Long hose & Regs for DIR-F

[Big-t-2538]

I am taking the DIR-F course in June...I need to get a long hose for the reg....I've never disassembled the second stage....

1. Where to order/obtain the hose...
2. Can I swap it out myself....or should I have someone else do that?

3. I am also looking at purchasing my own reg either a Mares MR-22, Apeks ATX 100 or 200, or ScubaPro MK25......if I had to make a decision right now, I'm swaying in the direction of the MR-22...but have heard tons of good things about the Apeks and ScubaPro...what advantages/disadvatages do these regs have?

 

[GearHead]

1. Three sources for the long hose:
Fifth Dimension
Extreme Exposure
COVCI
Note: COVCI just revamped their website and the section with hoses hasn't been re-posted yet, but you can probably contact them via e-mail or phone for a quote.

2. If you have no experience swapping hoses, have a tech do it for you. It shouldn't cost too much and it's life support equipment after all.

3. Tough question just because it's such a subjective issue. I have an ATX-200 and love it, but I was a whisker away from buying a MK25 instead and I'd probably rave about that too if I'd bought it. IOW,

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
1. Where to order/obtain the hose...
2. Can I swap it out myself....or should I have someone else do that?

 

[JeffG]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
<snip>
2. Can I swap it out myself....or should I have someone else do that?
....

Its very very easy. The only hard part would be to put on the Hose protector (and thats not that hard either, but I got lazy and had my LDS put them on when I got my Regs serviced. I ran the hoses "unprotected" for a while.)

 

[Mo2vation]

My hoses came from this guy. I live in So Cal, and he ships from Vegas - and I needed them right away to make a dive. He was great. His hoses are a bit larger diameter and more heavy duty - sort of like my original Atomic hose. Good stuff.

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.d...rid=tmmcon.&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=25

For me, the 7' long hose and 22" necklace are both perfect. I dive a single - some say a 24" shortie is better for doubles and a 5' better for single in an OW rig... the 7' and 22" worked great when I tried them for 8 dives this weekend.

For Hose protectors - use a blow dryer or a heat gun (craft type, not paint-peeling type)...makes putting hose protectors on a breeze.

k

 

[kalvyn]

GearHead once bubbled...

3. Tough question just because it's such a subjective issue. I have an ATX-200 and love it, but I was a whisker away from buying a MK25 instead and I'd probably rave about that too if I'd bought it.

I just bought an MK25 in the DIR configuration (7' primary, 24" backup hoses). I actually walked into 5th Dimension planning to buy the ATX200, but the ScubaPro has a lifetime warranty. That made me chose the ScubaPro over the Apeks. They are both top-notch regulators from what I've read on this board, I just decided the warranty differences were enough to change my decision to the MK25.

Jimmie

 

[Big-t-2538]

Thanks for all the response...anyone have anything to say about the Mares???

 

[ElectricZombie]

You can switch out the hose yourself, very easy to do.

I have 2 Mk25s. They breath great, are durable, and easy to maintain and service. No complaints at all.

I'm not too crazy about the Apex line.

Not familiar with the Mares you Mentioned.

You can use something like spray Armor All to lubricate the inside of the hose protector and the actual hose to make it easier to put on. Really helps.

 

[cat]

probably also a dumb newbie question - I'm also looking for regs with an eye to using some or all of the DIR config. How do the various SP/Apex/etc. regs rate in terms of a. freezeup in cold water (some have sealed first stages, some don't) and b. breathability in a variety of positions (upside down, looking up, etc.) - presumably wreck and cave divers need a reg. that still breathes well at depth in cold water even when looking up and on various mixes (?). How about in fast current?
Yes, I've read a pile of reviews (wish divernet had done one more recently than 1998). The SP regs look good (and my LDS is a dealer, which is always handy - though it leads to a certain lack of bias). It's be nice to know what combinations of first stage, primary second stage and (necklaced) octo the folks here rely on. (What gets used for stage bottles?)
The obvious answer is to dive these regs - which is fine except that I would like to get a reg that will serve me for a long time and I don't dive to depths that might challenge a reg yet. I'm also not diving much deeper until I have a rig of my own, having had some... interesting experiences with rental equipment already. (Catch-22) Thanks folks. cat

 

[ElectricZombie]

Diaphram 1st stages are sealed - Work well for extremely cold diving, ice diving, etc.

Piston 1st stages are usually not sealed out of the box - You can add a cold water kit later on if you like.

I have all piston regs since I don't forsee any ice diving. (I would just add a cold water kit if I did want to ice dive.)

SP and Apex are both good regs. The SP regs breath better in my opinion. Easier to find parts for too.

The SP Mk25 is my favorite 1st stage, I have 2. Good SP 2nd stage primaries are the G250HP and S600. The S550 is good too. For backup regs, the R190 and R380 are great. My Mk25/S600 (or G250) and R380 backup breath the same at depth as they do on the surface.

The SP Mk16 is a great diaphram reg. Either on is good. The Mk25 performs a bit better though.

 

[PnL]

You guys use hose protectors?

Can you guys tell me if there are true benefits to using hose protectors? I removed mine because they didn't fit very well and I didn't like them holding the hose so rigid from the 1st stage. I know that they are supposed to protect from the hoses bending too much ... but if your hose is that worn shouldn't they be replaced instead of having a hose protector holding it (or hiding the problem)? Just my thoughts, not trying to start anything but would like more opinions on this.

BTW - switching the hose out was fairly simple for us. Just don't over tighten them and make sure your o-rings have a light coating of silicone grease. If you're concerned about it, definitely take it to a tech and watch how he does it first.

YMMV, IHMO, etc.