Hog Regulator Combo or get something better ???

[Griffo]

Its crazy that EVERY diver I have talked to has NEVER heard about hog too.

Most people have never heard of Koenigsegg either, but their cars are the equal if not better than the ones that Ferrari churn out. Doesn't mean anything apart from the age of the company and their marketing dollars.

It's also funny how other divers i've met in Australia, tens of thousands of miles away, with no local distributor or support, have heard of and dive hogs.

What you will learn, is that most LDS's are strongly biased to selling their particular brands. The mfg's have historically made it hard to get the retail agreements, shops have spent years getting the agreements in place to sell these brands, so don't tend to want to take on newer brands that would undermine those agreements, or their profit margins. The bull***t I have heard from LDS's about gear means I no longer believe anything that comes out of their mouths - most of what they say they are simply parroting from someone else anyway.
For example my LDS is a SP exclusive dealer. He used to turn up his nose at me diving BP/W's - until that is he got in a shipment of SP BP/W's which are just the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[ams511]

I tend not to just buy stuff just because it is cheap.
Not to mention when im talking about my life.

Dive stores always talk about buying the best because your life depends on it. The fact is no major regulator brand is going to sell you anything dangerous because their business depends on it. Also LDS often trash talk other stores and the brands they carry. So I like the man from Oz take what they say with a grain of salt. Another thing about Scuba is that there is a high dropout rate and both the LDS and manufacturers know this and will do all they can to sell the equipment to you when you are new, naive, and very enthusiastic about the sport. The LDS knows once you leave your chances of buying anything from them is quite remote.

Now back to regs. In general the most value is found in the midpoint of the line, you sacrifice very if anything in performance but save money.

In Scubapro I would go with a G250V and Mk17/25 (both are excellent) over the A700. Halcyon thinks so highly of the G250V they rebrand it as their own.

In Apeks I would go with the XTX 50 DS4/DST over the XTX100 or 200. The different first stages offer no measurable difference in performance.

In Aqualung the sweet spot is the Titan LX which is very similar to their top of the line Legend.

 

[JamesK]

HOG? Hmmm. You state that divers you talk to have never heard of them. Well let me ask you, what type of divers are you talking to? Are you speaking to the ones that dive once a year at a resort somewhere and only really truly know what the LDS tells them and the instructors and DM's who work for that LDS? Or are you speaking to the divers who are out doing the dives, not just classes, but pushing the envelope and laying line in caves, going deep on wrecks, or even just in the water daily?

Me? I own SP and Dive Rite and have a handful of each. I need more. One of the things I am considering doing is selling my SP regs so I can replace them all with HOG. After talking to the ones that I trust, they trust HOG. I have dive HOG. I saw no difference in them and my SP regs. I currently want 4 more regs. Thy will be HOG.

And to the person mentioning that sexiness on wheels that most people have never heard of, I saw one at a local car show. Silver carbon fiber. Yummy.

 

[JamesK]

I guess I better add that my SP regs are great and perform great. They have performed flawlessly for the 11 years I have had them. However so haven DiVe Rite, at half the cost. I am not knocking Scuba Pro, but I can not justify the cost of them anymore. Inexpensive does not mean crap just as high cost does not equate to highest quality. But deep down some people want the bragging rights of having an expensive reg.

 

[diversteve]

Ok. So if money wasn't an issue and a u could get any reg for free; what would be ur top choice?

No need to consider a reg to be a great choice or a top contender because of the price.

Reliability, durability, features, warranty, how it breathes, weight

I have one and feel it is...but decide for yourself: Atomic Aquatics T2 Regulator - it's also $1599. 2 year service interval and limited lifetime warranty - not contingent on proof of service. So Atomic must feel the same way...lol.

Now we'll hear about how hideously overpriced and unneccessary Titanium is. Even though you clearly posted: money is not a issue.

It's not good with higher oxygen content mixes:

Nitrox ready for dedicated EAN use with mixtures up to 40%
New T2x for non-dedicated EAN use with mixtures up to 40%

Most people dive 32% nitrox max - but there is a small contingent of tech divers it doesn't work for. For them Atomic makes the M1.

But just about every major mfr's best reg is Titanium because Titanium doesn't corrode. And takes a beating. And is ultra-lightweight.

Google ScubaPro MK25T/S600T <- link - or Mares Abyss Titanium or Cressi Ellipse Titanium for other examples. Even the best Edge is Titanium. Edge Gear Extreme Titanium Regulator

Every Atomic breathes identically, the difference is the materials used - higher end models will also have 1st/2nd stage swivels or other features optimized for their intended use. For example the M1 is Monel, it's inert for any gas usage plus you can get a cave ring for the 2nd - makes disassembly/cleaning possible underwater.

