New to Diving Need advice on Regs

[xeptra]

Hey all,
I am new to diving and would like to start purchasing my gear piece by piece. I've been told the best thing to start with is my reg set up and my computer. I'm looking for a reg of decent quality thats good for a beginner but will last a long time. I really don't know much about the different kinds of brands or types of regs so any advice you can give me would be awesome! Thanks guys!

 

[Underwater Ogre]

Start reading posts...you'll get an idea of what is out there.

I hate to solicit...but what the heck..get a hold of me if you are looking for good used/new gear. I am downloading heaps of it.

Good luck
U/O

 

[SandyRobinson]

If you plan to have your reg serviced locally, go see Richard at Coral Reef Scuba. He carries Scubapro, Aqualung, and Sherwood and maybe some others. He can steer you in the right direction.

Or you can go see Edd at Cave Adventurers in Marianna. He carries Atomics, Diverite and some other brands too.

 

[Couv]

Hello Xeptra,

Welcome to Scuba Board

(Go to the bottom and skip the boring part)

Shortly, you will be swamped with advise about buying a regulator, mostly by people who own a brand and are very fond of it. One thing to keep in mind about regulators is that most are great at what they do. So how do you separate the wheat from the chaff? That won't be easy, but it will be fun and entertaining. Soon you will find out there are quite a few gurus on this board in each section. It's helpful to pick out a few of them and read lots of their post and you will be off to a very good start. In the regulator section I can highly recommend the post of (in no particular order) Awap, DA Aquamaster, Captain, Pescador775 and Luis H ©Õhere are lots of others but that will keep you busy for a while.

At any rate, you want a regulator brand that has a good track record for keeping parts available for each model. Of course unless you intend to DIY, you also want a regulator that can be serviced by your local dive shop and lots of locations in the world. The two best companies in both regards are Aqualung and Scubapro.

My recommendation for the average recreational diver, i.e. not freezing water, 150 feet or less, is a simple non balanced piston 1st stage such as the Scuba Pro MK 2 (or Aqualung Calypso, Mares R2, Sherwood Brut, Oceanic SP4 and a few others.) This simple design is usually inexpensive, nearly bullet proof, easy to get parts for and easy and inexpensive to service. It is also easy to DIY because it requires only a few o-rings and a seat. Yes, the unbalanced design will increase the breathing effort at low tank pressure, but I view this as a good thing especially for new or inexperienced divers. See this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/87374-scuba-pro-r190-2.html
Additionally, if/when one wants to start more advanced diving where high concentrations of oxygen will be used this type regulator can be moved to that application.

For a second stage I like an adjustable and balanced unit. This provides the ability to have the regulator tuned to minimum inhalation resistance with the option of the diver increasing the resistance it if he/she finds the need to. Having said that, a straight forward classic downstream design with a simple to replace set of o-rings and button soft seat can be highly recommended as it is a tried and true design, parts are usually available and almost anyone can service them.

It is a good idea to have the same manufactures 1st and 2nd stage to make getting service less complicated.

For more demanding diving and high end/higher performance (higher price) regulators see the following link for DA's excellent advice.
<http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/181745-advice-regulators.html>

You could/should ignor all of the above and PM DA Aquamaster and see if he has any rebuilts to sell.....you can't go wrong there.

Couv

 

[fnfalman]

All of the regs are good for beginners and all of the regs will last a long time if the owner takes good care of them.

Now, what you pay extra for are ease of breathing, corrosion resistance, lighter weight, etc.

What's YOUR budget?

 

[halocline]

I'd reconsider your order of getting gear. I'd start with a perfectly fitting wetsuit for the water temps you plan on diving in most frequently, then I would get a BC of some sort. You're close enough to cave adventurers that you could go there to find a great deal on a backplate/wing set up by oxycheq or dive rite. Then I would get the reg and finally the computer. The reason for this order is that the most dramatic improvement of diving comfort and enjoyment will come from the right exposure suit, and second best improvement from a BC that is well designed, fits well, and minimal in extraneous crap. While this topic is a constant 'spirited discussion' on SB, my opinion is that the backplate/wing with a simple one piece webbing harness is the way to go, and you're near one of the better places in the country to get one. You should definitely go there and try one before buying any sort of BC.

