Octo Advice

[beanojones]

I'm not trying to cheap out, i'll spend if needed. Question is will one do exactly what you say better than the other. The mares MV is a simplistic octo from all I see. Was also the octo I had on my gear when I trained and on my wifes when we did our class so I did buddy breath on it and it worked fine. Do you think my buddy would care if it wasn't "purdy" when he needed it or do you think he's fine as long as it work?

And advantage of the MV is that a diver in need cannot manage to put the octo in upside down, which can happen when the mounting the octo on the right hand side along with the primary.

And the MV still has the purge in an understandable location. Some sidebreathing regs have purge that are unfortunately hard to figure for those unfamiliar with them.

 

[gizmo1972]

im not saying to buy a CHEAPO reg!!! just not as expensive !!! the modern main stream regs are all pretty dam good regs!!

 

[nimoh]

I think it is important to have a reliable reg as both a primary and a backup, and I don't think there is anyone that would disagree about this. As such, after doing your research, you decide to pick out a primary reg that will fit your needs. At this point, why would the octo reg be different?

My point is only that there is nothing special about an octo reg that warrants a different set of features, unless you want an integrated reg/bc inflator (I don't, but to each his own), or the ability to breathe a reg upside down. All agencies I know teach gas sharing by keeping the reg right side up, so personally, I don't see any need to have an upside down breathing reg. If these skills are practiced, there should be no danger of accidentally using a reg upside down.

Ultimately, it is your decision as to what reg you buy both for primary and backup. If you are looking at getting an expensive reg because it breathes better, why would you not want your octo to breathe better?

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I'm not trying to cheap out, i'll spend if needed. Question is will one do exactly what you say better than the other. The mares MV is a simplistic octo from all I see. Was also the octo I had on my gear when I trained and on my wifes when we did our class so I did buddy breath on it and it worked fine. Do you think my buddy would care if it wasn't "purdy" when he needed it or do you think he's fine as long as it work?

If you feel that it breathes "fine", and both you and your wife are familiar with it, then no problem.

It would not be my "1st choice" as an octo from the Mares lineup, however. But this is mostly personal bias.

I would probably choose the Mares Rover over the MV. It is a bit more expensive, but is a "conventional" classic downstream 2nd stage, easy to service by any tech or even by yourself if you are DIY-inclined.

I'm not sure how easy it would be to get the MV serviced by a non-Mares shop. I find all of the "conventional" Mares regulators very simple to service (I service my own MR-22/Abyss sets and MR-12 Proton sets). The MV is probably pretty simple too, but a shop not familiar with it may not want to work on it.

Best wishes.

 

[SVT_Tactical]

If you feel that it breathes "fine", and both you and your wife are familiar with it, then no problem.

It would not be my "1st choice" as an octo from the Mares lineup, however. But this is mostly personal bias.

I would probably choose the Mares Rover over the MV. It is a bit more expensive, but is a "conventional" classic downstream 2nd stage, easy to service by any tech or even by yourself if you are DIY-inclined.

I'm not sure how easy it would be to get the MV serviced by a non-Mares shop. I find all of the "conventional" Mares regulators very simple to service (I service my own MR-22/Abyss sets and MR-12 Proton sets). The MV is probably pretty simple too, but a shop not familiar with it may not want to work on it.

Best wishes.

Exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks. I'll probably just get the instint octo to go along with the instinct primary

 

[beanojones]

If you feel that it breathes "fine", and both you and your wife are familiar with it, then no problem.

It would not be my "1st choice" as an octo from the Mares lineup, however. But this is mostly personal bias.

I would probably choose the Mares Rover over the MV. It is a bit more expensive, but is a "conventional" classic downstream 2nd stage, easy to service by any tech or even by yourself if you are DIY-inclined.

I'm not sure how easy it would be to get the MV serviced by a non-Mares shop. I find all of the "conventional" Mares regulators very simple to service (I service my own MR-22/Abyss sets and MR-12 Proton sets). The MV is probably pretty simple too, but a shop not familiar with it may not want to work on it.

Best wishes.

Just to note the MV is a standard downstream, just laid out with a side exhaust.

 

[Scared Silly]

at the end of the day it doesnt matter as long as it supplies air then thats all its there for ...
it does the job its only there to get them out of trouble so why spend a fortune on an expensive reg that is not required unless you want it to look good ?

A cheap octo regulator may supply air but it may not supply enough in a stressful situation like when Davy Jones comes a calling. So it does matter. But one does not need to spend a lot to get a decent backup.

 

[Hanzl]

question, isn't the octo really for you as the person with the air? I've seen it practiced that the primary goes to the out of air diver and the person supplying the air gets the octo.

 

[USdiver1]

i replace my rigs every 2 years and pass on a nice rig to someone else simple!
it keeps me current with the market and an instructor who dives gear out of the ark does not inspire confidence and takes his diving seriously to stay current imho

As a diving professional, I'm glad that you are in a position to replace your regulators every couple of years, most SB readers do not have that option; nevertheless, as you admit keeping current with the market is only that, a marketing ploy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with older equipment, provided that it is properly maintained. A perusal of the US Navy's Experimental Diving Unit's periodic evaluations of regulators, as well as some of the commercial reviews (taken with their marketing bias) will yield both objective and subjective reports on the best available equipment. These reports mean much more to me than getting the newest carbon fiber this or titanium that... to each his own.

As to an instructor who uses older equipment not inspiring confidence, well that's just naive. Seeing an instructor or dive master who is diving with an older model Aqualung, ScubaPro, Mares (or whatever brands your dive shop sells) regulator imparts to the student the quality of the manufacturer, longevity of the product and reliability of the regulator: in a word - Confidence.

The basic truth is that all of the available regulators on today's market are adequate for warm water recreational diving (and Nitrox capable for up to about 40% oxygen); for specialty use such as cold water, overhead, tri-mix/deep diving, commercial, etc. there is equipment available as well. Any and all of these regulators are designed to give years of service it properly maintained.

As to which octo to go with, IMHO the same brand as the primary second stage, and if possible the same model. I fall into the camp of giving the second stage that I am using to the OOA diver and going to the octo for myself. I don't want to have any variation between the two second stages in that moment of stress, therefore, give me two of the same, and I will be familiar with all controls, expected breathing effort, comfort, etc.

 

[rsingler]

...an instructor who dives gear out of the ark does not inspire confidence and takes his diving seriously to stay current imho

I dislike flamers, but for once sympathize with why they do it. This is an uninformed comment.
An instructor diving with a 25 year old SP 109 might just know what it takes to keep you alive, and dives something that old because there are advantages to metal. The instructor with the current equipment is just a walking advertisement for his LDS who wants to sell a newbie diver $900 worth of gear.

I'm glad you can afford new gear every year. I can too. I like my Atomic T2. I like my 109.
Dumb comment.

My OOA practice is similar to USDiver1. Concur. My octo isn't same model; but as good.