First regulator - purely recreational vs. tec suitable?
- Thread starter Casualcruising
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My recommendation would be based on your criteria.
#2 just go with sealed diaphragm first stages. Most piston will not be environmentally sealed.
#3 of your key consideration should not be a concern if you don't diving somewhere a long time (around 3-6 months away from home kinda long)
#6 all reg model will have DIN option or conversion kits available. If you do travel, make sure you have DIN to yoke adaptor with you.
If you are conidering tec diving in the future, near or far. I'd recommend one with turret lp ports and 5th ports; hose config will be better for sidemount, if you planned (or unplanned) to get there.
Using titanium reg is fine as long as you don't use them for bottom gas, don't use them on deco.
My recommended brands would be
1. Dive Rite (XT1+XT4)
2. Apeks (XTX50+DST)
3. Scubapro (MK19+G260)
- Apex MTX-RC long-hose set:
The breathing performance under not too cold water will be almost identical to XTX50. But excellent gear nontheless.
- SP Mk19/Mk25/Mk17 + G260/A700:
MK17 is a fixed port diaphragm first stage, MK19 is a diaphragm with turret ports, and MK25 is a balanced piston. Although MK25 is an amazing piece of work. It is not environmentally sealed. If you decided getting unsealed regulator, go with MK25. MK19 is too new for me and my only opinion is the price of service kits is not as friendly as its siblings in the line up.
- Aqua Lung legend elite and Apeks XL4 OCEA:
Legend is top of the line for AQL and Apeks XL4 is travel friendly. excellent choice for back mounted diver. As per your key considerations, they will do fine if you go twinsets, but will feel a little frustrated once go sidemount. depends on your technical diving approaches and preferences.
- Deep6 Signature DIR:
IMHO i think if you opt to go technical diving you may want to learn to service your own gear later on. The only problem with newer brands (newer than common brands) would be the supply of parts, other than service kits. If they can supply every part separately, go for it.
#2 just go with sealed diaphragm first stages. Most piston will not be environmentally sealed.
#3 of your key consideration should not be a concern if you don't diving somewhere a long time (around 3-6 months away from home kinda long)
#6 all reg model will have DIN option or conversion kits available. If you do travel, make sure you have DIN to yoke adaptor with you.
If you are conidering tec diving in the future, near or far. I'd recommend one with turret lp ports and 5th ports; hose config will be better for sidemount, if you planned (or unplanned) to get there.
Using titanium reg is fine as long as you don't use them for bottom gas, don't use them on deco.
My recommended brands would be
1. Dive Rite (XT1+XT4)
2. Apeks (XTX50+DST)
3. Scubapro (MK19+G260)
- Apex MTX-RC long-hose set:
The breathing performance under not too cold water will be almost identical to XTX50. But excellent gear nontheless.
- SP Mk19/Mk25/Mk17 + G260/A700:
MK17 is a fixed port diaphragm first stage, MK19 is a diaphragm with turret ports, and MK25 is a balanced piston. Although MK25 is an amazing piece of work. It is not environmentally sealed. If you decided getting unsealed regulator, go with MK25. MK19 is too new for me and my only opinion is the price of service kits is not as friendly as its siblings in the line up.
- Aqua Lung legend elite and Apeks XL4 OCEA:
Legend is top of the line for AQL and Apeks XL4 is travel friendly. excellent choice for back mounted diver. As per your key considerations, they will do fine if you go twinsets, but will feel a little frustrated once go sidemount. depends on your technical diving approaches and preferences.
- Deep6 Signature DIR:
IMHO i think if you opt to go technical diving you may want to learn to service your own gear later on. The only problem with newer brands (newer than common brands) would be the supply of parts, other than service kits. If they can supply every part separately, go for it.
MK19 is not new, it was on sale here in Europe since 2007. It is a proven design, internally it is the same as a MK17.
Scubapro parts have always been expensive, indeed.
But, apart the seat, all other O-rings are easily sourced by your local supplier, even in Viton...
And the seat is the same as MK17 and Mk11, so easy to find.
TrimixToo
Contributor
Hey! You stole my son's reg! Give it back, you knave!
IMO you can’t go wrong with the Deep6 signature regs. Their service manual is easy to find as are parts kits(they send you a free set of parts). Plus you get a first service free.
Bonus points of different color kits for the first stages.
I also second a point made earlier in this thread about getting identical second stages. I dive in a university scuba club and make it a point to only dive with those who have identical second stages. I don’t want a cheaper out backup to put my life on.
Bonus points of different color kits for the first stages.
I also second a point made earlier in this thread about getting identical second stages. I dive in a university scuba club and make it a point to only dive with those who have identical second stages. I don’t want a cheaper out backup to put my life on.
Unfortunately, this is not strictly true. While the seat is the same, the white collar of the Mk11/17 poppet is 0.15 mm larger than the black collar of the Mk19EVO. I tried using a Mk17 poppet and it stuck in the bore.
You can take a Mk17 poppet and sand the bumps on the white collar down with Micromesh, or you can slide the black collar off your old poppet and switch it with the white collar of the new Mk17 poppet. If you sand it down, you want a final OD of 11.70mm.
my bad, I meant MK19evo here.
That being said, I neither have experience with MK19 nor MK19evo. I do know MK17 and 19 share the same service kit. and MK19evo is an entirely different kit number. I can only share my opion on its lifetime cost perspective.
Where i dive, mk19evo kit costs almost doubled that of MK25 kit, and slightly more than MK17/19 kit.
Feye
Registered
My case, just for information.
I started as a simple rec diver. Bought one Mares Abyss II set. Then I considered double, therefore I bought same set. And then I tried sidemount with drysuit, therefore I bought Apeks DST 1st stage. And so on, and so on. Now I have 6 1st and 6 2nd. Maybe the manufacturer might be different, but this is your future if you do tec.
Scubapro, Apeks, Deep 6, Atomic, all they are good manufactures. turret and 5th port are good option for double and especially for sidemount. If you have plan for silt place diving, diaphragm might be a good idea but Scubapro mk25 beats all troubles. My Abyss II and DST works at 4°C (=40℉) even though I prefer Abyss II for fresh water ice diving.
My suggestion is: 5th turret available regulator sets, same manufacture, same model.
I started as a simple rec diver. Bought one Mares Abyss II set. Then I considered double, therefore I bought same set. And then I tried sidemount with drysuit, therefore I bought Apeks DST 1st stage. And so on, and so on. Now I have 6 1st and 6 2nd. Maybe the manufacturer might be different, but this is your future if you do tec.
Scubapro, Apeks, Deep 6, Atomic, all they are good manufactures. turret and 5th port are good option for double and especially for sidemount. If you have plan for silt place diving, diaphragm might be a good idea but Scubapro mk25 beats all troubles. My Abyss II and DST works at 4°C (=40℉) even though I prefer Abyss II for fresh water ice diving.
My suggestion is: 5th turret available regulator sets, same manufacture, same model.
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