Hi, I am in the market for a set of regulators for light technical application. My budget is quite tight, but the Tecline R4 and R5 with Tec 2 second sage seems to be at a reasonable price point for me. However, I’m not sure which one to pick. Both of them seem to work great in cold water, but the R5 seems to be marketed as being even better for cold water. I don’t really see how this is the case technically, and I don’t know if choosing the R5 over the R4 is better in terms of durability or performance.
There would also be the Apeks XL4+ that seems pretty nice and I can find them for the price of the R5/Tec2 set however they are less advertised as technical regulator. I am concerned about the serviceability of the Tecline Reg worldwide and choosing to go for apeks could solve this issue. I also like the small form factor (for travel or deco tanks) even tho they look a bit less tough. They also are overcompensated but is that really that important (the advertised breathing effort are quite similar) ?
About the intended use, I’m a French diver who regularly dives in cold water (5°C / 40°F) and up to 60 m (200 ft). I’m considering learning to go deeper in the future and use them in a professional context (scientific diver). I do 45+ dives per year. So far, I’ve tried the Tecline R4, some Apeks XTX series, the latest Aqualung Helix Pro, and the Scubapro MK11 and MK17. I’ve been pleased with all of them, but I think the Apeks, Aqualung, and Tecline models stood out as the best.
Would you advise me to choose one of the above set ? Or do you have in feedback on those regulators in similar use ?
If you have any advice on other regulators to look into, feel free to share! (Keep in mind that some brands are not available in France.)
Thanks a lot !
There would also be the Apeks XL4+ that seems pretty nice and I can find them for the price of the R5/Tec2 set however they are less advertised as technical regulator. I am concerned about the serviceability of the Tecline Reg worldwide and choosing to go for apeks could solve this issue. I also like the small form factor (for travel or deco tanks) even tho they look a bit less tough. They also are overcompensated but is that really that important (the advertised breathing effort are quite similar) ?
About the intended use, I’m a French diver who regularly dives in cold water (5°C / 40°F) and up to 60 m (200 ft). I’m considering learning to go deeper in the future and use them in a professional context (scientific diver). I do 45+ dives per year. So far, I’ve tried the Tecline R4, some Apeks XTX series, the latest Aqualung Helix Pro, and the Scubapro MK11 and MK17. I’ve been pleased with all of them, but I think the Apeks, Aqualung, and Tecline models stood out as the best.
Would you advise me to choose one of the above set ? Or do you have in feedback on those regulators in similar use ?
If you have any advice on other regulators to look into, feel free to share! (Keep in mind that some brands are not available in France.)
Thanks a lot !
