Off-Gassing about Regulators

[Bubbletrubble]

The alpha 8 is crappy second stage.

I tried out an Oceanic reg setup a few times. I thought the Alpha 8 breathed great. I attribute the very good performance to the fact that the 2nd stage was tuned properly to the 1st stage to which it was attached. I believe the Alpha 8 is a classic downstream valve design...same as the Aqualung Titan, Calypso, and many other 2nd stages on the market.

I'd be willing to bet that most people, who have strong, negative feelings about a certain brand/model of 2nd stage, formulated those sentiments from an experience with an improperly tuned 2nd stage or one that was in desperate need of overhaul/servicing.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I just had my girfriend diving my Alpha 7 ( same as the 8 but updated graphics) on her AOW course with me. Conditions were just above " that really sucked" with poor vis, and lots of silt in the water. She took that reg to 100ft and had no issues at all with it. It is far from being a crappy reg. It is less expensive than many that perform at the same level but I would never ler her dive a crappy reg. As Bubble Trouble said, a properly tuned inexpensive second will beathe better than a poorly tuned expensive one. Price is no guarantee of quality or of less quality.

 

[beanojones]

beanojones All you had to do is look in the parts catalog and you would find it.

That sentence that it makes wonder if you have worked at more than one shop.

Some shops let you see costs, and order your own parts, and work on your own gear. Some shops help instructors out so that the instructor dive the gear on sale at the shop. Other shops don't care what instructor dive. Some shops only let instructors buy things listed in the consumer catalog. Some shops don't let anyone but a buyer even see the parts catalog.

Re-read my post and see if you can guess which kind of shop I am talking about.

 

[NCadiver]

Beanojones: is it the place with all sports stuff in it? Actually I work for three different ones when I get extra time.

Jim Lapenta: you provide my point, This should be a whole thread by itself, why do most guy get their girl friend/wives the cheapest regulators and BCD’s or hand me downs. She should be diving a regulator equal to what you are using or better.

Bubbletrubble: I do dive with an oceanic regulator but it’s a balance 2nd.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The Alpha 7 is the reg I use when teaching classes in the pool or doing checkouts and not using doubles. I switch between it, my CDX5 Delta 3, CDX5 Gt3, and my HOG regs. She was using the Alpha because I trust it and the one CDX was on her stage bottle and the other on my stage. I'm also an Oceanic tech and know for a fact that the alpha I have with the DX4 with enviro kit breathes every bit as good as any of my regs. She does also does not dive as often as I do and there is no need for her to mess with the adjustment knobs on the other seconds. She is used to that reg and the configuration of it. All my other singles are set up for long hose which is not ideal with her BC.

Also the word you wanted was "prove" not "provide". Before you go in and shoot your mouth off about how people feel about their loved ones, think. The reg she is using is every bit as good as the ones I use. Less features maybe but no less reliable. You must buy into the expensive with lots of gimmicks is better BS that some shops and manufacturers try to shovel out (oh wait you work for three of those shops- point proven). Don't even presume to think you know how I feel about any of my loved ones. Or any of the others on here who dive with spouses, GF's , etc.

 

[NCadiver]

1) By oceanic own admission their delta 3 and gt3 breath better then the alpha 7 second you must not have them tune correctly and if you had a flowbench you would know as well.
2) I been in the oceanic service course and it a good class but it does not make you a tech and they say that as well. And on their certificate it say “has attended an oceanic technical service seminar” so don’t wave the flag that you are a oceanic tech.
3) You throw something together and gave it to your girl friend like most guy’s do for their wives /girl friend.
4) “She does also does not dive” you don’t need the extra does.
5) I don’t go for gimmicks I don’t have a hog regulator and before you start shooting you mouth off get some dive experience under your belt, your one of the dive instructors who thinks he knows all about diving because he has a instructor card.

If you want to continue this needs to be move to another forum.

 

[tphillipp]

I agree that this should move to another forum as it has gone off on a tangent. I'm going to shut this one down.