HOG Regulators - Do you still love them?

[BB1]

I get the occasional wet breathe when turning my head to the side. Not in current but just a quick turn. The discussion on Decostop has a poster who nicely explains why!

I always wondered if it was the straight path through the exhaust left to right rather than other regs exhausts turning down slightly.

Don't get me wrong, I love my HOG's and know not to turn quick. They breathe great down to 100' for me so far over almost 50 dives.

Will be buying more soon!

Additional info:
I bought from Dive Right in Scuba as well - great experience as they couldn't have been more helpful!!

I also had a few email conversations with HOG direct over getting me some 2nd stages in a rush when none were available in the US. The responsiveness and great service were a refreshing change in this industry - highly recommended!


Anyone have any experience of the HOG piston reg 1st stage???

 

[ccohn2000]

Thanks All! Dive Right In Scuba are the folks I was intending to buy from . So far I haven't heard anything to deter me from the purchase. Yay! New regs will soon be on their way.

 

[ligersandtions]

As long as you get the ones with the 5th port (they probably don't make the others anymore), you should be good to go. I like the HOG regs, but mine don't have the 5th port, so I converted them to my singles regs.

Enjoy the new regs!

 

[iztok]

I bought the original ones (3 sets) and added 5th port to it when it became available.

I had one issue with my pony bottle reg. It seems like diaphragm busted and started slowly leaking. However I took it back to the LDS and they fixed it w/o any issues (replaced the part) and it is good to go now. They didn't even charge me.

 

[dosmolski]

I love my set put 30 dives on them. The only complaint I have is the second stage purge button will get sand in it and become sticky when beach diving. Other than that I have no complaints. I have dove them to 100 feet in both sea and fresh water, and they perform great in both scenarios, upside down and right side up lol. My opinion might be tanted a little bit as these are the only regs I have ever dove. I bought them prior to open water and have used them ever since.

 

[BoneCrusher]

I have them as a doubles set. Been diving them all season so far. I've had no issues other than when I first received them I had one second stage that had an O-ring improperly installed and was leaking. A quick breakdown of the reg and everything was good. They seem to be pretty bulletproof.

 

[Firewalker]

One of the issue I have had with new companies is there longevity in business. Will this company be around next year or 5 years down the road? Regulators tend to last a long time (like my mark10, g250 which is 20 years old). Parts and service have alway been a big deal with life support equipment. The Majors will still be here in 10 years and you will still be able to get parts and service. Another thought is that name brands seem to do better when you resell them. Sometimes a good deal is not that good if you look at the bigger picture.

 

[Peter_C]

One of the issue I have had with new companies is there longevity in business. Will this company be around next year or 5 years down the road?

Doesn't really matter...taken from the TDS thread linked above.

My HOG and Apeks breath pretty much alike, it probably has to do with me using exactly the same kits in both.

So if parts are interchangeable then whether the company is there or not is not an issue. Then again if people let their wallets speak Apeks might be the one going out of business (Not really just thinking out loud).

 

[Couv]

Is the Hog reg the brand where there have been problems with putting a Miflex hose on? If so, you may want to consider that before buying if you plan on using Miflex hoses. If I have that issue wrong, pardon my nosy interjection.

As far as the parts and service, I am given to understand Hog sells parts to the public, so stock up and learn to service them yourself. Additionally, if there is commonality with Apex, you probably won't have any worries.

c

 

[Bubbletrubble]

So if parts are interchangeable then whether the company is there or not is not an issue. Then again if people let their wallets speak Apeks might be the one going out of business (Not really just thinking out loud).

According to one of the posters on TDS (link provided by Peter_C), the same overhaul kits can be used in both brands of regs. I couldn't tell whether his comments refer to both first and second stages. It was also unclear whether he had tried HOG kits in both brands of regs in addition to Apeks kits in both brands of regs. He did not disclose how extensive his testing has been either. I'd be interested in this, in particular with regard to the low pressure seat for the second stage and the HP valve in the first stage.

Earlier this year in an SB thread, I asked the HOG manufacturer whether the HOG kits were interchangeable with Apeks kits. He replied with an emphatic "No." I suppose it's possible that certain parts can be composed of different materials and that using a non-manufacturer piece could lead to accelerated wear and/or premature failure.