HOG 2nd stage arrived.

[Fishpie]

I was one of many that took advantage of the Dive Right In Scuba sale last weekend.
I bought 3 of the HOG 2nd stage regs.
They have just arrived UPS about 30 minutes ago.....quick service and a great price of under $60 ea delivered.

First impressions.
This is a very solid, well made reg, very similar to the Apeks ATX series of 2nd stages.
(The XTX can be converted to L or R hose entry and has a removable exhaust T...the HOG and the ATX do not have these features. Not a criticism of these regs, since for most divers, these features are unnecessary)

The case is well made smooth black plastic (I'm sure it has a fancy composite name and mixture) with the exhaust T molded as part of the case. I like this (especially on rental regs) as you won't loose the T from bad handling.

The front cover is hard plastic with a traditional center purge button, the cover incorporates 6 ambient slots (holes) with water deflectors behind each slot so as not to need the plastic ring used on other regs to prevent free-flows when swimming head on into a current. . I do prefer this arrangement to the increasingly common soft purge covers.

The inhalation diaphragm is red silicone with a metal (not plastic) center disk for the lever to ride on. There won't be a problem of these diaphragms turning taco...Apeks!

The trim ring holding everything in place looks like (and feels like) black anodized aluminium.

The internals are traditional Balanced Adjustable 2nd stage (G250, Apeks, Zeagle).
Metal air barrel.
Orifice adjusted with (Imp) Allen key.
Double winged demand lever.
White plastic shuttle, 2 o ring seal, spring and balance chamber.

The venturi is identical to the Apeks.

The adjustment knob takes 1 1/2 turns, full in to full out.

The heat sink is solid metal and has ribs like the end of a scubapro hose.

The chrome is "dark" shiny.

As I said this is a very "solid" reg (some might say heavy). The extra weight comes from the trim ring, and very heavy adjustment knob and heat sink.

I've not had it in the water yet but see no reason it shouldn't breathe any differently to the Apeks......in other words one of the best breathing 2nd stages on the market.

 

[cerich]

the oriface is metal, some may be interested.


it is a "solid" reg in feeling on dry land for sure, That is done on purpose. In water I honestly don't notice any difference in weight from the quite light GT3 I used to use.

 

[Fishpie]

Cerich....I don't see the "solid" feel of the reg as a problem either....one of my favorite regs I dive is a Kirby Morgan metal Superflow and they dont come any more "solid" than that!
I see this reg as an improved ATX....better purge cover arrangement and diaphragm.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

The 2nd stages look similar to some Salvo 2nd stages. But there are differences:
-the diaphragm on some Salvos had a stupid lip that made it really hard to seat evenly. It also use a thin plastic ring that had to be put in place. HOG 2nd stage has a well designed diaphragm without stupid plastic rings and crap to get in the way.
-On a HOG 2nd stage, the parts on the hose side, that spacer and the nut, are high quality metal. On some Salvo 2nd stages, those were one piece and made out of plastic.

I really love the hard plastic front on the HOG, as I've had some 2nd stages with rubber fronts experience a dryrot of the rubber after only a few years. Also, it does great in high flow water where other 2nd stages would free flow. They are great, high quality 2nd stages and I've got two of them that I've used plenty since I got them--up to 110 feet deep, over 3000 feet back in a cave, on sidemount, backmount and stage bottles, and I love them.

However, I would really, really love it if these were convertable so the hose could run to either side. I do not understand why in this day and age every regulator is not made to be switched. It really sucks to have to use an old Dacor on the left tank sidemount and my nice wonderful HOG on my right tank for sidemount because my HOG isn't switchable. Other option involves hose looping around the neck, which I can deal with, but I'd love to see a new version that is switchable. I think losing the venturi adjustment would make this more possible, and because you can adjust the ease of breathing with the adjustment knob thing, I don't see the need for the venturi adjustment at all....

 

[cerich]

Cerich....I don't see the "solid" feel of the reg as a problem either....one of my favorite regs I dive is a Kirby Morgan metal Superflow and they dont come any more "solid" than that!
I see this reg as an improved ATX....better purge cover arrangement and diaphragm.

let me (us??) know how you like it when it gets wet!

Thanks for the confidence by the way.

 

[cerich]

The 2nd stages look similar to some Salvo 2nd stages. But there are differences:
-the diaphragm on some Salvos had a stupid lip that made it really hard to seat evenly. It also use a thin plastic ring that had to be put in place. HOG 2nd stage has a well designed diaphragm without stupid plastic rings and crap to get in the way.
-On a HOG 2nd stage, the parts on the hose side, that spacer and the nut, are high quality metal. On some Salvo 2nd stages, those were one piece and made out of plastic.

