Picking a Regulator

[troyce1]

I have been looking for a regulator and octo. I currently do not own one. Ive been doing about 10-15 dives per year for the last 2 years, mostly warm water diving, I have been looking at the following regs.

I just checked out the HOG D1 today, which alot of people on this board seem to endorse, and the price is about the same as most others once the octos are added in.

Does anyone have any input on the regs below, or additional regs that I have not looked at?


Sherwood Brut $179.00
Mares Ranger 12 Regulator 149.95
Cressi XS2/AC2 181.00
HOG D1 Complete Set 259.99 HOG Gear D1 Regulator Set - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL


Thanks for any input provided!!!

 

[cerich]

The others you will need to buy an octo as well.... but you really arent comapring aples to apples.

If you are a recreational diver and want yoke, that would be an extra cost on my regs as well....

The Brut and the XS2 are solid regs, very durable and OK breathers, butthey are the low end of the lines. The Mares is a FANTASTC deal, the first stage is balanced and you'd see much better performance than the other two. The HOG..well it out performs all of the others by quite a large margin and has more features. It is not however in the same price ballpark...

 

[Hatul]

The reg easily lasts over 10 years, so unless you're on a low budget I'd spend a bit more and get at least a mid-range or higher to get better performance.

 

[CCTX50]

I have been diving the HOG D1 regs now for several years and I am very happy with them. I have used them in both cold water and warm water. They perform flawlessly and breath great. I have used many other brands to include Apeks, Aqua Lung, Mares, Sherwood and Scuba Pro. All make excellent regs but right now I would not buy any other reg. I currently own four sets of HOG D1's I use them in some of the worst diving conditions you can dive in. Chris with HOG is also a great guy.

 

[troyce1]

@ Cerich - Thanks for the heads up. I didn't even realize the DIN/yoke issue. However, I found a convertor online for $34, so the extra cost is fairly negligable. And yes for the others I would have to buy an octo, which once calculated in is price wise on the same page as the HOG, unless I am missing something else?

You say the Mares Ranger 12 is a fantasic deal. What are the pros/cons between it and the HOG D1 setup? Again I'm newer to diving (25 dives). I've learned just alot in these threads between balanced/unbalanced Din/Yoke.

@Hatul - I could blow a ton of money quick . But this is my first set of gear, and some of the lower end regs seem to get solid endorsements from folks here. Is there a reason you wouldn't buy the HOG, Mares, or similarly priced reg, rather than NOT get a reg?

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I also don't think you can go wrong with HOG regs. I'm up to 4 D1 firsts and 5 seconds.

 

[highflier]

FWIW I am buying my first set also, After all the research I decided to go with the HOGS, Although the Epics might be a good for you also (hogs rec level gear)

The main reasons for my choice is.
1) Hogs are good price, From all I read they are comparible to other products that are near dbl in price.
2) Hogs long run may cheaper for you if you learn and choose to do you own service, once per 2 years instead of every year, and you can buy the service kit rather then being forced to have a dealer do it for you, which adds to the annual expense of owning your own equipment.

3) If the hobby grows on me and I get into more technical diving the regs will grow with me rather then be replaced with better gear.

Highflier

PS. Check your local dive shop to see if they rent DIN tanks, If not seriously consider looking at the Edge/HOG epic regs, these come in Yoke style, The first stage is the same as the HOG.

 

[halocline]

If you're using rental tanks in the U.S. and Caribbean, get a yoke reg. That will be a much more noticeable difference between the regs than anything else. If the HOG regs do not come as a yoke option, but instead only with a spin-on adapter, pass on them and look elsewhere. The adapters push the reg closer to your head where you can easily get knocked on the back of the head every time you look up. Some divers who use an adapter adjust the tank lower and/or farther away form their head, but IMO this is not a good long-term solution because you want the tank to be located where your trim is the best, and it's very handy to be able to reach the tank valve while diving. One experience where you enter the water with your valve off will convince you of that. It happens a lot more often than you'd imagine, especially with 'helpful' dive boat staff that might not realize you've already turned your air on.

