new DIR diver, DiveRite RG2500ICE question

[texspeleo]

So lately I've been having this overwhelming urge to take the DIR plunge. I've incorporated many Hogarthian concepts into my gear over the years, and have found them all to be fundamentally sound and practical. I doubt that I will ever refuse to dive with anyone solely on the basis that they don't dive DIR (too many cavers and OW divers that I have too much respect for, and I will never be convinced that sidemounts don't have a valuable place in the world). I just can't argue with the logic of the configuration and holistic point of view.

That said, I moved to Colorado 4 years ago, and none of my ice regs really fit the DIR profile. After a year or so of contemplation, I think I've arrived at DiveRite's RG2500ICE as the answer to my DIR reg config, but I don't know anyone who spends time under the ice who uses the RG2500. I think the DIR configuration makes great sense for winter diving here, but I need some anecdotal evidence to be able to make a new (expensive) reg change with peace of mind. Anyone care to help me sleep better at night or send me back to the drawingboard?

Cheers----Chris

 

[RS]

I have the RG2500 setup and don't notice a difference compared to a SP MK10 / G250. No ice consideration for me though. The diverite dives right!

 

[rjack321]

I have those regs without the environmental seals, I use them for stage and/or deco bottles. I like them.

I have also used them on a single and found the hose routing just fine. Presumably you are diving doubles for ice? The swivels might be a bit of a hassle - not letting the hose stay pointed down and close to the tanks. Not 100% sure on how that would work. What do you have now? Why are they inadequate? Why not the DS4s?

 

[jeckyll]

I know folks that dive those regs on their doubles (the non sealed version) and like them a whole bunch.

I have a Salvo on a 40 stage and it's nice (same first stage routing) and a buddy has the Oxycheq on his doubles. Routing isn't really an issue, though I prefer the Atomic routing

I am curious what regs you have currently and why you don't think they will be suitable

 

[texspeleo]

I'm afraid I have rather a closet full of regs. However, none of them fit the DIR model of downstream valving with easy diaphragm access. My current favorite ice regs are my Sherwood Ultimas. My Sherwood firsts are actually SRB3601s instead of the factory SRB 3801s, for the purpose of interstage pressure adjustability and availability of parts. Sherwood 1sts are as reliable as they come. I also have USD Impulse Cryos on enviro sealed SEA2s.

I won't dive a piece of gear just because someone says it has to be a certain way if you want to dive with the cool folks, but the DIR idea of gear commonality in the interest of easier problem resolution and interchangability of parts makes sense to me.

 

[texspeleo]

Sorry rjack,

While re-reading, I realized I didn't answer the other part of your question. I've nothing against Apeks regs. I've had lots of luck with my Dive Rite gear (original Transpac, various reels). Lamar Hires is unquestionably a caver, which leads me to believe that his gear will be designed to perform to that end. I realize that the regs are contracted from another manufacturer, but I trust that Dive Rite wouldn't stake their reputation on something of questionable manufacture. There seems to be quite a bit of anecdotal evidence on the board that the RG2500s are reliable and up to most tasks. I simply can't find much about performance in very cold water. Also, it appears to me from the parts diagrams that I can find that the seconds have fewer moving parts than G250s & XTX50s, which in my mind generally equates to fewer problems. I'm not criticizing any of them, but am somewhat humanly, more comfortable with what I'm famliar with. I guess I could dig out some old Conshelf XIVs...

 

[rjack321]

I read between the lines and figured that out. Sorry can't speak to their rediculously cold water performance. The coldest I've had my non-sealed ones in is 43F. They were fine.

As a general rule its second stages that give more cold water problems (at least that I hear about). Freeze much less often and I suspect gas humidity plays a big role there. I guess what I'm saying is that maybe your should focus on the 2nd stages more than the firsts.

I don't know the issues with your current regs, but other than a few old posidens "non-dir" regs are really rare. Shoot I use a Mares Rebel on my single tank. Got to be one of the cheapest regs out there. Works fine for what I ask of it.

 

[nadwidny]

Sorry rjack,

I've had lots of luck with my Dive Rite gear (original Transpac, various reels). Lamar Hires is unquestionably a caver, which leads me to believe that his gear will be designed to perform to that end. I realize that the regs are contracted from another manufacturer, but I trust that Dive Rite wouldn't stake their reputation on something of questionable manufacture.

Your trust is misplaced. Check out the track records of their rebreather, scooters, as well as their POS reels to disprove your theory.

DR stakes their reputation on what makes them money. The consideration of whether or not it is of questionable manufacture or design seems to come second.

 

[texspeleo]

Your trust is misplaced. Check out the track records of their rebreather, scooters, as well as their POS reels to disprove your theory.

DR stakes their reputation on what makes them money. The consideration of whether or not it is of questionable manufacture or design seems to come second.

Good point on the scooters/rebreathers. I've never messed with either by DR, but I must admit that they do seem to have a bit of a rep. I've been using DR reels for 9 years, and haven't ever had an issue that I couldn't attribute to my poor technique. And haven't had any of those issues for a pretty reasonable amount of time. I do think that the finger spools look a whole lot easier, and present negligable line trapping. The handle was far less of a management issue when a light barrel was in the same hand. Not so much with a Goodman I suspect. I've had a number of fairly high end BCs, and never found anything worth comparing to my Transpac. The regs seem to be fairly issue free, from what I'm reading.

 

[texspeleo]

As a general rule its second stages that give more cold water problems (at least that I hear about). Freeze much less often and I suspect gas humidity plays a big role there. I guess what I'm saying is that maybe your should focus on the 2nd stages more than the firsts.

I don't know the issues with your current regs, but other than a few old posidens "non-dir" regs are really rare. Shoot I use a Mares Rebel on my single tank. Got to be one of the cheapest regs out there. Works fine for what I ask of it.

I'm quite pleased with the old SRB3601 firsts. There's not even an environmental diagphram to mess with, and bonehead simple. They can be tuned up to 165psi which would support Cyklon 300s (spec ISP of 162 by the book, if memory serves) if I wanted to do that. As far as I can determine, spec instage presssure at adequate flow has no reason in physics to care what brand reg is on the other end of the hose. I've never really used the Sherwoods deeper than 100' (why when the SEA2 is one of the best NEDU ever tested?). The Ultima second is actually an Odin or Jetstream second made by Poseidon for Sherwood according to the regional Krammer-Decker rep. I have an older Triton as well, but just never liked it that much. My biggest problem with the DIR compliant set up is getting to the seconds' diaphragms w/o tools. All of my older non-Poseidon seconds are Aqualung. Impulses, an XLC, Micras in both configs, and brass bodied Conshelfs. The XLC would work (removable cover). Again the venerable Conshelf has potential, but I don't see most of the cool kids playing with them, and I suspect that there's a good reason somewhere. I thought the Conshelf did pretty well on some pretty deep dives in the early 1990s, but things were different then . Besides, I haven't annoyed my wife with new toys in a while.