Help... advice... equipment shopping

[fnfalman]

I'd buy a BC before buying a regulator. All regulators deliver reliable air to the diver, some better than others, but they all work or otherwise most of us would be dead by now. A good BC that fits well and streamlined is more beneficial toward diving than a set of regulator. The best breathing regulator in the world isn't going to do you a lot of good if you're struggling underwater with a crappy BC.

However, Aqualung and Scubapro regs are being used throughout the world. If repair is your big concern then go with either one of these. Or if you were to want the best then go with Atomic Aquatics. If you keep up with the scheduled maintenance of a regulator, the chances of it breaking on you is pretty slim to none. Not that it can't happen because anything is possible. But you gotta ask how probable is it going to be?

 

[halocline]

All the name brand regs are good. You probably couldn't go wrong with any of them. The best... that's Atomic. From their Z1 at about $450 to the T2 at about $1,500, nothing breathes quite as easy. Few, if any, are as unaffected by depth.

There's some good test info here: Regulators | Scuba Diving Magazine

This is a typical sort of "buy what I have, it's the best" nonsense. The OP said he was looking to not spend a fortune, and your advice is to buy the most expensive regulator brand, when almost any decent regulator from a major manufacturer will work absolutely fine. And this business of atomic regs being more "unaffected by depth" as other brands is absurd. All regs deal with depth in exactly the same way, by allowing ambient pressure into a chamber which raises IP along with the change in ambient. If they did not, they would not work, period.


Don't listen to the crap about "spending as much you can afford" on a regulator. First, there are great deals out there; aqualung titan for around $200, zeagle envoy, SP MK2/R190, (or MK11 if you want to spend a little more) any of these will serve you very well. Another great option, if you have some guidance, is to buy a used reg. There are many out there to choose from. I see SP MK10/15/20/G250s on ebay all the time for under $200. I just bought a D300, one of the best performing 2nd stages ever, for $35. You just need someone to help you choose that's not trying to sell you anything. You also need to find someone to service the reg well, but that's an issue whether or not you buy used.

Spend your money on an excellent-fitting exposure suit for the water temps you would like to dive in, and consider renting gear for a while until you can separate the common sense from the hype.

 

[djanni]

This is a typical sort of "buy what I have, it's the best" nonsense. The OP said he was looking to not spend a fortune, and your advice is to buy the most expensive regulator brand, when almost any decent regulator from a major manufacturer will work absolutely fine. And this business of atomic regs being more "unaffected by depth" as other brands is absurd. All regs deal with depth in exactly the same way, by allowing ambient pressure into a chamber which raises IP along with the change in ambient. If they did not, they would not work, period.


Don't listen to the crap about "spending as much you can afford" on a regulator. First, there are great deals out there; aqualung titan for around $200, zeagle envoy, SP MK2/R190, (or MK11 if you want to spend a little more) any of these will serve you very well. Another great option, if you have some guidance, is to buy a used reg. There are many out there to choose from. I see SP MK10/15/20/G250s on ebay all the time for under $200. I just bought a D300, one of the best performing 2nd stages ever, for $35. You just need someone to help you choose that's not trying to sell you anything. You also need to find someone to service the reg well, but that's an issue whether or not you buy used.

Spend your money on an excellent-fitting exposure suit for the water temps you would like to dive in, and consider renting gear for a while until you can separate the common sense from the hype.

Dear mattboy, Guess I struck a nerve with you but you should try reading my post again. I did not recommend he buy an Atomic. I did express my opinion as to the best regulator and provided a link so he could read-all-about a variety of regulators for himself and make his own judgements.

Personally, I wouldn't go recommending people buy used regulators from e-bay as you have and whether you agree or not, one does infact get what he pays for. To each their own and if you like to buy used stuff from places like e-bay, that's cool. You should do whatever make you feel good.

I do use Atomic's. Your remarks read like you never have.

 

[Ragnar]

I don't see anything wrong with recommending what someone has, they went through a similar process as the OP, put a lot of thought into it, and bought it for a reason! Sure, all will work, but I've also used regs that I just plain don't like and they're usually at the bottom of the manufacturers line.

 

[helimvee]

As others have said, do some reading in the various forums - many of your questions will be answered there.

Since it doesn't sound like you will be servicing your gear yourself, give some consideration to where you will get your gear serviced if there is a problem with it. Having to drive 3 hours to have Brand X BCD or Reg serviced when you could have had a comparable Brand Z serviced down the street gets old very quickly!

Have fun and keep diving.

 

[mompgburt]

thanks to all for your comments and advise!...still shopping, but am leaning towards Scuba Pro gear

 

[rab1412000]

i would add aqualung to the list. they own apeks and have a good line of regs.
i just got an Aqualung legend lx acd. it is a balanced diaphragm so i can use it in cold, dirty water. it also has a feature called acd - auto closure device that locks the first stage just in case you forget to put on or tighten the dust cap while cleaning the reg. i think this is an invaluable feature that will be adapted by other brands in the future.

i came from scubapro regs which i used for 15 years. these things are built to last forever as long as you mentain them well.

either brand and youll be safe. actually any major band and your safe. these things are built to go beyond recreational diving limits.

but i just feel that the acd of the legend is a worthwhile feature to have.