First regs for sidemount

[gekodivebali]

Port routing on DS4 is a joke IMO for sidemount.

I guess it all depends how and where you dive. In warm water without bladder redundancy, the DS4 or even US4 with its 2 LP ports along with 1 HP port aiming straight down are just fine. You're right and I wouldn't want to add a drysuit inflator and a LPI hose to that first stage. The op also seems likely to dive in a setup more similar to yours than mine... That being said, i wouldnt call the routing crap!

 

[Doppler]

FYI... regulator hose routing... https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...847.1073741825.122233687797579&type=3&theater

 

[adimi24]

FYI... regulator hose routing... https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...847.1073741825.122233687797579&type=3&theater

Same way I do it ^

 

[adimi24]

For people that are still wondering, my instructor says that a HOG set alraedy broke because the high pressure seat is made of soft metal and that they are great for a lot of people but for intense use ( like year round ) most people do NOT like them.

HOGs just got cheaper, can get SM set for $500 compared to 1250 for apeks from my LDS...

 

[The Chairman]

I like Apeks regs. I like Hog regs. i can choose which ever reg I want to dive with and I choose Hog. However, I hate hoses around my neck, so I use left and right switchbacks, two 90^o adaptors and a double reg bungee. I also dive with two five foot hoses and I only pull just enough to get to my mouth. It's cleaner that way and very easy to stow either hose/reg completely so I can remove a tank.

I hear Hollis is coming out with a new set of sidemount regs and I want to try them out when they become available.

 

[adimi24]

I like Apeks regs. I like Hog regs. i can choose which ever reg I want to dive with and I choose Hog. However, I hate hoses around my neck, so I use left and right switchbacks, two 90^o adaptors and a double reg bungee. I also dive with two five foot hoses and I only pull just enough to get to my mouth. It's cleaner that way and very easy to stow either hose/reg completely so I can remove a tank.

I hear Hollis is coming out with a new set of sidemount regs and I want to try them out when they become available.

That actually sounds pretty interesting. What do you mean by double reg bungee? Do you just clip one reg to each shoulder?

Edit: just looked through your pics. Looks like your regs are held together by a little bungee, is that correct? How does it detach if you need to share air?

---------- Post added July 11th, 2013 at 10:39 AM ----------

Any thoughts on the new HOG D3 and Zenith? What's the difference betweent he D1?

HOG D3 w/ Zenith Sidemount Regulator Package [HOG-D3-SM-PKG] - $609.95 : Cave Adventurers!, We will NOT be undersold!!!

 

[mathauck0814]

my instructor says that a HOG set alraedy broke because the high pressure seat is made of soft metal and that they are great for a lot of people but for intense use ( like year round ) most people do NOT like them.

Dunno about that... I certainly don't put as much wear and tear on regulators as some, but in 2010 I did a scant 310 dives (all on the same set of hog regs) and this year I'll have probably about 200-220 (though I'm using them as bail-out now, but I guess that's not the same). Perhaps if you're diving more often there's a problem (?) I haven't really found it. They're just regulators, they require a degree of TLC just like any other.

Instructors say a lot of things. Always better to take their sermon with a grain of salt and get some real experience before deciding they're the Prophet.

 

[The Chairman]

Edit: just looked through your pics. Looks like your regs are held together by a little bungee, is that correct? How does it detach if you need to share air?

It pulls right out of the bungee when you need it to. I leave the bungee on the left reg when I mount/dismount tanks. Left on first, pull the bungee over my neck. Right on next, stick the reg in the right side bungee. Never any confusion about which tank you're on either. I love it. It's built like a normal bungee, but a bit longer and with a piece of hard plastic tubing in the center to keep the regs apart.

 

[adimi24]

NetDoc, sounds like a cool setup.

Sale is about to end on Cave Adventurers. I think I'm going to go for the new D3 and Zenith cold water for $650. It's 150 more than the D1 but is supposedly an upgraded version that fixes most problems people had with the D1. Unless anyone advises me against it, i'm going to order now

 

[Subcooled]

I'm sure that even two cheaper DS4:s would do, but the DST has TWO high pressure ports, to opposing directions, and the turret on DST rotates and makes it a bit easier to get the hoses neatly along the tank. DST is the better choise. DS4 is possible but different. And yes, the SPG hose can make an U-turn or go straight up/forward. A matter of taste...

---------- Post added July 12th, 2013 at 01:55 AM ----------

You can also run both regs from right as in that facebook picture, or from opposing sides (under the arm, over the shoulder or crossed over your back)(over the shoulder is a bit loose config though). It's a matter of taste.

I prefer a configuration where one reg comes from right, one from left and the hoses run under the arms. If I need a longhose, I run it from the right hand tank, over my chest, and around my neck, so it comes from right. Easy to match SPGs and regs that way.

---------- Post added July 12th, 2013 at 01:59 AM ----------

But hey, what's this "first regs" thing? Get good regs now and use them for twenty years. They are made of metal, you know, and service kits exist. Just choose a brand with continuity.