Mares Abyss

[StandSure]

Hey Everybody:

Getting set to purchase a new reg. Wondering if any one has an opinion on the Mares Abyss? How does it compare with the less expensive Mares v16 Oribiter, or any other reg for that matter?

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

Thanks -

StandSure

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I've used a Mares Abyss for about 9 months and like it very much. My only complaint is that the second stage hose is a bit stiff. The regulator breathes superbly at any depth. Several friends have tried mine and always comment on the good breathing cheracteristics. I am very satisfied with this product but have not had the opportunity to use many different types of modern regulators. Therefore, my opinion is based upon minimal comparisons with other models/manufacturers.

 

[deepocean]

Hi Standsure;

i am also looking for a new reg.

i had a abyss for a couple of months. Sold it to a guy while telling him about the points that i list below ! He still wanted to buy the reg! How dumm can someone be ? (no one told these things when i bought the abyss, but he ....!!??)
I know also a couple of agencies who do not allow upstreamer regs. One agency : GUE (DIR).

DO not, i repeat, do not buy the abyss. Reasons:

- Upstream reg.
- Stif hose
- Stupid mouth piece
- Difficult hosing possibilities for doubles (should you ever want to do dives with doubles) a reg should be able to grow with your diving skills
- not standard ports.
- Alot of free flowing!! NOT GOOD!!!
- More expensieve then a good reliable apeks!
- It breathes cold! (this my exprience others will tell different maybe) I dive in the Netherlands(Holland)
- You are not able to strip the reg under water. With Apeks en SP
you can.

hope this helps, xerxes

recommend tx50 (i know this type)

 

[SubMariner]

We have used the Mares Abyss for about 6 months now & find it to be a great reg. (Previously I had a Sherwood Blizzard and Pearce had a USD Arctic.)

They breathe well at any depth or orientation ( upside down, right side up, sideways, no problem.) NOT a wet breather.

So far we have had them down to about 55F, with no problems in freeflowing.

The only "con" we found was that the exhaust T was a little short, lending to the odd bit of bubble interference.

xerxes: Don't hold back... tell us how you REALLY feel!

What makes you think that this is an "upstream" reg? As far as I know, all regs are designed with downsteam valves so that if they fail, they fail OPEN (freeflow).

If you think the hoses are stiff or have a problem with the mouthpiece, change them! This is very "cosmetic" stuff that is easily remedied. Ditto with freeflows. We had one instance of a freeflow when we first got the reg; a quick adjustment at the dive shop corrected the problem.

What do you mean by "it breathes cold"? Some regs (like the Sherwood Blizzard) have a heat sink in them... is this what you mean? That it has no heat sink?

Also, can you please explain what you mean by "not standard ports"?

And why in heaven's name would you want to "strip the reg underwater"????

Inquiring minds need to know,

~SubMariner~

 

[ninja]

We have had a lot of them under the ice no freeze ups! They do breathe superbly..The ultimate recreational regulator but may not be the best choices if you plan on getting into technial diving because of first stage ports for hose routing!

Having said that it's hard to get that much performance and reliability in one regulator

Len

 

[deepocean]

Hello Submariner;

abyss is a good CWD performer! The only thing i say is : it is not so good as a cheap Apeks DS4 or the tx100! Why get the abyss while you can get a BETTER regulator for a CHEAPER price ? Where are we talking about?

>We have used the Mares Abyss for about 6 months now & find >it to be a great reg. (Previously I had a Sherwood Blizzard and >Pearce had a USD Arctic.)

Ok, true.

>They breathe well at any depth or orientation ( upside down, > right side up, sideways, no problem.) NOT a wet breather.

Ok also true but so does Apeks only better.(just my exprience)

>So far we have had them down to about 55F, with no problems >in freeflowing.
I know a couple of occasions here in Holland that i heard of though(not seen by my self).

>The only "con" we found was that the exhaust T was a little >short, lending to the odd bit of bubble interference.
THEN GET THE OLD APEKS DS4/TX50!!??

>If you think the hoses are stiff or have a problem with the >mouthpiece, change them! This is very "cosmetic" stuff that is >easily remedied. Ditto with freeflows. We had one instance of a >freeflow when we first got the reg; a quick adjustment at the >dive shop corrected the problem.

Why not get the Apeks or the Zeagle, these do not need any adjustments and again are cheaper then the abyss.!


>What do you mean by "it breathes cold"? Some regs (like the >Sherwood Blizzard) have a heat sink in them... is this what you >mean? That it has no heat sink?

