Opinions on the Aeris ION Reg for my 1st reg

[Supermanwoot]

To start, I am a fairly new diver and have only dove before while on vacation, where I also got certified last year. I find that usually the dive shops have some older scubapro gear, which worked fine for me. However, when purchasing my own gear, it got a little more confusing.

One of the top sellers at leisurepro, the Aeris ION caught my attention. After reading reviews on the reg, it almost seems too good to be true, so I'm coming here for opinions.

*cant supply link* but its at leisure pro under "Aeris AT 400 ION DVT Regulator"

Now, in a scuba mag review this thing posted perfect scores on the breathing sim and also got thumbs up from the test divers.

Its listed as a balanced diaphragm first stage w/ adjustable 2nd stage.

Only thing I can think of that it may be missing is a swivel on the 2nd stage, but that isn't that common in that price range anyway, and one could be added at my LDS, right?

Why should I or shouldn't I buy this reg? Seems too good to be true and I know you guys know way more than me about this stuff. It stood out as one of those things that if it checks out would be a definite pick.

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board, what part of NC are you in??

The one thing to keep in mind is you are going to need to have the reg serviced which means you will need an Aries dealer. You can always ship it back to LP if you have an issue but that is going to take time and money plus you are going to have to ship it off each year for annual service. If you have a dealer near by that services Aries and he does not have a big chip on his shoulder because you bought it on line- some get down right nasty about it, it might not be a bad deal.

From a more practical approch, if you only dive on vacation, is it really worth the cost of buying? Annual service is going to run you in the $80-100 range, more if you let the warranty lapse and have to pay for parts. Don't get me wrong I really like owning my own but if you only do 5 or 6 dives a year, is the cost of ownership worth it to you?

 

[Supermanwoot]

Thanks for the welcome! I'm actually in Raleigh, in the Brier Creek area. I know we have one shop in the area that is an Aeris service center (Down Under Scuba).

I never knew the service costs ran that much to be honest, although its only high if your yearly maint costs are half of what you payed for the reg. I would probably only do a max of 10 dives or so a year (assuming 2 vacations x 5 days diving) unless I just decide to vacation every month and I guess most vacation spots would have dive equipment for rent, question is how much that would cost. That being said, I think I would still enjoy having my own if I start diving more, and it would enable me to dive even MORE.

So, what do you think about that reg? Seems like a bargain price for a top of the line breather, but there must be something wrong with it, right?

 

[lemon]

It is a great reg. I've hauled mine all over the world and never had a problem with it.

 

[Supermanwoot]

any comments about the lack of a swivel? I've dove before without a swivel and didn't notice it. In fact, I'm pretty sure the regulator is able to turn without one. Maybe a minor comfort issue, although a lot of great regs don't have swivels.

 

[lemon]

while i have the 1st stage you are looking at, my second stage ion has the swivel so cant comment.

 

[herman]

Guess I need to look at the regs more, I never seem to get past the Zeagles and Aqualungs....I am a DM at DU.
It should do nicely for you from a preformance point of view, you will also need an octo and gauges so keep that in mind. One more thing, Leisure Pro MAY not be an authorized dealer (not sure, you need to check and be sure). A lot of regs can be purchased "gray market" which means the manufacturer will not honor the warrenty. Some of LP's stuff is and some is not, you just need to be sure. Not that there is anything wrong with them not being a dealer but if your warrenty is important to you, it is something to consider.

You need to dive more. There are a bunch of us local to Raleigh that dive almost every weekend at one or more of the quarries and off shore. Come join us, if for no other reason than to get wet and to meet some local buddies. There is a link to the NC board in my signature.

 

[CT Sean]

Just FYI, Leisure Pro is "authorized" for Aeris.

 

[Supermanwoot]

but it says on the product page, limited 24 month warranty. is that typical? at that price though it really doesn't matter as replacement wouldn't be a heartbreaker as it would with an atomic reg.

@herman: thanks a lot for the invite, i will definitely take you up on that. every weekend would be awesome. Do you guys rent tanks usually because I know those are usually included in trips and whatnot so was wondering if purchasing one would make sense as it was not something I planned on.

 

[herman]

A lot of regs have "life time" warranties but they do come with rope (too big to be strings IMO ) You have to jump through hoops to keep it in force so most of us don't worry too much about them. Aries has the "free parts" for life warranty but it requires you to keep close tabs on the annual service, miss the date and it's gone. This is pretty common among all brands.

For local diving, most of us own our own tanks. Unlike other places, dives in NC do not include tanks (boats or quarries) however all the local quarries and dive charters rent tanks. Again, whether to buy or not depends on several factors. If you are not diving more than a few times a year locally, renting is still the best option. Locally, it cost $9 per tank per day and you can get fills on a rented tank at the quarries for around $5. The annual inspection on a tank is $12 and every 5 years you have to have it hydroed which is another $30, plus the initial cost of the tank. It takes a long time, if ever, to break even if you are diving a few times a year locally. On the other hand, if you dive a lot locally, it does not take too long to make up the difference. Plus there is the convenience factor of having your own tanks. For the time being, renting one tank and refilling it at the quarry for the day is likely your best option.