Information overload, analysis paralysis

[rstofer]

thanks for the pointers. I didn't think Monterey was close enough to the extreme to be called "cold" where more specifications to meet that temperature was needed. I can't vacation as much so keeping up the skills means Monterey or surrounding area. But I see I need more reading and research (just a tad more as svyper is right to a point in my situation)

Monterey will range from low 50s to mid 40s, give or take. This isn't much below Oceanic's cutoff temp and there is anecdotal evidence to support the idea that it just doesn't matter.

Unfortunately, I'm am an engineer. If the spec says not below 50, then not below 50 is what I'll do.

Now using that as a common denominator, does that limit the regulators that can be used on the warmer side? Not necessarily all purpose but does that limit my choices due to this range of temps?

Any cold water regulator will work just fine in warm water. The converse is not true.

Also, does the second stage design/function matter how much your mouth dries? I see some market their second stage regulators to tackle that situation - if you're mouth was dry. It made me think on some dives I did in Cancun/Cozumel if the second stage attributed to a really dry mouth feeling. There was actually one dive where my mouth was salivating more instead though I'm not sure if it's a reaction to keep the mouth dry or because of the second stage. Strange that it only happened on that dive. Others were manageable. But one really made my mouth dry. I did rent the equipment but on different days I most likely got different ones per day (probably).

I didn't come across this part (I think) in the few hours I've been searching online.

The air in the tank is quite dry and getting a dry mouth is pretty common. There are some regulators that attempt to chill your exhaled air and condense out the water. I don't know if they work. They probably work much better in cold water.

There are other regulators that just breathe 'wet'. The Oceanic Omega II is one of them. There is almost always a small puddle of salt water (in this case) in the housing. It was always there and it just never bothered me. I still dive those regs.

Consider that this is your first regulator. It won't be your last. Sure, it's nice to dive with the most expensive regs on the planet. But that GT3 will get the job done just as well. Maybe it's not quite the equal of the Mk17/G250V but it also costs a heck of a lot less. That leaves room for some other gear.

Later on, after you are settled in, you can buy the top of the line reg and use the GT3 as your backup. Or a regulator for a buddy/guest. We have about 10 regs for the 4 of us, not counting the 3 double hose regs that I use. Such a number is nowhere near the upper end of regs/diver.

Richard

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

....Also, does the second stage design/function matter how much your mouth dries? I see some market their second stage regulators to tackle that situation - if you're mouth was dry...

Second stages that are made of metal, or have metal air barrels, will be less "dry" breathing than all-plastic 2nd stages. Even in the fairly-warm waters of Hawaii, the difference is noticeable. If I dive an all-plastic 2nd stage, I start wishing I had some water to sip on at about 45 minutes into the dive. With my all-metal Mares Abyss 2nds, or with the Zeagle ZX 2nd (plastic, but with a metal air barrel) I do not get that "parched", dry-mouth feeling.

Note: It is not that the metal 2nds breath "wet", that is something totally different.... the air is just less-dry.

Best wishes.

 

[Guy Alcala]

Monterey will range from low 50s to mid 40s, give or take. This isn't much below Oceanic's cutoff temp and there is anecdotal evidence to support the idea that it just doesn't matter.

Unfortunately, I'm am an engineer. If the spec says not below 50, then not below 50 is what I'll do.



Any cold water regulator will work just fine in warm water. The converse is not true.



The air in the tank is quite dry and getting a dry mouth is pretty common. There are some regulators that attempt to chill your exhaled air and condense out the water. I don't know if they work. They probably work much better in cold water.

There are other regulators that just breathe 'wet'. The Oceanic Omega II is one of them. There is almost always a small puddle of salt water (in this case) in the housing. It was always there and it just never bothered me. I still dive those regs.

Consider that this is your first regulator. It won't be your last. Sure, it's nice to dive with the most expensive regs on the planet. But that GT3 will get the job done just as well. Maybe it's not quite the equal of the Mk17/G250V but it also costs a heck of a lot less. That leaves room for some other gear.

Later on, after you are settled in, you can buy the top of the line reg and use the GT3 as your backup. Or a regulator for a buddy/guest. We have about 10 regs for the 4 of us, not counting the 3 double hose regs that I use. Such a number is nowhere near the upper end of regs/diver.

Richard

FWIW, a fair number of experienced divers in Monterey also dive Apeks regs, moi included (XTX50/DST with XTX50 octo). Personally I'm happy to dive Apeks, Aqualung or Scubapro, or Atomic should I ever win the lottery. I've only used low end rental Oceanics and didn't care for them, but I know a fair number of people who use the mid and high end Oceanics.

