Help with first gear purchase - regulator! Help me decide?

[chrpai]

Thanks chrpai, I have been considering this also. I skimmed through the 23 page semi-heated discussion on these regs earlier They sound like a great option too. I'm leaning a little more towards the ones that have some more history to them and independent reviews (would love to see them reviewed on ScubaDiving.com), although it's clear many in the community here are very happy with them. I haven't ruled this out, but when some of these pricier regs can be found significantly discounted, I'm a little more tempted by them as there seems to be more of a user consensus and independent reviews behind them. Thanks!
--Kyle

If you can find an SP/SG at a great price, I'd do it. I know of two local tech diver / DM's in Austin who looked at Hog's very suspiciously and came away with the conclusion that they are switching. That's all I need. Oh wait, I actually went Hog first.

On a serious note though, these regs have been around for a few years now and there are plenty of data points to back up that they are good quality. Make me a +1 to that trend. I've had mine since May and have put about 30 dives on them since and they have been just fine.

 

[ams511]

So the swivels are prone to failure, huh? Okay, I'll keep that in mind.

Thanks chrpai, I have been considering this also. I skimmed through the 23 page semi-heated discussion on these regs earlier They sound like a great option too. I'm leaning a little more towards the ones that have some more history to them and independent reviews (would love to see them reviewed on ScubaDiving.com), although it's clear many in the community here are very happy with them. I haven't ruled this out, but when some of these pricier regs can be found significantly discounted, I'm a little more tempted by them as there seems to be more of a user consensus and independent reviews behind them. Thanks!
--Kyle

I wouldn't go as far to say they are prone to failure but they can fail, especially the cheap ones. Many divers feel that number of points that can fail should be minimized. Some divers even go as far as to only purchase first stages without rotating turrets because they can fail (very rarely) also.

Watch out for ratings because advertising dollars can buy good ratings. Dive magazines are not Consumer Reports. The only other thing I suggest is you may want to get a G250V if cheaper than the S600. It is an excellent second stage also.

 

[chrpai]

FWIW, the reg combo I linked is the Edge 1st stage and it doesn't have the swivel turret.

 

[cbm32]

I did not suggest HOG/EDGE only because they were not among those you said you were considering. I can not think of anything more "independent" than the opinion of divers have no financial interest at all in any reg company or brand and yet extoll the virtues of the reg they have chosen after trying many (or at least several). I have said before and I will say again, I will not knock the quality of any reg. I was leaning towards getting an AL Titan set until I tried HOG. For me, the HOG/EDGE fit the bill perfectly and I could get them new for what I was getting ready to pay for used if I went with another brand. I now have Sherwood, Aeris, HOG and EDGE. I dive HOG if I have DIN available and EDGE first with HOG seconds if I need to go yoke and the others are just back up or loaners. Over 70 dives on my HOGS and happy as heck I bought them.

 

[KJSmith84]

The mk17/s600 is a proven reg setup. Thus the reason I went with the sg-1000.

And u can get it for a similar cost as hog setup if you order it from beaverdivers.

if you compare apple to apple and order the hog with the same features as the sg-1000; with a yoke and swivel i was quoted around 350 from Jim L.

The thing that sealed the deal for me was I have multiple scubapro and subgear dealers local to my house and work to service my reg.
No hog dealers close. And what about if i need it worked on when im in vacation spots? Im sure there will be a scubapro tech in most places.

Just my .02

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[chrpai]

I saw a post from beaver divers for rebuilt mk25 reg with warranty. If you could get that for Hog pricing I'd say he'll ya.

 

[diversteve]

So the swivels are prone to failure, huh? Okay, I'll keep that in mind.

The Atomic swivels don't fail. Cheaper designs like the ISC or Promate (both recalled) have.

Check the Hog/Edge website for dealers in those locations that you travel to - esp. in Mexico and the Caribbean. They appear (according to their dealer locator) to have one dealer in Mexico and none in the Caribbean. Sure any qualified tech can probably fix it, if they have the parts. If they don't sell it, I doubt they would.

ScubaPro, Aqualung/Apeks and Sherwood - even Mares - seem more represented. That may change in 5 years but for now your idea of staying with a more mainstream brand seems solid. Unless you have/want to get a tech certificate - required before you can take the Hog service course - to be able to repair your own. If you even want to - I don't. I'm not panning Hog either - a D1 set is probably a future purchase. However one of their 2 dealers here is an acquaintance locally.

 

[kyley]

I can not think of anything more "independent" than the opinion of divers have no financial interest at all in any reg company or brand and yet extoll the virtues of the reg they have chosen after trying many (or at least several).

Yeah, I agree - but I like seeing report data too (i.e. ScubaDiving.com's measured values after hooking up to the machine). Of course, I realize they could be biased, but at the same time, sometimes individual users see what they want to see with their own gear purchases.

The mk17/s600 is a proven reg setup. Thus the reason I went with the sg-1000.
And u can get it for a similar cost as the cheap hog setup from beaverdivers.
Having the swivel is a plus to me.

Yep, good logic - that's why I'm considering it too! I'm not sure how the MK17 compares to the MK25 though? Pretty close?
I see why someone would take offense to "cheap" in that context tho - "inexpensive" is a better word (since cheap generally implies lower quality). I'm sure no offense was intended tho!
The SG1000 doesn't come with a swivel, right? Did you add one?

I saw a post from beaver divers for rebuilt mk25 reg with warranty. If you could get that for Hog pricing I'd say he'll ya.

I've seen that too and am considering that. But, I'm a little hesitant to buy used gear. A friend bought a regulator used and has had nothing but problems, BUT, I'm sure that's more about the quality of the particular regulator... Again good thinking though - a used one might be a good option compared to a new Hog or Sub Gear SG1000...

The Atomic swivels don't fail. Cheaper designs like the ISC or Promate (both recalled) have.

Got it, thanks. I understand why some would want to eliminate all non-essential potential points of failure, but as a recreational diver I don't think I'll worry about that.

Thanks all for sharing your thoughts! No decision yet, but I'm taking it all into consideration.
--Kyle

 

[chrpai]

The two local divers that I mentioned were hooking it up to a bench and being pretty objective in their pros and cons.

My usual buddy does nothing but buy used scubapro regs and rebuild them himself. I go hog but I have no interest in one over the other. Whatever is best for you.

An mk25 wouldn't work for me because I plan to do cold wAter diving. An mk17 would be better for me. However you say you are all warm water diving so it's not a concern for you.

Truthfully for the diving you do and quantity many regs will fit the bill. You don't have to have the to shelf stuff.

 

[kyley]

An mk25 wouldn't work for me because I plan to do cold wAter diving. An mk17 would be better for me. However you say you are all warm water diving so it's not a concern for you.
Truthfully for the diving you do and quantity many regs will fit the bill. You don't have to have the to shelf stuff.

I thought MK25 was better for cold water than MK17? Anyway, I'm just wondering if there's really much of a difference between the two for my purposes?

No, I don't have to have the top shelf stuff, but I like comfort and avoiding issues / annoyances while diving too. Not that I plan to sell my first gear anytime soon, but it's also good to have well-known brands / quality models for resale value too. Thanks,
--Kyle