I'm ready to upgrade the entry-level regulator set I bought on clearance 125 dives ago. I can tell that it requires more work to breathe at depth: I sometimes notice this as early as 60 feet, and it's clearly apparent by 80 feet. I'm ready to say I got my money's worth at under two bucks per dive and make it my backup/spare/loaner.
From discussions with more advanced divers and reading here and elsewhere, my inclination is to go with a regulator set from ScubaPro, Atomic, or Apeks. What I don't know is how close to the top of the lineup I should go to get something that will meet my needs.
My needs:
--I'm a divemaster who will probably aim for OWSI later this year if the world returns to normal before my retirement fund evaporates and I can still afford it.
--Nearly all of my diving is in Florida or further south.
--I might try a few colder dives on visits to my sister in Washington state, but I won't venture into ice.
--I do expect to take at least some introductory tech courses, maybe to 45 meters or so, but I don't expect to spend a whole lot of time in deep, dark places.
--I'm sometimes in low vis, where I worry about sediment creeping into parts, and I might look for some shark's teeth, when I'd deliberately be stirring things up a bit (I think--I've never done this before). Does this mean I want a sealed unit?
So . . .
. . . If I were to go with ScubaPro, do I jump to the Mk25 EVO/D420 or is something closer to the middle of their lineup suitable for me? If so, which models should I consider?
. . . If I were to go with Atomic, is Z2/Z3 good enough for my needs, or should I aim higher?
. . . For Apex, do I need to be in the XTX series? Is XTX40 enough, or should I move up closer to the XTX200?
I'm not aiming for a particular price point. Money is a consideration, but it's more important for me to get a truly appropriate regulator I could theoretically use for the rest of my diving life without having to upgrade again. But I don't want to do any unncessary gold plating or piling on of extra features I won't need.
I'm also open to ideas for specific regulators from other brands like Deep6, Dive-Rite if they're suitable for my diving and offer a better value.
My LDS has agreed to let me hang around his service area one day a week after corona passes, so I expect to be able to do my own servicing at some point. I'm also willing to take a class.
And one more thing: I think I'm going to go DIN with this set. Any reasons I shouldn't?
I'll be grateful for any wisdom shared.
From discussions with more advanced divers and reading here and elsewhere, my inclination is to go with a regulator set from ScubaPro, Atomic, or Apeks. What I don't know is how close to the top of the lineup I should go to get something that will meet my needs.
My needs:
--I'm a divemaster who will probably aim for OWSI later this year if the world returns to normal before my retirement fund evaporates and I can still afford it.
--Nearly all of my diving is in Florida or further south.
--I might try a few colder dives on visits to my sister in Washington state, but I won't venture into ice.
--I do expect to take at least some introductory tech courses, maybe to 45 meters or so, but I don't expect to spend a whole lot of time in deep, dark places.
--I'm sometimes in low vis, where I worry about sediment creeping into parts, and I might look for some shark's teeth, when I'd deliberately be stirring things up a bit (I think--I've never done this before). Does this mean I want a sealed unit?
So . . .
. . . If I were to go with ScubaPro, do I jump to the Mk25 EVO/D420 or is something closer to the middle of their lineup suitable for me? If so, which models should I consider?
. . . If I were to go with Atomic, is Z2/Z3 good enough for my needs, or should I aim higher?
. . . For Apex, do I need to be in the XTX series? Is XTX40 enough, or should I move up closer to the XTX200?
I'm not aiming for a particular price point. Money is a consideration, but it's more important for me to get a truly appropriate regulator I could theoretically use for the rest of my diving life without having to upgrade again. But I don't want to do any unncessary gold plating or piling on of extra features I won't need.
I'm also open to ideas for specific regulators from other brands like Deep6, Dive-Rite if they're suitable for my diving and offer a better value.
My LDS has agreed to let me hang around his service area one day a week after corona passes, so I expect to be able to do my own servicing at some point. I'm also willing to take a class.
And one more thing: I think I'm going to go DIN with this set. Any reasons I shouldn't?
I'll be grateful for any wisdom shared.