For the money I think the Aqualung Titan is tough to beat. It's an excellent beginner's reg, and unless you're planning to go tech in the future it will work just fine for any diving you're likely to do. And you could always use it as a deco reg if you do go tech and want a higher end reg for your back gas. The only downside is the lack of a breathing adjustment and only a single HP port. You can often get a used rental Titan very inexpensively. If you're worried about crud, just get it serviced (if it hasn't already been prior to sale) and change the mouthpiece.

When I had to choose, I first rented as many different regs as I could so I could get a feel for the different features and how well they breathed. Then I looked at my diving as it was and where it would be down the road.

Although the majority of my diving was going to be in Monterey, I figured I might well be diving in even colder water; 41 in a mountain lake is my coldest so far, but I might very well do ice diving on rare occasions, so I wanted a sealed, balanced diaphragm first stage that was specifically mentioned as being suitable for cold water.

I also knew that I would be getting into tech diving, plus I solo a lot. Those made a DIN first stage mandatory (for me, anyway), along with a reputation for reliability and high performance. Pretty much all regs are available either yoke or DIN, and most of them have conversion kits to switch from one to the other if you later decide to. There are also converters to allow you to use a yoke valve with your DIN reg, but not AFAIK vice-versa.

While I always intend to use an SPG on a hose, I wanted the option of also using a hoseless, air-integrated computer down the road, so I wanted two HP ports. And because of going tech, I wanted breathing adjustment as well as a venturi switch; this isn't strictly necessary, but I find that free-flows just aren't an issue when swimming against current, and I've got very low work of breathing the rest of the time.

PUtting all those together as well as what my local shop carried and serviced (and I could afford), it came down to a choice between the Aqualung Legend LX Supreme and any of the Apeks 50, 100 or 200 series regs, with their appropriate first stages. IIRR the warranties were also identical. As it happened, the shop manager owned an ATX200 which he let me borrow, and it was terrific. I also knew that the local tech group which I hope to one day join were big fans of Apeks regs, so that was an additional factor, and the Scuba Lab test reports ranked the Apeks (and Legend LX Supreme) at or near the top. So, I wound up going with the least expensive Apeks that had the features I wanted. Internally all the Apeks regs use the same parts, so the differences are mainly cosmetic (which I didn't care about) or involved hose routing on the first stage (which I did, but like the way mine works).

Since the OP is in Silicon Valley he's got a fair number of shops to choose from. Stan's is closing, but Any Water Sports and Diver Dan's are there, and there's several others further up the Peninsula, Blue Water, Wallin's, Scuba Fusion, etc.

HTH,

Guy

 

[fnfalman]

There are two ways to solve the dry mouth problem:

1. Keep yourself properly hydrated. Every time I get the dry mouth when I dived, I knew before hand that I was not properly hydrated.

2. Take the regulator off your mouth and let a bit of water in. Voila!!! Problem solved. You don't have to choose regulators with built-in condenser.

But do No. 1 first. Drink water the day before, drink water until you urinate clear liquid frequently. Some people don't drink a lot because they don't want to pee in their wetsuit or take off their drysuit to go to the restroom. If that works for them, fine. As for me, I'd drink and pee in my wetsuit all day if that's what it takes for me to keep hydrated. Keeping hydrated is more than just about preventing dry mouth. It's about preventing DCS and dehydration related issues.

 

[idocsteve]

There are two ways to solve the dry mouth problem:

2. Take the regulator off your mouth and let a bit of water in. Voila!!! Problem solved.

Why do I think that's poor advice for ocean diving, because salt water causes MORE dehydration rather than less? Seems to me it's like telling someone to drink a glass of seawater because they're thirsty.

Plus it tastes like CRAP. I'd rather have the dry mouth.

 

[Downing]

Why do I think that's poor advice for ocean diving, because salt water causes MORE dehydration rather than less? Seems to me it's like telling someone to drink a glass of seawater because they're thirsty.

Plus it tastes like CRAP. I'd rather have the dry mouth.

I don't think he was advocating drinking the stuff. :shocked2:

Although it seems counter-intuitive, getting just a little ocean water in my mouth has worked for me the few times I've gotten dry mouth. It's not a long-term fix, obviously, but helps to alleviate the dryness till the end of the dive when I can honk down on an orange slice and cup of water.

I do it slightly differently. I take the reg out with my right hand, stick my left thumb in my mouth and rub it around just enough to wet my mouth down. There's a slightly salty taste for a few seconds but it's not too bad. Wouldn't want to overdo it, though.