need a regulator! help w/ beginner suggestion

[jisou]

I'm down here in Ft Lauderdale and am constantly frustrated by the fact that I don't have a regulator.. I have to either borrow or rent, neither of which are ideal situations. My boyfriend is going to help me out, assuming I do the research on what a good starter is - read: best quality for the least money. And, ya know, I'm trying, but there are SO MANY REGULATORS out there... Anyone have suggestions I can look up?

Danke.
Stacey

 

[OE2X]

Try a ScubaPro MK16/250. I think it will take care of your needs and isn't too expensive.

 

[munkispank]

In case you haven't done already, check out some of the best buys listed on scubadiving.com, they rate some good entry level regs.

 

[Chad Carney]

Stacey,

Zeagle happens to have two regulators, the Envoy & Envoy Deluxe, that fit your description better than any other brand... both acheived perfect breathing scores and testers choice status on ScubaDiving Magazine's regulator test, and in the under $300 and under $400 MSRP categories. Nobody else even made the list!

That test was in Nov of 2003 and the regs in 2005 have a MSRP of $319 and $369, still no stretch of the purse strings.

Here's the link, http://www.zeagle.com/index.php?src=news&prid=6&category=Product%20News

Of course I'm biased...I represent Zeagle in Florida, but I used their gear for 20 years before joining the team.

Adventure Dive & Snorkel is at 10191 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines. Call Rui at 954-517-0800 www.adventurediveflorida.com

Good Diving,

Chad

 

[Quarrior]

I second the Zeagles.

 

[rescuediver009]

Everyone will give you your opinion until you are just a confused when you started. What dealers are near you? This will give you a start as you will always have to get your reg serviced and you will most definetely want something nearby. Zeagle seems to be very popular in the southeast states and you cannot go wrong with whatever you choose from their lineup. They are all high performers that you will not outgrow. Like Apeks they are all very similar with a few specific features each...

 

[darkstar]

My approach would be, visit a few LDS's in your area to get a short list of what's can be serviced locally. Then check scubadiving.com to see how your list rates on the reg review (though with a grain of salt as some good regs are not reviewed, or do less well on simulator tests than in the real world e.g. Sherwood).
Finally, search on scubaboard to see if anybody posted a real problem with your choice.
Since you are looking for an inexpensive reg, your LDS may even have one in it's rental stock for you to try.

 

[Goose75]

I was happy with the low end Tusa and ScubaPros I rented before I chose one to buy. I didn't care for the low end Sherwood. Other people like them just fine. Ask for what selection your store has in rentals and try out what you are thinking of buying. When you find something that you like, buy one. Being balanced is a plus, so look at the low end ones with this feature first. If they are in your price range, try them out.

 

[bigredbill]

anything you have rented, and it is cheap cheap cheap...Leisurepro is selling the Mares R2 Axis Pro for $99. This will be a fine reg for beginning diver and likely will last you all your life. If you get super super serious about diving you might want or need to spend more sometime in the future, but for basic sports diving you really can't go wrong. Hell, $99 is not that much more than what some folks are willing to pay for an overhaul!!!

Here is a link to an article that reviews this reg -
http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/regulators/16_new_budget_regulators

You really can't go wrong for this price. Some on this board might poo-poo my suggestion because they have a political beef with Mares. Screw it. Mares is a major manufacture and they do not make junk, and this reg will remain servicable for the forseeable future. It actually should be very cheap to service if you go to a reputable shop. You will always be able to get most if not all of $99 out of this reg if you are done with it in a couple of years, and if you do go nuts on scuba, it will make a fine backup reg or pony reg should you need to rig yourself more extensively.

Plus, you will owe your boyfriend only a $99 favor, which you can probably repay by being slightly more tolerant of him for a couple of days.

I just can't see how you can go wrong with this choice!

 

[Nemrod]

If you can really get the Mares for 99 dollars that is the way to go. N