how to pick a reg?

[kjpwong]

g'day fellas,
i m about to purchase my first reg after saving for a while.
anyhow, there are so many on the market all saying they are the best things around and i m quite lost and confused.
how would i pick my reg apart from looking at the price tags? unlike fins or wetsuits you cant try them out.
any recommendations?
thanks in advance
kenny

 

[kjpwong]

in fact, i have a couple in mind after reading reviews and comments on magazines
1) aqualung legend/ legend LX
2) scubapro S600
3) conshelf XIV
4) mares abyss
..........?

 

[halocline]

Man, I can relate; it's a dizzying number of choices with almost no apparent way of deciding. The first thing you might do is post what kind of conditions you'll be diving in; single or double tank, warm or cold water, etc...

The next thing is to relax, because the truth is, in almost any conceivable rec diving situation, any decent reg from a reputable company will work well, breathe easily, and be very reliable. This is why so many people just recommend the reg they use. So you might consider what's available locally, and more importantly, what can be serviced well in the area you'll be diving in. I chose a SP reg for basically 2 reasons; my instructor's recommendation, and worldwide availability of parts/service.

The other thing is not to get trapped by the sales pitch that high performance regs are "safer" or really any more desirable for most recreational diving. They're definitely not safer, and the breathing difference at rec depths between high performance regs and "mid level" regs by the same manufacturer is often very minimal, to the point where you'd be very hard pressed to tell the difference unless you had a direct comparison on the same dive.

 

[Vie]

how would i pick my reg apart from looking at the price tags?

Well, there are some considerations, such as:

What kind of diving do you do? If diving in extremely cold water, for instance, you should probably consider an environmentally sealed balanced diaphragm first stage. If all you do is shallow, warm water reef dives, you will have a much wider choice/price range.

Is it easy to get spare parts and/or service (by qualified/authorised service technician) for the reg you are considering?

What's the warranty like? Recommended service intervals? Does the manufacturer have a history of supporting/supplying spare parts for older/discontinued models?

1) Aqualung Legend/Legend LX
2) Scubapro S600
3) Conshelf XIV
4) Mares MR22/Abyss

The regs from your list all have great reputations, so you probably can't go wrong. I would also consider Apeks and Atomic Aquatics.

With regards to the S600 second stage, I prefer the slightly cheaper (but just as good, imho) G250HP paired with a MK25 first stage. If choosing Scubapro for very cold water, the MK17/G250 or MK17/X650 would be the better choice according to SB's Scubapro expert DA Aquamaster.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Well, there are some considerations, such as:

What kind of diving do you do? If diving in extremely cold water, for instance, you should probably consider an environmentally sealed balanced diaphragm first stage. If all you do is shallow, warm water reef dives, you will have a much wider choice/price range.

Is it easy to get spare parts and/or service (by qualified/authorised service technician) for the reg you are considering?

What's the warranty like? Recommended service intervals? Does the manufacturer have a history of supporting/supplying spare parts for older/discontinued models?

Vie has made some good points here. Consider all of the intangibles like comfort and ease of breathing, etc... but don't forget the nuts and bolts costs of ownership. Some shops may give you a price break on service while others may not. ScubaPro and Aqualung have long histories of continuing to provide parts for regulators that they no longer manufacture. Consider the service interval, one year, two, major rebuilds every year or a minor tune up on the odd years. The long term costs of regulator ownership are considerable. I recently purchased new regulators for my doubles and I factored out the maintenance costs for a period of 10 years to aid me in my choice. I made my choice to purchase the regs from a particular shop rather than another local shop because of discounted service.

Good luck with your choice and have fun diving with whatever you get.

Mark Vlahos

 

[dirthead]

g'day fellas,
i m about to purchase my first reg after saving for a while.
anyhow, there are so many on the market all saying they are the best things around and i m quite lost and confused.
how would i pick my reg apart from looking at the price tags? unlike fins or wetsuits you cant try them out.
any recommendations?
thanks in advance
kenny

Hi Kenny,

You are going to get all kinds of recommendations. The regulator is a piece of life support equipment and all that stuff so being able to get it serviced is very important. Now, with that said, since you are in Australia, I don't know what brands are readily available there. I personally prefer Apeks or Aqualung regulators. I have Scubapro Mk25/S600, and it sits in my closet while I dive with my Apeks ATX200. I have one local dive shop, which is a SP dealer, and they have to send any reg out for service. Because of this, I really wasn't too worried about not being able to get my Apeks serviced locally. I can send it out just as easily. You shouldn't make your choice based exclusively on what your local shop sells and services. If you can get one serviced by shipping it, that is probably ok too, as long as the turnaround time is acceptable.

Almost any of the top end regs are going to breathe well. The hose routing, style of the 1st and 2nd stages, material they are produced from, size of stages, will be different. If you have a chance to try some, try them in the water, don't base their breathability on taking a breathe on the surface.

Recommendations: (my personal opinion of course)

Apeks ATX 50, 100, or 200
Aqualung Legend or Legend LX
Zeagle ZX Flathead VI

Never used a Mares reg, so can't comment on them. I have used all of the above, plus several SP regs.

 

[Vie]

I have Scubapro Mk25/S600, and it sits in my closet while I dive with my Apeks ATX200.

May I ask why?

 

[rigdiver]

in fact, i have a couple in mind after reading reviews and comments on magazines
1) aqualung legend/ legend LX
2) scubapro S600
3) conshelf XIV
4) mares abyss
..........?

I'd also consider Apeks. Stay with a name brand and get one of their top of the line regs and you can't go wrong. The one's you've named have a long proven track record. I primarily dive SP and Apeks.
Bill

 

[garyfotodiver]

If you have the time and opportunity, rent several different regulators and dive them.

I bought my present regulator (Conshelf SE3) on the advice of the dive shop. Never regretted it. Since that time, I have used another regulator only twice, once when my octo failed, and once on a training dive.

 

[kirikuru]

another consideration is how often do your travel with your equipment (as in flying) some regualtors weigh a lots less than others (and cost more). I used to use a Beuchat VX-10 for years (9 yrs) but it is etremely heavy. Now i travel with a Apeks ATX200 (can't afford an atomic T2 ) it is so much lighter!.

just my 2 cents worth.