Going crazy regarding which reg to consider

[squidster]

Thanks much for the info. Being a new diver I'm not going to have a problem using my ProQD i3 with another manufactures Reg's am I? Just curios as the ProQD and Pearl with i3 have a small pouch for the Octo to get curled up into and out of the way.

You may have to get the aqualung hose and connecter that fits bc,but that should not be a problem.
The Aqualung titan lx supreme is a good cold water choice and it goes with your bc brand.
Many on the board use the titan,its almost the same reg as the old us divers conshelf,if you want 2 high presure ports you could go with the aqualung Legend lx supreme.
For economy however you cant beat the mighty Titan,good reg!
Aqualung has a really good service record as well as Scuba pro which i Dive with.
most cold regs are going to be good , service ability should be a concern .
But if you are in love with a specific reg,You should go for it!
Thats what makes this sport great is picking the equipment that you like, and there are so Many Choices.

 

[Bob Vincent]

You may want to read this.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced its new regulator pick. In the June issue of Undercurrent, we wrote about NOAA's new rules and regulations for government divers in response to the death of two Coast Guard divers in Alaska last summer. One major change was giving the boot to all regulators Coast Guard divers had previously used for cold-water diving. After testing of multiple regulators, NOAA found Oceanic's Delta IV to be the most reliable.

"It consistently came up first for meeting all our criteria, and it won't freeze up in cold water," says Lieutenant Eric Johnson of the NOAA Diving Program. The Delta IV is an environmentally sealed diaphragm regulator and its first stage has Oceanic's Dry Valve Technology, designed to stop moisture and contaminants from entering and to prevent corrosion of internal components. NOAA bought 350 of the regulators and now requires its 500 divers to use that model when diving in water temperatures of 50 degrees or less. Johnson says the Navy's experimental dive unit is using them, too. The Delta IV is also commercially available for sport divers; Oceanic's suggested price is $570.

Cold-water divers should definitely invest in a good regulator that won't freeze up underwater. Two people died last April because of that problem. Jason Balsbough and Daniel Frendenberg, both age 21, and Sherry Eads, 43, went diving in a quarry in Gilboa, Ohio, where the water temperature was 38 degrees. Another diver called 911 to report the divers were down. Balsbough had regulator problems but was able to surface by himself. Frendenberg and Eads were too deep and their regulators were too iced for them to breathe.

 

[Artimas]

My lowly opinion:

As a new diver, the regulator you choose doesn't make a lot of difference. All regulators today are safe, and most will have more than adequate performance. Any will likely be nicer than a rental reg. Any truly bad regs have already been eliminated by market forces.

First decide if you have a specific requirement. The main one would be a cold water reg (temp less than mid-40s), but as a beginner, there really won't be much else to consider. The other regulator factors will be much less important at this point.

Next decide on a price range. I would avoid truly cheap regs, but once you get above $250.00-300, you should be fine. If you find something on sale, I think that's a benefit for you and can save you a couple of bucks.

Pick a well known brand that can be serviced near you.

Go dive! Get experience. Compare what you have to others as you gain experience.

Then when it's time to choose your 2nd reg, you'll have a much better idea of what you want, and will have your original as a nice backup.

 

[CODMAN]

I agree with most people here! It,s much a question of preference! With time and experience diving, and trying out different brands, you will find yourself prefering such and such a brand because of... but for the moment, any of the major brands make good reliable regs! You don,t need to spend a $$$$$$ But 2 things to consider i find important!!!!!

1- As already stated, buy a reg you can have serviced nearby (if buying by internet, make sure a LDS is an authorised dealer/ service center). This will avoid problems getting parts.

2- Buy a brand that has a good reputation for customer service! That can be important! When something goes wrong on your reg, just 2 months after the warranty runs out, good customer service can make the difference. Some manufacturers are simply more customer-satisfaction concerned than others! A good readup on scubaboard should be able to give you some insight on this!

Hope this helps!

 

[eddiechum]

Well this takes the pressure off. Confirming that I don't have to make the ultimate right choice on a reg. Thanks!

Questions:

Does anyone know any brands that have poor customer service? Or is that more LDS dependant?

Does anyone know a brand where the high end regs (the ones I'd be looking at buying) might not be worth the cost? I expect to be using the online reviews for the tops.


Don't need a coldwater reg...on the off chance I return to fridgid NH where I grew up, I'd rent one. But ty.


