Need advise on purchasing a budget reg.

[clindt]

I am trying to put together my own set of gear. I am tired of paying the high rental fees. I need a set of regulators and have narrowed down the search to these regs that are within my budget. I would like some opinions on these regs. and some first hand experience with them if possible. They are :

1. Mares MR12 Axis

2. Auqalung Titan

3. Aqualung Titan LX

4. Dacor Viper

5. SP R190 or R380

6. Apeks AT20

Thanks you for your coments and if there are ant other regs in this price range that you would recomend please tell me about them.

 

[thethumper]

MOst of the regs in your list are good to excelant regs.

Steer clear of the Dacor. The SP & the Apex, you realy can't go wrong with. I use Poseidon regs. There are those who don't like them, but I guess it's a person preference. As for your list, I would sway to the SP or Apex. They are servicable in nearly any city & it's pretty inexpensive for parts.

Just my opinion.

Hope to see ya 'round.

 

[DiveTub]

Agree with Thumper
Most of the Regs you have listed are very good middle range products. They will all suit your needs in recreational diving, and be a great backup set if you ever get into Deeper or Tech diving

my pref would be the SP, Mares or Apex,

see if you can fine a LDS that will let you take them for a play in the pool and see how they feel in your mouth.

 

[Rob Meddes]

What sort of price are we talking about? In English pounds if you know it

 

[bobandcompany]

Avoid Dacor Viper, most uncomfortable wettest reg I have ever used. The SP R380 breathes incredibly well for a budget reg. Apex, SP and Aqualung are very reliable and can eb serviced just about anywhere. I have used the titan it is a little heavy but breathed just fine, although I did not like the mouthpiece. I have never used a Mares reg but for most it is either love or hate them. My LDS does not like the SP MK16 first stage for some reason and reccomends getting the titan if it is a choice between the two. I think it has to do with servicing it he does not like. Also consider what type of water. If you are in dirty or silty water consider a sealed diaphragm.

 

[chepar]

and it works very well for me - considering it is a "budget reg". At the time, I didn't want to spend the big bucks on my reg while I was such a rank novice - and I was really happy with my choice.
I believe the AT20 is about 25% smaller and has a smaller exhaust tee (from what I've heard).

I purchased it a month after my OW cert, and it has worked beautifully since. My max depth has been 110 feet - and it breathes as well down there as it does at 40'. It breathes pretty much the same in all positions - maybe a tad harder if you're upside down or face up on your back looking at the surface, but it's not a major issue for me.

I don't have any complaints about the T20's size - so the AT20 may be even better as it's smaller and lighter.

However, I believe the T20 and AT20 are considered warm water regs - if so, that's fine for me in Hawaii, but you may consider that if you're going to be doing any diving during the winter in Texas. I could be wrong, though.

 

[Genesis]

either the SP or the Apeks, with the determining factor being which you are more comfortable being serviced.

The R380 and R190 are good classic downstream second stages. I have an R380 as my backup on my rig and use it frequently (both to check it and when I'm doing something like inflating a lift bag with the primary, since my primary is on the long hose.)

Works great; its not quite as smooth as my S600 primary, but I also have it detuned (deliberately) a bit so that it isn't prone to freeflow on me.

I also have a second "backup" reg set with a G200 and an R190, and both of those work well also.

 

[clindt]

Thanks for the replys. I will be diving mostly in lakes around here year round and probably once or twice a year in saltwater. Should I be concerned about the regs being balanced or not? The deepest that I have ever been is 110 ft. I noticed that the aqualung is a balanced first and second stage. Will that make a difference? The scubapros are not balanced regs(mk 2 first stages I think). What about being enviromentally sealed? Is that a big deal?

Sorry I have so many questions. I think this board is great and have learned a lot already.

 

[nickjb]

Check out the review here:

http://www.divernet.com/equipment/0401regtest.htm

It is very informative and unbiased.

 

[Genesis]

is not a HUGE deal with today's regs.

Environmental sealing may be. Much depends on the environment you dive in. If the water is very dirty - or more importantly, very cold (under 50F) then you may want it, as it helps prevent freezing.