Omega II second and What I thinnk is a Oceanic DX3

[dkh6070]

I was wondering if people still dive older gear. I'm new to diving and don't know much about regs. I don't even own my own regs yet, I have been renting.

Someone just gave me what appears to be a DX3 1st and a Omega II second stage reg that did not sell at a garage sale. I only say this based on pictures from the internet and researching the Oceanic website. The person stated it has been sitting for 5 years. They do not look in great condition but I would have thought they could be cleaned up. There is some minor green corrosion around the fittings and some on the inlet filter. One shop stated they could not even service it because they could not get parts and another told me it would be a minimum of $125 then most likely need additional part and could be up to $175. The second place stated it was servicable and everything was surface discoloration and would clean up fine.

What happens to old regs? Do people just throw them away? Are they worth spending money on? Would any divers collect them and purchase such items? I figured if I could get something for them that would be a start to a new entry level reg set. What do you think?

 

[Akimbo]

My Omega I, circa 1983, is running strong and I prefer it to a new Atomic I recently acquired, mainly for the first stage. I may actually service it one day, but it hasn't needed it yet.

 

[NCadiver]

It worth the cost to have them serviced you will pay more for a lower performing new oceanic reg with out a octo. note that the omega is wet breather.

 

[dkh6070]

It worth the cost to have them serviced you will pay more for a lower performing new oceanic reg with out a octo. note that the omega is wet breather.

What does that mean? Wet Breather? Right now I'm looking for cost effective with reliability. I was thinking of getting the first serviced and just getting a differnt second but that doesn't seem to be cost effective. It seems that most seconds are almost half if not more than half the cost of a new set.

 

[NCadiver]

A little bit of water sometimes gets trap in the second stage and as you inhale you get water, being new it may alarm you when it happens.
I think their are a few threads on it somewhere on the board.

 

[Akimbo]

It worth the cost to have them serviced you will pay more for a lower performing new oceanic reg with out a octo. note that the omega is wet breather.

I am not sure that is entirely fair. The Omega, like the Poseidons and AGAs, are side-exhaust regulators. It is quite normal for small amounts of water to leak into any second stage housing around the diver’s lips. The water that leaks into a more conventional bottom exhaust regulator goes out with the exhaust the vast majority of the time. You will experience the same sensation of a “wet breather” with a conventional regulator when you are in the head-down position.

Side exhausts will be perceived as wet breathers until you get used to the need to roll your head slightly to the exhaust valve side a little to get the water out. You don’t have to roll on your side to get the valve to the lowest point, only a few degrees so the water will flow towards the valve. People who dive double hose regulators and rebreathers are also familiar with the issue.

On the plus side, a side exhaust regulator is ambidextrous — the hose can come over the right or left shoulder on the fly. This makes it an especially good choice to pass to another diver in an out of air situation.

Note that Oceanic (Atomic) will perform factory service on regulators. This is a prudent idea in the case of the Omegas since relatively few techs have worked on them and also don’t have a spares inventory. IMHO, it is worth the cost premium for factory service.

 

[NCadiver]

I am not sure that is entirely fair. The Omega, like the Poseidons and AGAs, are side-exhaust regulators. It is quite normal for small amounts of water to leak into any second stage housing around the diver’s lips. The water that leaks into a more conventional bottom exhaust regulator goes out with the exhaust the vast majority of the time. You will experience the same sensation of a “wet breather” with a conventional regulator when you are in the head-down position.

Side exhausts will be perceived as wet breathers until you get used to the need to roll your head slightly to the exhaust valve side a little to get the water out. You don’t have to roll on your side to get the valve to the lowest point, only a few degrees so the water will flow towards the valve. People who dive double hose regulators and rebreathers are also familiar with the issue.

On the plus side, a side exhaust regulator is ambidextrous — the hose can come over the right or left shoulder on the fly. This makes it an especially good choice to pass to another diver in an out of air situation.

Note that Oceanic (Atomic) will perform factory service on regulators. This is a prudent idea in the case of the Omegas since relatively few techs have worked on them and also don’t have a spares inventory. IMHO, it is worth the cost premium for factory service.

It will cost him around $280 for a unbalance piston reg with a mechanical draw, two he most likely will get water in the second stage and being new it would be disconcerting.
As I suggested have it service, and use it and if he doesn't like it sell it there are alot of people who would buy the regulator.

 

[NCadiver]

I am not sure that is entirely fair. The Omega, like the Poseidons and AGAs, are side-exhaust regulators. It is quite normal for small amounts of water to leak into any second stage housing around the diver’s lips. The water that leaks into a more conventional bottom exhaust regulator goes out with the exhaust the vast majority of the time. You will experience the same sensation of a “wet breather” with a conventional regulator when you are in the head-down position.

Side exhausts will be perceived as wet breathers until you get used to the need to roll your head slightly to the exhaust valve side a little to get the water out. You don’t have to roll on your side to get the valve to the lowest point, only a few degrees so the water will flow towards the valve. People who dive double hose regulators and rebreathers are also familiar with the issue.

On the plus side, a side exhaust regulator is ambidextrous — the hose can come over the right or left shoulder on the fly. This makes it an especially good choice to pass to another diver in an out of air situation.

Note that Oceanic (Atomic) will perform factory service on regulators. This is a prudent idea in the case of the Omegas since relatively few techs have worked on them and also don’t have a spares inventory. IMHO, it is worth the cost premium for factory service.

It will cost him around $280 for a unbalance piston reg with a mechanical draw, two he most likely will get water in the second stage and being new it would be disconcerting.
As I suggested have it service, and use it and if he doesn't like it sell it there are alot of people who would buy the regulator.

 

[Akimbo]

It will cost him around $280 for a unbalance piston reg with a mechanical draw, two he most likely will get water in the second stage and being new it would be disconcerting.
As I suggested have it service, and use it and if he doesn't like it sell it there are alot of people who would buy the regulator.

Oceanic just gave me an estimate of $45 for the first stage, $30 for the second stage, $13 for Shipping, plus parts beyond the two normal rebuild kits. I normally do my own regulator repair, but a friend’s second stage is just starting to leak a few bubbles/minute. He serviced his Omega II a few years ago at the LDS where he purchased it and had to return it three times before getting it right.

I can’t blame dive shops. There aren’t many Omegas around, they don’t need service very often, and the pilot second stage is totally different than the vast majority of techs are trained to service. The Omega’s balanced piston first stage is very similar to all the others out there and is a no-brainer for most techs to repair. Finally, almost no dive shops have parts on hand for Omegas so it may sit on their bench for a while.

BTW, I recently heard a rumor that Oceanic is getting ready to introduce the Omega 3 “very soon”.

 

[NCadiver]

So Akimbo what you are saying is for $118 dkh6070 can have a good working upper end regulator instead of paying $280 for a low end unbalanced piston regulator I agree and I said earlier he should have it serviced.