Noob buying first reg/octo...opinions Please

[POS96GT]

Got my open water last summer and looking to buy my own gear. I don't need anything that is outrageously expensive but at the same time I don't want anything bottom of the line. Just something in the middle that is good and going to last. I have been doing some research online and think I have it pretty narrowed down.....

Reg:
Scuba Pro MK11/S555 or MK11/R395:

Not sure of the technical differences or if there is even a big difference since they are only about $20 difference.

Sherwood Magnum

Don't know much about this reg but my local dive shop has a few in stock and is cutting me a good deal.

Octo:
Scuba Pro R295 or R395

not sure if there is much difference/advantage if any between the two

Sherwood Standard

just the matching Octo to the Sherwood Reg



Any opinions, info, or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced

 

[local76sparky]

I havent done a lot of research on Sherwood but I do know that you cant go wrong with Scubapro! Between the 2 I personally would lean towards the SP!

 

[Diver0001]

In terms of raw functionality all of those regs will perfom well enough for any dive you might want to do.

Main differences:

• The S555 2nd stage is balanced, which will probably mean this one is the best "performing" one in terms of work-of-breathing, especially at depth
• The Sherwood 1st stage has a "dry bleed" system which is intended to keep water out of the regulator. The system works but a small stream of bubbles will always come out of your reg. Some people find this distracting.
• The Sherwood 2nd stage (Magnum) is an older design that's very reliable but unlikely to give any where near the ease of breathing of the S555 at deeper depths.

If it were my decision to make based just on the information you have posted, I'd go for the MK11/S555 regulator because it will be the best performing one of the lot.

R..

 

[diver 85]

IMO, depends on your expected diving profile---ie, if you plan on very little deep diving, a simple SP Mk2 with a R295 would be good(& less expensive--"don't need anything that is outrageously expensive")...put a $50 DR octo on it & you've got an inexpensive nice set.

Also, you might want to consider something USED(there are deals out there to please your pocket book)... Then I'd think of a Mk10 with a G250(older model) etc......what are your dive expectations for the near future???...

 

[noreastDIVER84]

I would reccommend the Scubapro over the Sherwood. The Sherwood regs are not particularly high performance regs. They will function as needed, but there are better. I just replaced my Sherwood Oasis with a Apeks XTX40.

The Oasis is a decent warm water reg and that is about it. I was looking at the Zeagle Flathead 7 which is pricey, but breathes very well. So I am told the Zeagle uses the same rebuild kit as a the Apeks XTX200. My LDS just got new testing equipment to test the performance of the regs at depth. They tested the XTX40 and XTX 200 and they perform almost identical, except when you get down to around 600' then their performance varies slightly.

 

[POS96GT]

Mostly just recreational diving....100 ft. or less probably. Warm water.

Am i really gonna gain that much buying the Scuba Pro S555 over the Scuba Pro R935 if I stay with the MK11 first stage???

Thank you for all the previous posts

 

[Kern]

The Oasis is a decent warm water reg and that is about it. I was looking at the Zeagle Flathead 7 which is pricey, but breathes very well. So I am told the Zeagle uses the same rebuild kit as a the Apeks XTX200. My LDS just got new testing equipment to test the performance of the regs at depth. They tested the XTX40 and XTX 200 and they perform almost identical, except when you get down to around 600' then their performance varies slightly.

This is not correct. Zeagle were once rebranded Apeks regs. This has not been the case for some time now & the kits for Zeagle & Apeks regs are no longer interchangeable.

The only difference between the FSR (XTX200 1st stage) kits & other sealed Apeks reg kits is the removable ARCAP valve seat. IIRC, no Zeagle reg ever had the ARCAP valve seat. The only difference between the XTX 20/40 & 50/100/200 2nd stage, is that the 20/40 has no cracking pressure control lever & some external cosmetics.

 

[ScubaFeenD]

HOG regulators have gotten really good reviews everywhere I have seen them reviewed AND they are really low cost; $99/2nd stage and $150 for first stage.

Worth a glance at least: HOG Gear D1 Regulator Set - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL

Here is the manufacturers page in case you are interested: edge gear diving scuba snorkeling manufacturer

 

[noreastDIVER84]

This is not correct. Zeagle were once rebranded Apeks regs. This has not been the case for some time now & the kits for Zeagle & Apeks regs are no longer interchangeable.

The only difference between the FSR (XTX200 1st stage) kits & other sealed Apeks reg kits is the removable ARCAP valve seat. IIRC, no Zeagle reg ever had the ARCAP valve seat. The only difference between the XTX 20/40 & 50/100/200 2nd stage, is that the 20/40 has no cracking pressure control lever & some external cosmetics.

Ok well I was told that they use the same kit, but I guess not. I know about the cracking pressure control and the don't really care about the cosmetic differences.

At this point I could care less about if the kits are the same or not seeing that I don't do the service myself, what service kit is needed is my service tech's issue.

 

[Diver0001]

Mostly just recreational diving....100 ft. or less probably. Warm water.

Am i really gonna gain that much buying the Scuba Pro S555 over the Scuba Pro R935 if I stay with the MK11 first stage???

Thank you for all the previous posts

My advice would be to try both of them. See if the shop will let you take a reg in the pool with both 2nd stages so you can compare.

In my experience, the balanced 2nd is worth it if you make a lot of deep dives.

R..