Newbie needs regulator advice, please

[Fishy8411]

Any and all advice would be most appreciated.

After twenty years it looks like I’m going to be doing some diving again. Lost most of my gear in a move, work and life just got in the way. Well my wife (of ten years) and I are going on a Caribbean cruise in two weeks. Nothing spectacular in the way of dive locations, but what the heck. I’ve signed up for a refresher, and been working out hard for four months.

My surprise has been the encouragement of my wife, she hasn’t objected at all to my spending on new equipment. But I’ve been reading magazines and websites and I’m still confused about what regulator to purchase. Most of my diving will either be in Lake Huron or the Caribbean. Originally I was considering a Mares regulator purchased through Leisure Pro, but advisors warned me about the lack of warranty and costs of maintenance. Then I started looking at a ScubaPro MK16/R390 with a 190 octo, but then I found your site and got really confused. So will someone have mercy on a poor middle-aged guy and tell me what to buy and where?

I purchased a TUSA Liberator X-Ten mask with prescription lenses from Leisure Pro, which I love (but I never knew there were so many disgusting things in a public pool). I also purchased a pair of TUSA Xpert Zoom split fins, which don’t impress me that much. Is there a kick that is better for these fins, or are they over rated?

Thanks for any input.

Tom
Fishy8411

 

[Warren_L]

What you choose for a reg is generally personal preference. I'm guessing Lake Huron can get pretty cold (not sure if you plan on diving year round or not) and of course down south would typically be warm. If it were me, I would want something that would do well in cold water as well - Apeks ATX50 would be something to look at (or any of the other Apeks regs for that matter).

I have both Apeks and ScubaPro regs. The SP I use down south or in warmer waters, and the Apeks I use in cold waters or for ice diving.

 

[DementialFaith]

for ur condition id go against buying stuff like atomics or poseiden due to the service problem, id say go w/ apeks or scubapro, if ur looking for something slightly more ecomomic then go for titan legend

 

[japan-diver]

I would reccomend a Dive Rite reg for cold and warm diving, ease of maintenance and an overall great company.

Also split fins are overrated.

 

[Stig]

I've just started Diving & just got all my kit together so although I can't offer advice from years of experience I can say I've recently done alot of research & asking around for advice before getting all my kit.

In the end I went for the Apeks & I'm very pleased indeed & I know I made the right choice. Although I got the ATX200 there's not alot of difference between them & the ATX50 is still a superb Reg.

ps. I do my diving in the UK.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I have used Scubapro Mk 20 and 25 regs extensively in water as cold as 34 degrees and have not had free flow problems. But then I use low pressure steel tanks and generally good cold water regulator management techniques.

The Mk 16 TIS is even less free flow prone and would make an excellent cold water reg. I would go with a Scubapro reg over an Apeks but it's a personal choice based on prior experience and availability of service.

If you buy a Scubapro reg from Leisure pro you will not qualify for the warranty and the free parts for life that go with it. But you will still be able to get the reg serviced at any Scubapro dealer and parts for an annual service will run $20 to $40 per year depending on the dealer and how much they mark up the parts.

Whether you actually save money or not buying from LP depends on whether you get the reg serviced frequently or not. If you don't have the reg serviced annually, you will end up paying for at least some of the parts anyway as the SP warranty requires an annnual service. You can reinstate the warranty if you take a few years off as long as you can demonstrate you were the original owner and bought the reg from a authorized Scubapro dealer. You would then only need to pay for parts that year and would again be covered for subsequent annual services.

 

[Greg Barlow]

Some of the web based dealers are licensed by the manufacturers. Divers Direct is one such company with a great reputation. They offer both Mares and Oceanic regs. I service different lines, and can tell you that if you buy a model from a major manufacturer then it is difficult to go wrong.

Greg Barlow
Former Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine Science Editor

 

[ElectricZombie]

Get a ScubaPro or Apex reg. Make sure you buy it online. The warranty you get from buying from a LDS is useless.

 

[Gator Diver]

I went with an ATX 50 and have no complaints....maybe a little
overkill for Florida diving but I love it!!!

Also another one to consider is Zeagle, they pay for lifetime parts
every year.....

 

[Fishy8411]

I want to thank everyone for their advice and input. It looks like going to my LDS will cost me an additional $120 over an online site like LeisurePro. They give half off, on labor costs for any regulator they sell. That and establishing goodwill, is worth $120 to me (they're just six minutes away). They've got three regulators I'm thinking about now: ScubaPro MK16/S600, Mares MR-22 Abyss and an Atomic Z1 (the Apeks is too pricey). Once I make this purchase my wife won't let me make anymore for years, so I want to make it a good one. Any input?