New diver buying first regulator set

[tvh13]

Hi All,

I am a new diver looking into purchasing my first regulator set.

I will be living mostly in Thailand and so mostly warm water diving (and Thai dive shops).

I will be in the US soon and would like to buy a regulator set while I am home.

I am looking at the Hog fist and second stage set and I have a few questions. Questions based on my current dive status as Padi advanced open water + Nitrox cert so I will not be doing and technical or "advanced" diving. Mostly reef diving in tropical conditions.

My questions are:

1. The Hog comes with a Din connector but all of the rental tanks around here are yoke style is there a recommended adaptor?

2. Hose length? Suggestions on how to detemine my optimal hse length baed on my diving profile and body size (if this matters). I am Medium/large and slim build.

3. I was told I don't need a depth gauge because I have a dive computer but I feel that a backup is a good idea. Any suggestions here? Entry level brand/model to consider?

4. Anything else that I should consider?

TIA

 

[ams511]

I have not used a Hog personally but hear good things about them. First, you could use any din adaptor but stay away from the ultralight ones. Second, depends on your diving style, if you like the DIR setup then you would use a 60" primary, 22" octohose, and a 24" SPG hose. If you want a standard setup just tell that to whoever your buying it from. Third, not sure if there is much of a difference in depth gauges, I guess you should consider if you want a console, hose, or wrist mount. Finally, the only other thing I could think of was service. Can you get a Hog serviced in Thailand? You could probably buy the service kits and have a local tech do it.

 

[tvh13]

It seems that some are not happy using DIN to yoke conversion fittings. Are there some that are better than others? It the primary dislike based on head clearance? of the 1st stage?

Most every rental tank I've seen here in Phuket is yoke type.

 

[Dr Neil]

#4 Buy the best regulator you can afford in your price range. If you are living outside the US, purchase one of the better know brands (think servicing.)

I have a DIN first stage with a yoke adapter. Beside a little less head space, I have not had any trouble. I do disconnect the adapter after diving to rinse the the regulator.

 

[keyshunter]

If you are going to dive tanks with yoke connectors, it is silly to buy a reg with din and an added adapter. For approximately the same price as a din/yoke adapter, you can change the yoke fitting to din if you later decide to dive din tanks. As mentioned above, buy a reg which can easily be serviced locally.

 

[The Chairman]

Hogs/Edges are GREAT. I dive two all the time! Just buy both the yoke and DIN fittings for your reg. They aren't hard to switch back and forth on.

 

[watboy]

Check serviceablility. I haven't seen HOG regs in thailand before, but I don't have the most comprehensive sample set. I believe Scubapro's are the most prevalent brand in thailand, you can get it serviced pretty much everywhere. I bought a set of scubapro's during my DMT after universal recommendation because of their serviceability. Also think that for the warm and clear tropic diving conditions, regulator performance isn't really an issue.

 

[Dustinh]

Watboy makes a really good point. If nobody in Thailand can service your regulators, it's going to make life very difficult for you. You might want to check this site out:

Service Centre - SCUBAPRO-UWATEC