To be honest i dont know much about reg technic but my exprience is that Apeks breathes warmer during winter nights.
The air that flows through the mouth feels warmer. That is what i mean. And my abyss was in perfect condition (a technician checked the abyss after the dive and did also a dive with it and also said that it indeed breathes colder then his ds4 that i dove with)


>Also, can you please explain what you mean by "not standard >ports"?

Man check out the ports of a apeks ds4. All standaard. Nice for in the future(if you intend to get into "tech" and more advanced diving)

>And why in heaven's name would you want to "strip the reg >underwater"????

check out:
http://www.gue.com


My only question is to any apex specialist here is which apeks is better (if theres is any difference): tx100 or the ds4 . I know the ds4, but is there a major improvement in the tx100?

Greetings, xerxes

 

[SubMariner]

What reg someone dives with is usually a personal preference. That being said, it doesn't do your credibility any good to refer to someone who uses brand x over brand y as "How dumm [sic] can someone be ? "

It's obvious you are an Apex fan. Did it ever occur to you that they are NOT available everywhere? For example, they are not a common reg here in North America. And even if they were, if I only had a reg for 6 months, why would I turn around and buy a different one if the only "complaint" is that sometimes I get a bit of bubble interference?

Furthermore, you have not addressed the following:

1) Upstream regs. You have not provided any evidence that the Mares Abyss is an upstream reg. As I mentioned in a my other post, I have not heard of ANY reg manufactured today that is anything but a DOWNSTREAM configuration.

2) You still have not explained why you say the Abyss has non-standard ports other than to say "Man check out the ports of a apeks ds4. All standaard [sic]." What is your experience with the Abyss to suggest that the ports are not standard?

3) Five minutes in a shop to "detune" the reg is hardly a reason to forgo one reg over another. Minor freeflows often happen with new high performance regs and are quickly/easily remedied, never to happen again. The other items that you do not like are strictly personal preference/subjective and have nothing to do with the reg's performance.

4) Providing me with a link to GUE is not an answer as to why the average diver would want to "strip a reg underwater". Most divers couldn't tell GUE/DIR from MICKEY MOUSE. No offense, but tech divers are only a small percentage of the larger diving community. Not everyone is interested in diving doubles, using a bunged-wing bc with a backplate & harness, or doing decompression diving.

~SubMariner~

 

[large_diver]

Not to put words into Xerxes mouth....but...

I think the LP port on the first stage of the Abyss that is used for the "primary" reg is 7/16" in diameter, while the 3 other LP ports are a "standard" diameter of 3/8". DIR-sciples and other techie types seem to shy away from this since it can reduce flexibility if you are changing hoses or have a hose failure in the field.

Of course, he may not be aware that even his "beloved" Apeks has done the same thing with the 2 main first stages being sold in the US right now -- including the TX-100, which he is recommending above ;-)

The "ability to strip underwater" is another DIR mantra...I guess for deep cavers who have no choice but to make on the spot repairs......not applicable to 95% of divers out there.

And dude, if you don't like a mouthpiece -- CHANGE IT. My Apeks TX-40 came with a mouthpiece that I hated (egads -- an Apeks with something else that might not be optimal) -- my LDS gave me a sea-cure for free when I bought the reg that I changed myself...took about 2 minutes.

I agree Apeks makes great regs, but to say everything else sucks because the WKPP doesn't like them is a little harsh.

Respectfully submitted (and proud Apeks owner),

-LD

 

[neil]

Originally posted by xerxes

DO not, i repeat, do not buy the abyss. Reasons:
- Upstream reg.

Xerxes,
You need to learn/review the working principles of regulators. Both the Mares and the Apex are the same as far as basic design goes: downstream second stages and balanced diaphragm first stages. If the 1st stage were upstream, tank pressure would have the tendency to close the valve. This is not the case. The only closing force on the first stage is intermediate pressure. For the 1st stage to fail closed, you'd have something pretty extreme happen, like the main spring breaking into pieces! I've seen them fail open, but never closed. I hope you gave the guy a good price on the Abyss.

Neil

 

[deepocean]

Neil

hi. About the price: i did, dont worry

In short what i wanted to say was: no reg is too technical. Why not buy the reg that can grow with you ? when the price is even lower?
If Apeks is not avialable in your region you have also the option of taking Zeagle. (I heard apeks and zeagle are almost identical) or Oceanic?

xerxes

p.s. i am sorry but this was my last email about this. Dont have time to argue. Have a nice dive all.