I really love the hard plastic front on the HOG, as I've had some 2nd stages with rubber fronts experience a dryrot of the rubber after only a few years. Also, it does great in high flow water where other 2nd stages would free flow. They are great, high quality 2nd stages and I've got two of them that I've used plenty since I got them--up to 110 feet deep, over 3000 feet back in a cave, on sidemount, backmount and stage bottles, and I love them.

they are similar as far as being balanced daphrams and some bits will in fact exchange, however the actual case is not the same, completly different mold (ask me how I know $$$$), the HOG is giving much higher test results on the antsi toy...I mean machine.

I agree with the front and dry rot, except it isn't always just on older regs, sometimes a bad cure will show itself pretty darn quick (again...ask me how I know $$$)

I designed the cover to have a built in flow and or object block (sticks) so that in the unlikely event you need to take apart u/w there are less parts to lose....

 

[PhilEllis]

However, I would really, really love it if these were convertable so the hose could run to either side. I do not understand why in this day and age every regulator is not made to be switched. It really sucks to have to use an old Dacor on the left tank sidemount and my nice wonderful HOG on my right tank for sidemount because my HOG isn't switchable. Other option involves hose looping around the neck, which I can deal with, but I'd love to see a new version that is switchable. I think losing the venturi adjustment would make this more possible, and because you can adjust the ease of breathing with the adjustment knob thing, I don't see the need for the venturi adjustment at all....

As you know, the cracking effort adjustment and the venturi adjustment do two completely different things. I realize that on some regulators, the venturi adjustment is meaningless, but on the HOG second stage, it actually makes a unique difference.

With the HOG with the venturi in the off position, there is no cross-over in the inhalation effort during the full range of air flow. With the ventui in the on position, the low pressure at the inhalation diaphragm begins even at very modest airflows (below 5CFM). This makes that adjustment feature on the HOG regulator actually mean something.

Obviously, Chris could design this regulator to be left or right hose. But, it would require some pretty substantial changes to the case, the air tube assembly, and several other parts. Most of all, it would require "neutralizing" the air opening in the tube. I expect this might be a "performance" change that Chris SPECIFICALLY designed against with this case. But, I am certainly not a regulator designer, so I may be reading more into this than is possible.

Phil Ellis
www.divesports.com

 

[PhilEllis]

If time allows tomorrow, I will post a chart which shows the atmospheric inhalation performance of the HOG in all four extremes of the diver-adjustment window. Having tested this second stage a number of time, I am amazed at the consistency of the graphs over a number of second stages.

Phil Ellis
www.divesports.com

 

[cerich]

Obviously, Chris could design this regulator to be left or right hose. But, it would require some pretty substantial changes to the case, the air tube assembly, and several other parts. Most of all, it would require "neutralizing" the air opening in the tube. I expect this might be a "performance" change that Chris SPECIFICALLY designed against with this case. But, I am certainly not a regulator designer, so I may be reading more into this than is possible.

Phil Ellis
Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com - Buy Scuba Diving Equipment & Snorkeling Equipment

i looked at it, and it would have been a HUGE PITA, I laid out some criteria I required from this regulator, and it has taken me FAR longer and MUCH more cash than I anticipated but was worth it in the end.

1/ Durable beyond any second stage yet from the OEM's in question and tough enough to live in the back of my pickup(where there are half a dozen living there the last week plus)
2/ Performance that was not second fiddle, HOG is a tech line and I would have to be happy to dive it, I wanted top third of all regs on the market performance, I got top 5%
3/ reliable, I can't stand great regs that are a constant fiddle to keep great
4/ pretty enough to put a pig on it.:shocked2:

 

[JahJahwarrior]

I've never noticed much difference from the venturi adjustment on regs, so I honestly haven't even touched it on the HOG second stage. If it actually does something, I'll have to start using it!

Ok, so if user switchable isn't possible, is it hard to just flip the design around? In other words, will the world ever see a reg that works as well as this one (which obviously performs better than any other reg I own, or else it wouldn't be on my tanks and I wouldn't be looping the hose around the back of my neck to use it in SM) that has the inlet on the other side? These regs are so well priced that I can afford to buy them, and I'm slowly switching over all of my old regs with these, because I'm so impressed with the super high quality and the absolutely beautiful price tag.