Newbie needs regulator advice, please

[redacted]

Not only are their kits reasonably priced, but their HP seats must outlast those provided by Apeks. Actually, I suspect seat life may be more a diaphram versus piston issue. My Mk20 (cup seat with rounded edge piston) went 4 year on original seat. For 2 years it went untouched. Then cleaning and lube carried it for another 2 years with mild IP creep. I finally decided to sacrifice a kit to it, partly just to keep an older kit from degrading from old age. Wife's Mk20 is in its 4th year and still locking up solid (cleaned & lubed only once). Older Mk5/10 hockey puck style seats look like they are good for at least 2 years (mess with it too much and you get a 5 to 10 psi creep as the knife edge cuts a new groove) and then you can flip it and restart the clock. I've got one used Mk5 off ebay that I can see 3 or 4 seperate circles in the seat and it is still in service in spite of a 10 psi creep. The newer 'cave cone' seat which replaces the hockey puck can not be flipped but kit includes 3 seats of slightly different height as another means of adjusting IP. My experience with these is more limited but I'm expecting to get 5 years or more from a kit. What I find ridiculous is that some manufactures are producing seats that will only last one year.

While I would hope that techs renew all parts recommended for annual service, I still wonder how one LDS did the recommended service on my Air2 without touching the connector hose. He charged me $45.00 to correct a small leak and I'm not sure he did anything more than adjust the orifice (I now know that was all that was needed). I know he did not replace the seal in the connector hose that comes in the kit.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

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?

I use SP Mk16 1st stages mated to Atomic B1 seconds. Why? Cause I can
and I like the small size of the Atomic second stages. I've not experienced
any problems with them and I've been in some cold, crappy water.

 

[ElectricZombie]

One shop I know would replace the necessary parts using bulk o-rings that are bought about a thousand at a time...very inexpensive this way. Afterwards, they would then charge the customer for the price of a factory kit...much more expensive. A lot of deceptive stuff like that goes on.

 

[rfkinsey]

well i would suggest the legend supreme and buy from an authorized dealer to take advantage of the warranty and parts replacement plan. the supreme is the cold water version, it wont affect your warm water diving. I sell scuba gear for a living and am an Instructor.

 

[Vicente]

I've got a Z1, recently converted from Yoke to DIN, got it when Z1 first came out have >200 dives on it. So that makes it what 5-6 years old? Has a few scratches but I think it will outlive me. It's a *fantastic* regulator.

However, the Z2 has been out for some while now. If your LDS is trying to sell you a Z1 at list, I'd ding him for trying to sell you last year's model at this years' prices.

 

[halocline]

Seeing that this thread is almost 3 years old, he probably bought his reg already!

 

[squidster]

I would go with a scuba pro Mk 25/x650 or Mk17/ s600
both are alot better than the abyss, and just as good as any apex or atomic regulators out there
Down deep you want the best!