Is a stainless steel reg worth the cost?

[skankpile]

If Apeks ever makes a SS rig... yes

 

[jd950]

Thanks you for all the useful replies. You make some good points. I guess I addressed the rinsing and soaking for two reasons. One was that although rinsing and soaking is mostly aimed at the exterior of the reg, I think it also helps to eliminate salt water from remaining in places where it cold conceivably end up inside the second stage, especially with the seat saving design of Atomic regs, and second, I figured if I didn't address it, I would get a lot of responses telling me I need to rinse/soak my regs.

I use rental tanks and I suppose it is entirely possible I got some moisture from a "bad" tank. Most of my diving is shore diving but I am on boats from time to time and I guess I could have carelessly picked up some salt water that way as well.

I guess the real question I wanted to ask is whether an all stainless reg like the ST1 really offers meaningful corrosion resistance over the brass & stainless Z2, if one does get water in the first stage (realizing that it is not a good idea to do so)? I would have thought the difference was minimal, and any benefit of stainless was mostly on the exterior of the first stage, but figured a lot of you would know a lot more about the subject...

 

[Hatul]

I got the ST1 but the Z2 with Miflex hoses should be fine and perform equally. As far as corrosion inside goes salt water must be getting in somehow. Atomic does not recommend soaking their regs without pressure and the user's manual states rinsing is just fine.

Adam

 

[SCUBASailor]

When I was NAUI certified last year, our instructor taught us that it is no longer the recommended practice to crack the tank valve without the first stage attached. He told us to blow on the first stage seat instead. I can't remember what the reasoning behind this was, though.

 

[keyshunter]

When I was NAUI certified last year, our instructor taught us that it is no longer the recommended practice to crack the tank valve without the first stage attached. He told us to blow on the first stage seat instead. I can't remember what the reasoning behind this was, though.

I think you misunderstood your instructor. There is no way you could "blow on the first stage seat" without disassembling the first stage. He was probably talking about the dust cap. Some instructors discourage drying the dust cap with air from the tank, since many people manage to blow water from the dust cap into the first stage inlet.

 

[Fishpie]

......one of my pet hates, a bunch of divers using their tank to blow water inside their 1st stage when disassembling their kit.

 

[nwdiver2]

A good SS reg will last longer than a comparable non SS reg. But with proper care both will last equally long, that said I like SS regs because I can abuse the s&#t out of them and they stand up better between servicing.

 

[SCUBASailor]

I think you misunderstood your instructor. There is no way you could "blow on the first stage seat" without disassembling the first stage. He was probably talking about the dust cap. Some instructors discourage drying the dust cap with air from the tank, since many people manage to blow water from the dust cap into the first stage inlet.

I stand corrected. Yes, it was the dust cap.