I do have to admit that the ScubaPro was a close 2nd when I bought it. And it was even more $$ IIRC. In the end I probably went with Atomic because they're ex-ScubaPro engineers who felt they could design something better. Also the 2nd stage was physically more compact.

 

[The Chairman]

Harbor freight has cheap stuff and works great but it anit no craftsman.

Since most of my hand tools are SnapOn, Mac and Matco, I had to laugh at this analogy. But really, the tool is only as good as the one holding it. I have seen fidiots round off bolts with both SnapOn and (snicker) Craftsman! Your technique makes all the difference. I don't care which reg you use, but if you run out of gas, well, it doesn't matter which one you have in your mouth, now does it? BTW, I have a few Craftsman tools as well as a few from Harbor Freight and Northern Tool. They all perform to my abilities.

I have shared this before, but it applies here as well. I managed a student machine/welding shop for the college of Architecture at UF for a few years. I would set up the lathe, the mill or the band saw and then let the student work. I would sit in my chair at the back of the room and listen to them work. Whenever I heard the wrong sound, I would always gently remind the student: "It's not the tool!" That was usually while the student was cussing out the poor machine!

 

[Dr Dog]

But really, the tool is only as good as the one holding it.

That I can agree with.

 

[rhwestfall]

Ramblings of an idiot (me): I do find it interesting that my LDS owner (and instructor) who for years touted Mares now is diving SP (gee, you think because they just became a dealer?) I haven't seen a new class yet, but wonder what the divers will be outfitted with.... Disclosure: I own a crap load of SP regs, and find them to my liking. I did, however, never buy a single one new, and usually well below half price. I maintain them on my own schedule, and at times, I do the work myself. I know no other reg, except for vague memories from class 24 years ago, or, more recently, an air-share drill. Guess I didn't really care what reg was handed to me as long as it worked. So what does all this mean? Nothing....

From non marketing based comments, I truly feel HOG is as good as the rest. They have organized themselves to provide their equipment at a lesser cost, which provides a target (though a poor one) for the other companies. Having dealt with HOG on other equipment, I found them very hard working, honest, and interested in my having a good experience with their equipment.

I hope they continue to succeed. At some time, HOG will likely make its way into my collection of regs.

 

[irishsquid]

I just realized something interesting. I read over the SP website and nowhere did I see the blatant, outright claim that SP is the best....

...is very expensive indeed, but don't bash the company because you can't afford it, by a cheaper brand, be happy with it and move on.

Good points and I would agree, however; not meaning to put words in other peoples mouths, I think most comments were a response to the following claim:

...If I were you I would spend the money and go with a name brand reg.
Spend the extra money and get the best, then you only pay once.

To me, that is a claim that SP is the best and implies that lower cost relates to a cheaper/inferior product.

Although I know we are not talking about masks, myself and 3 other friends purchased Hog masks. We made our purchase decision based on costs only. 3 of the 4 ,masks leaked. So that leads me to question the quality of the products by Hog in general. It also taught me a lesson that cheap is not necessarily good...

I purchased a set of SP Jets for DS diving. My 3rd dive had the foot pocket split all the way down to the blade. So using the same process I can question the quality of SP in general and that expensive is not necessarily good?

...he's referring to my Hog regulator leaking while in the Sea of Cortez. I was diving some prototype Hog regs and the high pressure seat O-Ring split in two on my left side. When I pulled it apart, I found that the high pressure seat plug had not been tightened correctly. It's not the first reg to fail in this world, and it won't be the last...

Yep, a so true and obvious statement. SP has had problems also; recalls on the MK20 and G500. Close to approximately 50,000 units IIRC.

...BTW, as far as I am concerned the very best regulator is the one in your mouth! I own, Scubapro, Aqualung, Atomic, Mares, Zeagle, Oceanic as well as others. If you see me in side mount, it's more than likely that I am using my Hogs. That's just reality.

Good comment and I couldn't agree more. Any operating reg is a good reg, sure beats a Donkey's Fart!(To borrow from Bob)

 

[jonnythan]

Ok. So if money wasn't an issue and a u could get any reg for free; what would be ur top choice?

No need to consider a reg to be a great choice or a top contender because of the price.

Reliability, durability, features, warranty, how it breathes, weight





Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

I would stick with Hog. Simple, reliable, breathes very well, sealed first stage, cold-tolerant second stage, easy to wrench on. As far as I can tell, there's no other reg that's actually better in any tangible way. Lots of regs are just as good, but it's really just a reg. The requirements for an acceptable reg are pretty low.