Is LDS soaking me??

[Capt Grumby]

Greetings all, I am a newly certified diver with high aspirations. I am building my kit and am a "grow into it" type of guy. My mid-term goals are a) Deep Dive b) Wreck Dive c) U/W Photo/Video d)Instructor e) Boat owner/operator. I am in NW Fla and will be doing Gulf Coast boat and shore dives, as well as spring dives.
My very helpful LDS has recommended an Oceanic Delta 4 Reg as my first one. I have spoken to other shops and they have all had differing opinions. I am trying to do independent research (non-retail advice) to narrow down my search.
Any advice or comments would be greatly apprieciated.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

So where does the soaking come into play?

The Delta 4 is a fine reg... as good as any other... with respect to performance, dependability and servicabilty.

 

[EvaL]

You need to post more information about the so-called "soaking" - did you dislike the price, attitude of salesperson, service/warranty etc?
Oceanic Delta 4 is an excellent reg IMHO (frequently topping the charts in performance tests such as Rodales), competitively-priced, and to top it off, it has the patented sealed first stage that prevents floods if you forget to close the dust cap while rinsing. My first reg was a Delta 3, purchased 5 years ago for the reasons I mentioned (sealed first stage wasn't available then). Every dive shop has its preference for regs they'd like to promote. Buy from someone you feel comfortable with and price/service is right. If you like your LDS and they sell the Delta4 for under $450, it's a good deal.

 

[Capt Grumby]

Oops. I was concerned that he may be pushing "too much" reg on me. I mentioned that I am fond of "growing into" things, but I am also concious of the cost involved with starting up my new found obsession. My LDS is outstanding in terms of customer service and friendliness. He has the Reg listed at $500.

 

[TheRedHead]

You can't have too much regulator. It's like having too much money.

 

[jeckyll]

Why not start doing some research on your own, instead of trying to get advice from random people who may or may not have a clue what they are talking about? (This is a general questions, nothing to do with the folks who responded in this thread)?

Maybe start here:

http://dive.scubadiving.com/gearfinder/main.php/results/view/Regulators

Good luck.

 

[EvaL]

For what you're planning to do, I'd say Delta4 (or any other good reg) is a good match. I have nearly 200 dives, completed Divemaster and I'm still using my Delta3.
$500 + sales tax is a little high. If they're unwilling to lower it, I'd go to Scubatoys.com or Diversdirect.com (may have to pay sales tax since you're in FL too). They're both selling Delta 4 FDX10 at $450. If you don't mind making a dive in Key Largo, I know a diveshop that quoted me an even lower price, but you'd have to dive with them (Silent World) first - they only sell to their "customers". PM me if you wanna know how low the price was.

 

[Capt Grumby]

Jeckyll, my issue is that there is so much info out there that I am rapidly getting over-informed !! Unfortunantly, I can't "test-dive" regs to see what I like best. Your post should be very helpful. I am looking at the link you posted right now. Thanks.

 

[350xfire]

Buy a Zeagle, Atomic, ScubaPro, Aqualung Titan the first time and never buy another reg again. You can get a Zeagle for about $435(may be cheaper) from ScubaToys.

 

[meesier42]

I would go with the Zeagles too, but I am biased, they have been treating me very well for a while now and their performance is amazing. Not to mention they are built here in the US. Although Atomic are great, but $$$ for what I think is the same level of performance.