Mares Abyss 22 vs HOG D3?

[patratcan]

Hi, I found these two at very similar prices... at around 350$. Which one would you go for and why?

Thanks

PS: I will be diving mostly in cold waters.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Hi patracan,

Do you plan to service your own regulators? If so, the HOG.

If not, then it comes down more to which design you prefer.

I own, service and dive pair of Mares MR22 / Abyss regs, and also just obtained some HOG Classic 2nd stages (but do not have a HOG 1st stage).

Ease of breathing is almost entirely related to the design and tuning of the 2nd stage. Both the Mares and HOG 1st stages will provide more air than you can possibly use, so you mostly need to consider the 2nd stages.

The Mares Abyss 2nd stage is an all metal, unbalanced classic downstream 2nd. It does not have external levers or knobs to "detune" the reg, so it is very dependent on competent tuning by the tech... they sometimes come from the factory with a "conservative" (mediocre) tune, so the dive shop needs to test and tune as necessary before giving it to you. Properly tuned, it is a great breathing reg.

Assuming the HOD Classic is the 2nd stage paired with the HOG D3, it is a terrific 2nd stage. It is a balanced barrel poppet 2nd stage, with external dive / predive venturi lever and a breathing resistance knob. It is well made, and breathes well. It can be tuned to a lower cracking effort than the Mares Abyss. But the perceived effort of breathing between these two 2nd stages is about the same.

Why? Because if you tune the HOG to the very lowest cracking effort that it is stable on the repair bench, the HOG may likely leak slightly during the dive, so you'll tighten the adjuster knob a hair to stop the leak, and now you are at the same breathing effort of the non-adjustable Mares Abyss. The Abyss cannot be tuned as "hot" as the HOG because there is no way to de-tune the Abyss in the water, but in the water you may be forced to "de-tune" the HOG a notch or two... So, the real world performance probably levels out between these two 2nd stages.

At least that has been my experience with them. Their performance is too close for me to declare a winner.

If both are well-tuned, you'd be very happy with either, so it comes down to personal preference.

One thought: The Mares MR-22 1st stage does not come with a cold water kit by default. You should find out if this is an added cost, and how much. That might push your decision towards the HOG D3.

The Mares MR22 / Abyss is a great cold water reg however... the Abyss 2nd is all metal and this helps in cold water (the HOG has a metal air barrel and like the Apeks 2nds is also good in cold water). See what other local divers are doing (cold water kit or not for the MR22 1st stage).

Sorry, it looks like I did not help much; I love my Mares regs, and I'm also a big HOG fan... pick the one that you feel you'll get the best support with if you do not plan to service your own regs. The reason for this is Mares does not (freely) sell parts to consumers, but EDGE/HOG does.

Best wishes.

 

[diversteve]

Pick the one with a dealer nearby if you don't plan to service them yourself also..

 

[patratcan]

Hi patracan,


One thought: The Mares MR-22 1st stage does not come with a cold water kit by default. You should find out if this is an added cost, and how much. That might push your decision towards the HOG D3.


Best wishes.

Thank you for your honest opinion... I do not believe the D3 comes with a cold water kit by default either. It seems to me that the difference comes down to this:

Hog D3 pros:
- Balanced 2nd stage
- Possibility of self-servicing

Mares Abyss 22:
- Better Build Quality


I am thinking both warranties must be similar.
------------------------------------------------

I think I am leaning HOG at the moment. Will see.

Thx, I was starting to think no one had any idea...

 

[lemke]

If by "build quality" you mean sexy, then yes. But then again, I don't find myself staring at my regs while diving. I dive Hogs, and they do everything I need them to do... and you can't beat the price.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Hi again patracan,

I cannot comment on the D3 build quality, but can honestly say the build quality on the HOG 2nd stages is superb, so I suspect the 1st stages will also be good.

Oh, and I believe the HOG D3 is DIN, the Mares MR-22 can be either DIN or yoke, depending on what the dealer brought in? Mine are yoke.

If it were me, I'd be left again with a decision on which style 2nd stage I preferred.

I'm not sure on the warranties. My personal and very jaded opinion is that I see all regulator warranties as essentially worthless. Neither of these regs are going to have "warranty recalls" at this point, they are well-established designs. To maintain the warranty you are generally forced to bring the regulator in for annual service (parts are free, labor is not), whether that service is truly needed or not (but that is a another argument entirely ). This is true for many manufacturers, I'm honestly not sure about Mares and HOG since I service my own gear.

I would probably lean towards HOG, despite my infatuation with Mares regs. I do believe the D3 comes with or without a cold water kit, I would need to check... maybe the model on sale does not have it??

Have fun with whatever you decide, there really is not a bad choice here. Both are good regs.

Best wishes.

 

[patratcan]

Thanks you guys for the help! Scubaboard has helped me every time I needed imput or had questions. I plan on becoming a more active member here

 

[buddhasummer]

FWIW the D3 scratches very easily, if looks matter. Not sure why HOG didn't choose the more hard wearing coating used on the D1 first.