I am SO glad Hollis and Oceanic are bringing servo regs back!!! (with all due respect to Poseidon, which are very difficult to obtain)
I am going to be purchasing one of these in the very near future. I was a fanatical Tekna and then Omega II fan, diving them down to 250' and they were without equal for breathing, until my gear was stolen in the 90s and I could not replace them. I am currently on Apeks, but if these new regs are as good as the old ones, I am switching immediately.
However, there seem to be some differences between the two, which the information on the websites does not explain. I am posting here to see if knowledgeable technicians or persons in the know can clarify. There seems to be consensus that the servo air delivery mechanism is identical in both, but I am interested in other things that seem to differ between them.
The Omega III looks like the same basic design as the II, with the exhaust valve located surrounding the purge button (but much nicer modern styling). It also says it has a "dive/pre-dive setting" which the Omega II did not have. Is the exhaust/purge design, basically, the same as the Omega II? How does the dive/pre dive switch work?
The 500se looks like it has the exhaust valve separated, somehow, from the purge button as the exhaust configuration looks distinctly different from the photos. Is this to address the sometimes "wet" breathing of the Omega II design? The few reviews so far say the hollis is extremely dry. No reviews on the Omega III yet, that I can find. Also, is there a dive/pre dive setting on the Hollis? That would be handy to stop freeflows on my bungied back-up (I dive a long hose rig) when I jump in.
The Omega III materials say it has a metal servo mechanism designed to catch condensation to alleviate dry mouth. I assume that the servo is the same in the Hollis and it has the same benefit.
Can they be adjusted like my Omega II, where it would begin air flow with the purge in 2 inches of water in a bowl? Man, I loved that.
Finally, of course, the $150 price difference ?
I am going to be purchasing one of these in the very near future. I was a fanatical Tekna and then Omega II fan, diving them down to 250' and they were without equal for breathing, until my gear was stolen in the 90s and I could not replace them. I am currently on Apeks, but if these new regs are as good as the old ones, I am switching immediately.
However, there seem to be some differences between the two, which the information on the websites does not explain. I am posting here to see if knowledgeable technicians or persons in the know can clarify. There seems to be consensus that the servo air delivery mechanism is identical in both, but I am interested in other things that seem to differ between them.
The Omega III looks like the same basic design as the II, with the exhaust valve located surrounding the purge button (but much nicer modern styling). It also says it has a "dive/pre-dive setting" which the Omega II did not have. Is the exhaust/purge design, basically, the same as the Omega II? How does the dive/pre dive switch work?
The 500se looks like it has the exhaust valve separated, somehow, from the purge button as the exhaust configuration looks distinctly different from the photos. Is this to address the sometimes "wet" breathing of the Omega II design? The few reviews so far say the hollis is extremely dry. No reviews on the Omega III yet, that I can find. Also, is there a dive/pre dive setting on the Hollis? That would be handy to stop freeflows on my bungied back-up (I dive a long hose rig) when I jump in.
The Omega III materials say it has a metal servo mechanism designed to catch condensation to alleviate dry mouth. I assume that the servo is the same in the Hollis and it has the same benefit.
Can they be adjusted like my Omega II, where it would begin air flow with the purge in 2 inches of water in a bowl? Man, I loved that.
Finally, of course, the $150 price difference ?
