New Regulators: How High in the ScubaPro, Atomic, or Apeks Line-Up Is Enough for Me?

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Scraps

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
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Location
Florida
# of dives
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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.
 
If you are learning to do you own servicing, buying a nice used one might be worth your consideration. You will not only get a very nice regulator, but also be able to repair it cheaper then most. I would buy something that allows you to fix it yourself which would remove aqualung/apex from the list
 
If you are learning to do you own servicing, buying a nice used one might be worth your consideration. You will not only get a very nice regulator, but also be able to repair it cheaper then most. I would buy something that allows you to fix it yourself which would remove aqualung/apex from the list

Yes. Once I decide which model, I will work on the new-vs.-used decision.
 
I only have experience with the atomic regs, so I'll speak to those. There are only two main differences as you move up the tiers. Material is the main one. Moving through the different models basically gets you more titanium. (Ok, the M1 gives you monel components and the ST1 gives you stainless). The other is once you get above the z2/z3, you get a 5 lp port swivel turret rather than the 7 lp port fixed turret. No need to do the z3 over the z2. You're just paying extra for a different color trim ring and the proprietary atomic hose with the 2nd stage swivel. Save your money and buy a caveventures swivel instead and use any regular reg hose.

With that said, I've seen amazing deals on used m1 set ups for less than z2/z3 set ups.
 
All of the choices are good, the more similar SP to your others price wise would be the MK11/c370 it’s not sealed completely but none of the important bits are exposed to grit, I have one and it amazingly good, you may really like the D420 but maybe wait to pair it with a MK 19 or 17 if you can. The MK 25 is an excellent reg but not sealed which may/will suffer from long term grit.

The Atomic Z series can be sealed and it’s a great reg. I also have one of these.

Apeks are all good I don’t use them but they enjoy a great reputation, the set I had was damn nice and you will be told by the fan club that the 40 is as good as anything and going beyond the 100 is wasting $$.
 
My long experience is with Scubapro only.
I do not recommend the top-range units, particularity NOT the D420, it is just too new for being considered reliable.
I would suggest a MK17 and G260, with an R195 if you use the old approach of an octopus. If, as I prefer, you want two independent regs, then two MK17 and two G260, and you will never have problems, even for very tech diving.
Having them identical simplifies maintenance and reliability, from two with problems you can always come out with one perfectly working.
And of course get them with DIN mount, nowadays INT is entirely obsolete.
If you search for the used market, a great alternative to the G260 is the G250V.
 
And of course get them with DIN mount
This is a good point, even if you want/need both set ups.

With the atomic regs, it's cheaper to buy din and get the yoke conversion kit than it is to buy yoke and get the din conversion kit, even though you end up with all the same parts in the end.
 
If you want to go the self-service route and want to be able to buy service-kits without having to go on the grey-market or under the table through a shop connection, HOG and Deep6 are the companies operating with that model. Both have training classes with certification available to end-users. I don't know where you are in FL, but IIRC @The Chairman offers service classes up in cave country

The HOG D3 1st/Zenith 2nd and Deep6 Signature 1st/2nds are very similar. Both are sealed and have 2x HP and 5X LP with swivel turrets. As I understand it Deep6 has upgraded some O-ring/seat materials and coatings and a turbine poppet in the 2nd stages. Deep6 also includes the service kits and the first mail-in service with the original purchase. FWIW with the HOGs you can change the purge cover to a different color by swapping it out for <$10.

As of today:
- Deep6 Signature 1st and 2x Signature 2nds (no hoses, gauges, etc - BUT includes service kits and free mail-in 1st service) is $504 (Deep 6 Configurable Single Tank Package)
- HOG DIN D3 1st and 2x Zenith 2nds (no hoses, gauges, etc - AND NO service kits NOR 1st service) is $380 (Special! Hog Zenith Din Combo Package & Hot Special! HOG Zenith 2nd Stage ****All BLACK Model*** , Piranha Dive Shop |) Service kits will add about $62 ($30 + 2x $16) putting you at around $442 with NO free service. You could probably save another $$71 if you go with the Classic series 2nds (Hog Classic 2.0LE second stage , Piranha Dive Shop |) with the same guts but a different, simpler front-cover system and the D1X 1st (more compact, but still are sealed and have 2x HP and 5X LP with swivel turrets) - D1X/Classic (https://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/Hog-D1X-DIN-Sealed-w-Classic-2.0-Regulator-Set-14966)

If I was not already embedded in the HOG ecosystem before the Deep6s came out, I would probably choose the Deep6 for net value and slight tweaks. On the other hand, the color swap on the HOGs is useful to me for identification.

As for relative performance of the HOGs & D6s vs the others, I'll let other chime in since I've really only used my HOGs.
 
There is never a reason to go to the top of any reg line, stay in the mid range for your best value.

As for DIN, I am going to disagree. If you are going tech then DIN, otherwise there is no good reason to use them. Most rental tanks in the US and Caribbean are yoke. A yoke will make your life a lot easier when traveling. You can use an adapter but why, it only buys you more stuff and more failure points.
 
You can use an adapter but why, it only buys you more stuff and more failure points.
If he's set up to do service, swapping out the connector fittings from DIN to yoke when he knows he's going to be traveling to somewhere without DIN tanks is a trivial task.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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