- Messages
- 26,281
- Reaction score
- 5,881
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
Maybe an Aqualung Titan? They're $365 new and are descended from the Conshelf and I believe the parts kits are mostly the same across the line. Won a Tester's Choice 3 years ago so it's still a very good performer. They also have a new line - Core - and the Legends are better - and higher priced. Aqualung has their ABS Octo for $85 - it's uni-directional which seems like a good idea since you're likely going to be handing it off unless you ascribe to the bungeed/long hose concept.
Another could be the ScubaPro Mk2/R195 for $339. Add an octo for $80 or so. I like the Mares octo because it has the hose swivel so is unidirectional. But your shop needs to service both brands. A Scubapro Mk11/S360 is $409 also for something a little better. A Scubapro R095 Octo is $139.
For the same price you could get an Atomic Aquatics Z2 - one advantage it might have is a factory recommended 2 year service interval which saves about $60-90 every other year. It also has their Seat-Saver Orifice which moves the seat back enough that it doesn't deform it during storage. It's likely a key reason they offer the 2 year interval. Everything made by Atomic breathes the same up to their $1699T3. The difference is the materials used. Atomic doesn't have a cheap Octo though, the Z2 Octo is $290 more. Of course you can mix them, my buddy has the Mares Octo on his Atomic reg.
I'm very gauge agnostic so I usually buy the best deal on a name brand. All that ever gets "fixed" on gauges is the o-rings/spool. I like the mini/compact 2 gauge sets some mfr's sell. Mine are Scubapro but I believe Cressi and Tusa both sell one. Both gauges are slightly smaller than standard so they fit in a smaller console. If you like standard gauges, Leisurepro has the 2 gauge Aeris for $99 currently. Since Aeris is being re-absorbed into Oceanic - I expect they're a close-out.
If you just need an SPG, get a brass/glass and put it on a short hose. There's a bunch of those for under $100. Both Leisurepro and Dive Gear Express sell several - DGX has about the best prices I've seen on hoses also in all varying lengths.
One lesser point to consider is dealer/repair availability. Occasionally something is going to break - quite possibly on one of your trips.
Or the reg sat all year and you didn't have time to get it checked before going and it free-flows a little now. Since the point of all this is to dive with your regulator it might be worthwhile to invest in a brand with dealer coverage where you'll be diving. I'm somewhat of a gear hound so I look to see what shops are renting/selling when we travel in the Caribbean - almost all our trips in the last decade have been in that area. What I see is a lot of ScubaPro, Aqualung, Mares gear with lesser presence by Oceanic, Tusa or Atomic Aquatics. I bought my Atomics thinking that they had lesser dealer coverage however the one time I needed a minor field repair, the tech at our rental shop was certified. I sat out a 2nd AM dive when it failed, dropped it off, went to lunch and he got it back to me for the 1PM dive with the part replaced.
Another could be the ScubaPro Mk2/R195 for $339. Add an octo for $80 or so. I like the Mares octo because it has the hose swivel so is unidirectional. But your shop needs to service both brands. A Scubapro Mk11/S360 is $409 also for something a little better. A Scubapro R095 Octo is $139.
For the same price you could get an Atomic Aquatics Z2 - one advantage it might have is a factory recommended 2 year service interval which saves about $60-90 every other year. It also has their Seat-Saver Orifice which moves the seat back enough that it doesn't deform it during storage. It's likely a key reason they offer the 2 year interval. Everything made by Atomic breathes the same up to their $1699T3. The difference is the materials used. Atomic doesn't have a cheap Octo though, the Z2 Octo is $290 more. Of course you can mix them, my buddy has the Mares Octo on his Atomic reg.
I'm very gauge agnostic so I usually buy the best deal on a name brand. All that ever gets "fixed" on gauges is the o-rings/spool. I like the mini/compact 2 gauge sets some mfr's sell. Mine are Scubapro but I believe Cressi and Tusa both sell one. Both gauges are slightly smaller than standard so they fit in a smaller console. If you like standard gauges, Leisurepro has the 2 gauge Aeris for $99 currently. Since Aeris is being re-absorbed into Oceanic - I expect they're a close-out.
If you just need an SPG, get a brass/glass and put it on a short hose. There's a bunch of those for under $100. Both Leisurepro and Dive Gear Express sell several - DGX has about the best prices I've seen on hoses also in all varying lengths.
One lesser point to consider is dealer/repair availability. Occasionally something is going to break - quite possibly on one of your trips.
Or the reg sat all year and you didn't have time to get it checked before going and it free-flows a little now. Since the point of all this is to dive with your regulator it might be worthwhile to invest in a brand with dealer coverage where you'll be diving. I'm somewhat of a gear hound so I look to see what shops are renting/selling when we travel in the Caribbean - almost all our trips in the last decade have been in that area. What I see is a lot of ScubaPro, Aqualung, Mares gear with lesser presence by Oceanic, Tusa or Atomic Aquatics. I bought my Atomics thinking that they had lesser dealer coverage however the one time I needed a minor field repair, the tech at our rental shop was certified. I sat out a 2nd AM dive when it failed, dropped it off, went to lunch and he got it back to me for the 1PM dive with the part replaced.
