out Of Air diver. That means if somebody comes to me OOA, I am going to give them the reg that is in my mouth and switch to my backup for myself. I want my "backup" to breathe just as well as my primary.

I also put my money where my mouth is. My weekends are often spent diving in the local quarry. 90' deep and currently 37F on the bottom. It warms up to around 40F on the bottom in late summer. On a bad day, enough silt to reduce visibility to less than 3'. So, dirty AND cold. I just ordered 4 new reg sets for myself. My shop sells ScubaPro, Apeks, Aqualung, Atomic, Dive Rite, Oceanic, Aeris, Hollis, and probably some others that I'm forgetting. I could have ordered anything I wanted. I ordered 4 x ScubaPro Mk25 EVO, 2 x ScubaPro G260, and 2 x ScubaPro S620Ti. 2 of those sets will be for diving doubles and 2 for diving sidemount. I don't believe the cold will ever be a problem. And I think normal servicing will ensure that being not sealed will also never be a problem. Maybe in 10 or 20 years, I will have to spend $10 to replace the ambient chamber cap on each Mk 25 from where the dirt that gets in has caused the piston to create wear. I'm okay with that.

 

[LimitedSlip7]

If I start doing my own rebuilds in the future, which one is easier to get parts for and do the work myself?

 

[runsongas]

deep 6 is easiest to get parts. hog/dive rite are straightforward too. scubapro/apeks are harder and either have to get them grey market or rely on aftermarket kits.

 

[stuartv]

When you decide to start doing your own rebuilds, you have (practically speaking) 3 choices:

- go to work for a shop and get them to sell you parts.

- Sell the ScubaPro or Apeks regs and buy something that you can buy parts for. DGX sells parts kits for (some models of) Deep6, HOG, Hollis, Dive Rite, Poseidon, Atomic, and Zeagle.

- Find someone in Europe to buy the service kits you need and send them to you.

Or you can learn enough to do basic adjustments and analysis and then just pay somebody to do the actual rebuilds only when they need it.

My shop only charges $35 per individual reg (i.e. a 1st stage or 2nd stage) for service. That is parts and labor. So, $105, total, for a normal 1st plus 2 x 2nd stages. It's hard to get too fired up to buy all the tools, etc., to save that money - especially when you can adjust and diagnose and you only need to have them serviced every 2 or 3 years.

 

[runsongas]

stu, are you sure that is covering first stage kits even if the regulator is not current for free parts? I find it hard to believe they would eat the cost of the kit in that case.

 

[BoltSnap]

If the Mk25/S600 is less money, I would go for that. It will work just fine in cold water.

I would get the octo to be the same as the primary. I.e. if you go Apeks, I would get a second XTX50 as the octo. If you go SP, I would get a second S600 as the octo.

I dive with the "primary donate" plan for helping an Out Of Air diver. That means if somebody comes to me OOA, I am going to give them the reg that is in my mouth and switch to my backup for myself. I want my "backup" to breathe just as well as my primary.

I also put my money where my mouth is. My weekends are often spent diving in the local quarry. 90' deep and currently 37F on the bottom. It warms up to around 40F on the bottom in late summer. On a bad day, enough silt to reduce visibility to less than 3'. So, dirty AND cold. I just ordered 4 new reg sets for myself. My shop sells ScubaPro, Apeks, Aqualung, Atomic, Dive Rite, Oceanic, Aeris, Hollis, and probably some others that I'm forgetting. I could have ordered anything I wanted. I ordered 4 x ScubaPro Mk25 EVO, 2 x ScubaPro G260, and 2 x ScubaPro S620Ti. 2 of those sets will be for diving doubles and 2 for diving sidemount. I don't believe the cold will ever be a problem. And I think normal servicing will ensure that being not sealed will also never be a problem. Maybe in 10 or 20 years, I will have to spend $10 to replace the ambient chamber cap on each Mk 25 from where the dirt that gets in has caused the piston to create wear. I'm okay with that.

This is the best advice I read here. The only adjustment is that the extra second stage should be a "S620Ti" and use it for primary (long hose) and leave the s600 for the backup (short hose)

 

[ams511]

This is the best advice I read here. The only adjustment is that the extra second stage should be a "S620Ti" and use it for primary (long hose) and leave the s600 for the backup (short hose)

That second stage is over $500. He could get a full Deep6 setup from DGX for $400.

 

[buddhasummer]

I wouldn't buy an Egress Octo, they breathe terribly. I'd buy matching seconds. Apeks are simple, reliable, great breathing regs, the full sized "normal" second stages. The first stages are the same performance in my experience. Personally I'd go a DS4 and two XTX50s or ATX40s and a B&G SPG.

 

[Centrals]

Can't go wrong with Apeks.
DST is more expensive than DS4 and offers no advantages(to me at least) unless you insist to add an transmitter. DS4 has only one HP port while DST has two.
Service kits( 1st and 2nd) shouldn't be too difficult to find but spare part is something else. However, I am still diving with the same DS4 and TX50 which I bought back in 1998. And I have yet to replace any part.

 

[stuartv]

stu, are you sure that is covering first stage kits even if the regulator is not current for free parts? I find it hard to believe they would eat the cost of the kit in that case.

Yep. I had my single tank reg set serviced there last year (before I became a DM and started getting a discount). $105 for everything.