A good regulator will make diving more enjoyable over a lousy one, that's for sure, but you can rent decent ones for a while, and as fnfalman sort-of said, there are lots of good choices. A simple scubapro MK2/R190 works very well when adjusted correctly and will certainly last a lifetime. What you're quite often paying for with high end regs is hype. Another great way to save money is to buy used regs; all the parts that wear are routinely replaced at servicing and as such, there are plenty of 20-30 year old regs working just as well as they did when new, sometimes better! You can save a lot of money this way.

Good ole Tallahassee...not my absolute favorite town in the world, but I loved FSU, so I enjoyed it there.

 

[LastManOut]

Hey there Xeptra, here's my two cents.

If you're going for your first pieces of gear I would say get your mask, snorkel and fins. If you haven't already bought those they are essential.

Quick(ish) lowdown...

Mask - for a mask look for something that is good quality and sturdy construction. Don't go for Mares LiquidSkin bulls**t, and the like they are pretty (and extortionately expensive) but you're paying for average quality and gimmicks. Go for something like a TUSA Powerview - A great mask that fits loads of people easily, provides a great viewing angle and is sturdy, whilst still being relatively low volume. I was the first in my area to buy one of these (black is the way to go) and now I know about 15 people who I've converted. They're just a great mask, good price too.

Snorkel - don't waste a bunch of money. 15 bucks max, just make sure it has a decent mouthpiece and a purge valve at the bottom, splashguard is a bonus.

Fins - this depends on your legs, but a good idea is to go for Mares as they make great fins in a huge range. Try and stay away from split fins, they are terrible in currents and overpriced. Instead go for something open heel and with boots, but full blade, like TUSA Tri-ex or Maries Avantitre/Quattro/Superchannel. Helps to have a light colour for visibility underwater ie yellow/green. Going black black black makes you look cool, but looking cool doesn't mean jack.

Having covered that, the next thing I would buy would be your regulators: I agree with you on that. First off, you should try and avoid buying a regulator that is expensive to service and has lots of finicky parts and special tools needed to service them. Not naming names. Try to get yourself a set of apeks ATX40's or something similar, these regs are phenomenally simple in design and are tried and tested. Failing that, Scubapro is the next best thing.

As for a computer, that is a pretty difficult answer in short. It depends where you want to go withy your diving. If you're happy not switching gases yet and that sort of thing, something like a DiveRite Nitek Duo would be fine, its not pretty and full of gimmicky algorithms, it just does it's job.

I don't necessarily agree with mattboy on buying a BC and wetsuit first. You need to try a few to make sure which one is right for you, but i'd hardly say it would be the forerunner in purchasing your gear. As you're starting out, sometimes you may get a bit cold in the water, but a wetsuit isn't necessarily your life support system, whereas regulators are.

However, if I were to make a recomendation as to a good BC, it would be in favour of something like a Mares Pegasus MRS, which is rear inflation for good trim/balance in the water (if you're not teaching as an instructor it's the way to go), and it's NOT a backplate/wing setup which you really don't need to start with, as they are expensive, no matter how many dooders on here try to sell you one.

Not only that the Pegasus is cheap (249 on Leisurepro) and light and compact, so good for travel. Only downside is limited storage space ie. pockets.

If you need any advice, please don't hesitate to PM me.

-- Nemo

 

[krulle]

Hi xeptra, you might want to read this article about regulators

 

[Lars599]

The answer on which reg to buy has been the same for me for the last 30 years - Scubapro. I still have my original Mk VII (honker)/109 and it works. Spend a little more now and you'll never have to buy another reg.

 

[kjvander]

As stated above going with a regulator that you can get serviced locally and by someone you trust is key. I personally dive Zeagle regulators and like them. I have heard good things about Scubapro and Apex. Find someone that you trust at a dive shop around you and talk with them. See if they have some regulators for you to try out in a pool or on a dive and try them. Go in with a price range in mind and get what you can afford.