TY
Ed

 

[happybuddha]

Does anyone know a brand where the high end regs (the ones I'd be looking at buying) might not be worth the cost?

Eddie, I would stay away from "high end" regs, if you mean the top end of a line with bells and whistles and space-age metals until you know more of what you are looking for. I speak from experience, when I first bought regs in '94 I went all out and bought the top end Dacor at the time (the damn thing looked like a beer keg turned sideways), thinking that more expensive is necessarily better. I never really liked the reg and in '99 bought middle of the road Apex when I first got into tech diving, I've been using Apex ever since. My wife and my single tank rec regs are now those two Apex I bought in '99 and I have two newer Apex (but still not top, top end) for tech.

I would look for middle of the road regs from reputable brands, no fancy metals or bells or whistles, which I think is basically what others have said.

Drew

 

[CODMAN]

I agree to stay away from top end untill you feel you need/want it and you know more about what you like/dislike in a reg!

When I bought my first reg, I bought middle/low end of the range. A Mares V16 proton. I based my choice on trying my girlfriends Mares reg (I loved the feel of it), on reading reviews here (it had good reviews) and price (it was on special).

Now, almost 2 years later, and many more dives under my belt, I'm thinking about getting a new high end reg! But not because this one isn't good enough; in fact, it works flawlessly and I can't find anything I don't like about it! Just because I love toys and gadgets and have a bad case of "upgraditis"!!!!

So honnestly, I still don't have any good reason to upgrade! My little reg is doing a great job! And if you buy a decent reg from a reputable company, it will last you a long time if you maintain it correctly!

As far as customer service is concerned... A good LDS counts for a lot in customer satisfaction (just look at Scubatoys). But in some instances, the manufacturer behind the LDS is also important and some of these are better than others (I'm not going to start naming here). A thorough readthrough of scubaboards posts will probably help you get an idea of this.

just trying to help!

 

[dogenia]

I was in the same situation un til last friday. At that point i just decided to take the plunge and purchased an Aqualung Legend plus the Legend octo. No remorse here. Trying it with a Suunto console tonite since my Aeris console drowned last Sunday.

Don

 

[squidster]

Well this takes the pressure off. Confirming that I don't have to make the ultimate right choice on a reg. Thanks!

Questions:

Does anyone know any brands that have poor customer service? Or is that more LDS dependant?

Does anyone know a brand where the high end regs (the ones I'd be looking at buying) might not be worth the cost? I expect to be using the online reviews for the tops.


Don't need a coldwater reg...on the off chance I return to fridgid NH where I grew up, I'd rent one. But ty.


TY
Ed

Scubapro,Aqualung,Apex Really good trac Records and serviceability is not a problem.

 

[Bob Vincent]

High end? Middle of the road? Cheaper?

They say the Atomic T2 is the best around ... I've used it 2 times and it breathes really well I would own one except I don't like Ti for more than 21% O2. Now the ST-1 looks mighty cool.

I've used and owned many Poseidon's and they all are extremely good breathers. But you have to know how to tune them. They've been the choice for more militarizes around the world along with extreme tech divers around the world.

I've had A Scubapro Pilot I loved before that a MK4, also a Dacor Pacer 900 that was excellent. My US Divers JM Cousteau was excellent (the Titan now).

I use Oceanic Delta 4 / FDX-10's now. It's great for deep and cold wreck dives in the Great Lakes. And people say thats not a top of the line reg. Well each to his own. I have to turn the resistance up because it breathes to easy for me. Remember this comes from a pilot valve user with Poseidon's and an Oceanic Zeta breather.

All excellent they did what they was designed for. Now-A-Days pretty much all the name brand regs breathe well. The only time I'd look for the "best" if I did alot of deep dives or cold water (colder than lets say 46 to 38 degrees and below) dives, maybe both. Then I would want facts. I'd like the facts from a Mag are independent study by a non advertise excepting Mag. Are Government reports will do such as the report on NOAA's, US Navy's Experimental Diving Unit along with the US Coast Guard now dives with a Oceanic Delta 4 / FDX-10. They said after testing alot of other regs it came up number 1 on all their requirements and will not freeze up in cold water.

This report is based on fact not my opinion. But would I use another reg? The answer is yes. All name brand regs built now are extremely good and reliable. Anyone will be a good pick as long as your LDS can service it. So, the best advice is don't listen to me are anyone else. Just take it all in and talk to other divers you know and the LDS they will not steer you wrong. Then when you are comfortable in your decision buy it and go get wet.