Latest ScubaLabs reg test - huh?

[stuartv]

20 Scuba Diving Regulators Reviewed By ScubaLab

20 regs, divided into 3 categories based on price.

The Deep6 Signature is one of the regs tested and is in the lowest price category ($400 and less).

The work-of-breathing tests in the <$400 category had the AquaLung Calypso as the best, with the Oceanic Alpha 10 cDX and sPX next, and the Deep6 well behind those. This is mainly shown in the categories of 76 breaths per minute at 132' and 62.5 bpm at 165'. In those 2 categories, the Deep6 reg got 3 of 5 "points" and the AL and both Oceanics got 5 of 5.

And the test notes specifically mention some testers noting the Deep6 Signature as being a little harder to breathe when face-up whereas they specifically call out the Oceanic for being very good for ease of breathing in the face-up position.

What is up with that?

Note: I'm not asking "what is wrong with the Deep6 regs?" Many people have posted here on SB about how great the Deep6 regs are and I trust that more than ScubaLabs reviews. So, what I am asking is how are they doing their tests to produce results that seem to be so different than real world results (as reflected in SB member posts/opinions)?

How are they getting such high WOB numbers for the Deep6 regs and such low numbers for the AL and Oceanic and (I guess) why are those numbers so (apparently) meaningless in comparing these regs?

Also, what is the deal with ease of breathing face-up? I would have thought all regs would have a similar drop-off when turning face-up. Is it legit that some regs would drop off little and others would drop off a lot? Or is that statement in the review just BS?

I was definitely surprised that they gave the Tester's Choice to the AL. I guess they base that solely on how it breathes and nothing to do with features.

I have subscription to Scuba Diving magazine. It was a gift. They seem just like Consumer Reports. Most (but not all) of their reviews and editor's recommendations are complete rubbish. This seems to be another one of those. But, I would like to hear from some more knowledgeable people about exactly what the specific flaws are in this set of tests.

 

[beaverdivers]

Best Reg. of 2017 - Testers Choice of 2017 - Scubapro MK25 Evo/ S620 Ti.

I have been diving the MK25 Evo/ S620 Ti all around the world. It performs beautifully. I like it so much, I am considering putting it in our training & rental fleet.

 

[stuartv]

Best Reg. of 2017 - Testers Choice of 2017 - Scubapro MK25 Evo/ S620 Ti.

I have been diving the MK25 Evo/ S620 Ti all around the world. It performs beautifully. I like it so much, I am considering putting it in our training & rental fleet.

It does sound nice. Too bad it's not a sealed design. I don't want salt or dirt getting inside my 1st stage.

 

[beaverdivers]

I have always ( 44 years of diving ) been partial to flow through pistons beginning my very first dives with the Scubapro MK 5. After seeing DD's video of the exploding diaphragm, I have been happily diving pistons for 5000+ dives without a failure & will continue to do so.

Agreed, I would recommend a sealed diaphragm for extremely cold and/or dirty water.

 

[tbone1004]

keep in mind that the ANSTI has the regulator in a position with the diaphragm vertical instead of horizontal as it would be in normal diving conditions. This changes the WoB more on some regulators than it does for others. It is especially nasty for the exhalation effort.

Of other importance
It scored 5/5 in WoB under exaggerated normal conditions which is total WoB less than 1.05j/l at 37.5. That is something you can maintain for maybe 5 minutes if you're in good shape. At 75, you're going to pass out if you can even get there. Having the second stage handle that and purchasing a regulator based on that is a bit ridiculous imo.
Scubapro has obviously figured out how to do it with the S600, but in real world diving, you won't notice a difference and I think that may have something to do with the first stage more than the second stage as Poseidon wasn't able to get 5/5 on all of theirs though they do come detuned a bit from the factory and are capable of getting under 1.05j/l on the ansti if you tune it to beat the test. Question is more on whether the test is reasonable or excessive.

For me, the Deep6 gets great marks on the slightly exaggerated real world test and whether it fails on the unrealistic ones or not is not something that I personally care about or that anyone should really worry about when purchasing a regulator

 

[rhwestfall]

pure conjecture, but one could speculate review "points" can equate to advertising $ spent....

 

[stuartv]

I have always ( 44 years of diving ) been partial to flow through pistons beginning my very first dives with the Scubapro MK 5. After seeing DD's video of the exploding diaphragm, I have been happily diving pistons for 5000+ dives without a failure & will continue to do so.

Agreed, I would recommend a sealed diaphragm for extremely cold and/or dirty water.

I'm not a reg tech. Does a flow-through piston not have a HP seat that could fail? Isn't that what happened to DD's reg? You're implying that DD wouldn't have had the problem he did if he had been using a flow-through piston reg. Is that really true? How do you actually know that he wasn't using a piston reg? I'm not at all saying you're wrong. I'd just like to better understand how 1st stages work.

keep in mind that the ANSTI has the regulator in a position with the diaphragm vertical instead of horizontal as it would be in normal diving conditions. This changes the WoB more on some regulators than it does for others. It is especially nasty for the exhalation effort.

Of other importance
It scored 5/5 in WoB under exaggerated normal conditions which is total WoB less than 1.05j/l at 37.5. That is something you can maintain for maybe 5 minutes if you're in good shape. At 75, you're going to pass out if you can even get there. Having the second stage handle that and purchasing a regulator based on that is a bit ridiculous imo.
Scubapro has obviously figured out how to do it with the S600, but in real world diving, you won't notice a difference and I think that may have something to do with the first stage more than the second stage as Poseidon wasn't able to get 5/5 on all of theirs though they do come detuned a bit from the factory and are capable of getting under 1.05j/l on the ansti if you tune it to beat the test. Question is more on whether the test is reasonable or excessive.

For me, the Deep6 gets great marks on the slightly exaggerated real world test and whether it fails on the unrealistic ones or not is not something that I personally care about or that anyone should really worry about when purchasing a regulator

How is all that affected if you suppose the situation to be totally recreational and having 2 divers sharing one 1st stage plus using the LPI to establish neutral buoyancy? Are their numbers still outside any practical considerations? Do their numbers really only reflect 2nd stage performance, or does 1st stage performance come into play on those 132' and 165' tests?

 

[The Chairman]

Many people have posted here on SB about how great the Deep6 regs are and I trust that more than ScubaLabs reviews.

Damn Stu... I love you man!!! I really do!!!

 

[tbone1004]

@rhwestfall the points on the ansti machine correlate to real values

5=EXCELLENT: A total WOB of 1.05 j/l or less.
4=VERY GOOD: A total WOB of 1.06 to 1.55 j/l.
3=GOOD: A total WOB from 1.56 to 2.25 j/l.
2=FAIR: A total WOB of 2.26 to 3.0 j/

 

[BoltSnap]

After seeing DD's video of the exploding diaphragm

Who is "DD"?