How do you choose a regulator?

[CrackedConch]

I suggest taking an equipment specialty class before you invest heavily in your own life support gear.

You will learn about sealed or non-sealed 1st stages, piston vs. diaphragm 1st stages, din/yoke valves, number and types of ports, swivel hose mounts, pressures: tank, intermediate, cracking pressure on the 2nd stage, 2nd stages with/without diver adjustments, mouthpiece comfort, cost, nitrox compatibility, water temperature compatibility, ease of maintenance, ease/cost of annual service, configuration with other gear, compatibility with other brands of gear, etc.

There are even new features from Oceanic and Aqualung where there is a spring loaded plug at the Yoke valve that keeps out dirt/dust/water better than the dust cap. You want to check all the new features out too.

It's a big investment so if you can rent/borrow the reg you're thinking of buying, you'll be sure you like it before you drop your cold hard cash.

All that said, I went through the above analysis and chose a Scubapro MK25/S600, however I put an Aqualung comfobite mouthpiece on it.

 

[cerich]

Step 5. Ignore all that advice and buy an an Apeks or ScubaPro with a sealed first stage.

Perrone, sometimes I read what you say and think "he's thinking stuff thru", then on some mornings I think "he is very easy to brainwash..."

It's one of those second mornings.

 

[rigdiver]

First. How much money do you plan on spending. Second. Look @ Rodale's test for a good guide. Third. Talk to people doing the dives you want to do.
If you buy a top-end reg and take care of it, it will take care of you for years.
Bill

 

[homo maris]

Here is one possible process aside from the easy one to read Scubaboard and end up with Apeks , which is what I did:

Step 0: What is the cost of me getting bent (e.g. work missed, trip cancelled, etc.)? That is how much I can thus spend on a regulator.

Step 1: Is that enough to buy the top of the line reg (Rodale has many tests to guide you as to which one is best for you)?

Step 1.5: If it is not enough, keep renting

Step 2: Go diving with buddies who own the regulator you want and ask them to do out of air drills with you (or signal out of air at your safety stop . There is nothing like breathing one breath from the rental and the next from the betteri reg to find out the difference.

Step 3: Identify who locally services the top line regs and buy from them a DIN reg with a Yoke adapter (and a 7ft hose if you understand the benefit of it).

Step 4: Tell you wife, mother, husband, father, etc. that in order to be safe you MUST practice with the new equipment. Go to the pool to test it once or twice then go on a diving trip to practice more

Step 5: Log n to Scubaboard and try to convince everyoine to switch to your brand and model

JL

 

[SangP]

This isn't another "which regulator should I buy?" post, but more of a question about how to go about choosing the right regulator for me.

Where can I go to compare features, reliability, satisfaction, etc? How can I find information about the features that are important to the type of diving I do?

With so many to choose from and all the advertising hype, it is tough. What process do you go through to choose a regulator before you buy it?

Thanks!

I have a different view... but then again who on this board doesn't LOL!

1. Most regs are pretty reliable now so getting regs from a decent co is fine.

2. Find out what type of diving do you mostly do... cold, warm, deep, rec etc, etc.
Cold = sealed regs, deep = high performing regs but most regs are pretty good anyway. Warm water/rec dives = almost any reg is fine.

3. Find out which regs will be easily servicable where you live and where you'll be diving eg. Live in the us, dive in Thailand. Get a reg that doesn't need to be sent to say... HONG KONG for servicing... (damn local Sc*%ap$o distributor).

4. Do you need a sealed reg... do you dive in silty conditions, very cold or gunk... better just get a sealed reg just in case.

5. How much you want to spend $$$$$.

Here's my list of fav regs in no particular order.

1. Apeks DS4 1st and XTX 50 2nd stage. Resonably cheap and really reliable.
2. Scubapro MK17. Haven't used one yet but as soon as my local distributor get them I'm buying a bunch.
3. Apeks XTX 100, breaths better than a 200 and is cheaper.
4. Aqualung legend LX, one of the best breathe out there.

If I had to redo my reg purchases I would either get an Apeks XTX100 or a MK17 (if they were available here). The Apeks DS4/XTX50 would have been my first reg set if I had know better then.

I haven't tried out diverite, Oceanic, Zeagle so I don't know how well they perform.

SangP

 

[PerroneFord]

Perrone, sometimes I read what you say and think "he's thinking stuff thru", then on some mornings I think "he is very easy to brainwash..."

It's one of those second mornings.

Aww come on. I have an Oceanic on my recreational rig!

And unlike MOST people, I didn't just come on here and tell the guy to buy what I have. I used 2 Dive Rites and an Oceanic.


-P

 

[Artimas]

Thanks all. Very helpful stuff.

Of course, I'm not asking for specific recommendations, but the process to go through.

Just FYI-

I dive a few times per year, mostly recreational dives to less than 100' in the Caribbean, but also have done a couple of North Atlantic wreck dives. I plan to be doing more of these in the future. These are much colder water (low 50'sF), but I still don't typically go deeper than about 100'. I feel these dives are challenging enough that my own equipment is a good idea. I was pretty comfortable with rentals for the Caribbean diving.

 

[divnamite]

I have MK17/S600, couldn't be happier, and I dive Northeast.

 

[serrada]

Step one: Put a piece of paper for each of the following manufactures on a dart board:

Apeks
Aqua Lung
Atomic
Mares
Oceanic
Scubapro
Zeagle

Step two: well, you should be able to figure out the next part.

Step three: Then pick the model that meets the kind of diving you do.

Step four: Concentrate on diving.

If your still diving in a couple of years and you want/need a new regulator repeat steps mentioned above.