Mares MR12 or Dacor ViperAmerica?

[HardhatDivr]

I'd like any opinons relating to my next regulator choice. Ive been looking at the Mares MR 12 and the Dacor Viper America (Is this the same as the Viper TEK?)...

I had dove the Zeagle T50D for several years, and Poseidon Odin's, but ended up selling them to fund some unforseen school expenses... Now that Im moving in a forward direction again, Im looking for a solid regulator for recreational diving...

Thanks in advance...

Bruce

 

[budcris]

i have a dacor viper metal it is basically the same as the america with the exception of a small bit of metal. the reg performs well but has a few quarks that i understand are pretty common to the viper line if you look up the reg will fill wiht water. the octopus free flows pretty easily (mine had to be adjusted way down ) and i find that the exhaust bubbles are actually worse than some of the other more traditional exhaust t's. but all in all it is a good reg i just wish that i had not sold my us divers micra it is the best and most comfortable reg that i have ever used.( i let a lds convince me that my micra was not nitrox compatible in order for him to sell me the viper) lessons learned if you like a regulator always get a second individual opinion on its compatibility for the applications that you want

 

[double125's]

I own the MR 12 and the Oceanic alpha 7 sp4. I like my Oceanic better but it is a piston reg, So I will probably be buying another reg that is a diaphram so I can due cold water diving. The mares reg is on my second post and never had a problem with free flows until I added the DIN upgrade. Apparently it raised the intermediate pressure or in some way altered the amount of airflow in the reg. I dont breathe it that much because it is my back-up and only used during valve drills. It does not breath as easy as the oceanic that is why I am using the oceanic as my primary. It seams to be a well made reg and I have no complaints with it, it is just ranked a step below my other reg because of ease of breathing.