No offense to highflier, but he's just getting started on this and will also find out about the yoke/DIN issue the hard way. Supposedly HOG is coming out with a yoke fitting that can be exchanged for the DIN fitting. Waiting for that would be smart, because you can just get the reg as yoke without the expense of paying someone to install the yoke fitting and remove the DIN.

For warm water recreational diving, there are MANY good choices in regulators; in fact it's difficult to find a bad one. The differences in performance between the mid and high end regulators in this setting are subtle, and quite dependent on the skill of the technician who last worked on them. So you want to find something that can be easily and expertly serviced, locally if possible.

From what I can see, all the regs you listed come as a first and second stage with standard hoses. You will need to also buy an alternate 2nd stage (octo) and a SPG to complete the set. I'm not sure what Cerich was referring to by saying "the others". You'll get the LP inflator hose with your BC and install it on the reg, and I assume you'll get a wrist computer for depth/time information. The alternative to that is a console which has a SPG and either a depth gauge (in which case you need a watch or timer) or a computer. Most divers eventually find out they prefer a wrist computer. The depth/time info is something you refer to very often throughout the dive, while with a little experience you'll find that you only need to look at your gas a few times during a dive. This makes in really convenient to have the SPG clipped to your BC and the other info on your wrist.

 

[highflier]

No offense to highflier, but he's just getting started on this and will also find out about the yoke/DIN issue the hard way. Supposedly HOG is coming out with a yoke fitting that can be exchanged for the DIN fitting. Waiting for that would be smart, because you can just get the reg as yoke without the expense of paying someone to install the yoke fitting and remove the DIN.

Only a little insulted. I thought I had address that issue for the OP by stating he may want to consider the epic regs that are availible as a Yoke unit.

I know my choice is a little risky, But in the end, I have a house with a boat in the backyard, on water, in a excellent dive area. I have already traveled to much of the Carribean, and do not think I will be doing much more travel there in the near future, and if I do I doubt that I would transport my own gear with me.

For my home, I know I can rent Din tanks with no issues, I don't plan on using the spin on adaptor, From my reading it is not a option you should plan to use.

Maybe the most important part of the post is the actual cost over time. I.E. service costs. I personally do not trust the free parts programs that many companies have, They may have been doing it for a long long time, But try and find their policy on their own web site, I tried and could not! Unless you have it in writing it just means they can wake up one day and not offer it anymore.

OP you should consider your annual cost of the regs also. There are service guidelines and fees for parts and labor to service these regs. Since I am getting 2 complete sets, This weighed heavily on my thoughts.

I am new at this, but I have done a lot of research to make the decision that best fits my needs, yours may be different. Either way good luck with your choice.

Highflier
PS. If I could just figure out the BCD jacket vs BP/W and what is best for me, I would be set :/

 

[Hatul]

@ Cerich - Thanks for the heads up. I didn't even realize the DIN/yoke issue. However, I found a convertor online for $34, so the extra cost is fairly negligable. And yes for the others I would have to buy an octo, which once calculated in is price wise on the same page as the HOG, unless I am missing something else?

You say the Mares Ranger 12 is a fantasic deal. What are the pros/cons between it and the HOG D1 setup? Again I'm newer to diving (25 dives). I've learned just alot in these threads between balanced/unbalanced Din/Yoke.

@Hatul - I could blow a ton of money quick . But this is my first set of gear, and some of the lower end regs seem to get solid endorsements from folks here. Is there a reason you wouldn't buy the HOG, Mares, or similarly priced reg, rather than NOT get a reg?

Thanks for the input guys!

I'm one of those who buys something and keeps using it for many years. My first reg was purchased in mid 90's and I just upgraded a year ago. My thinking is that amortized over 10 years the price differences among the ones you listed is very small, and to really enjoy the sport your gear has to work well. A lot of people here are happy with the Hog, which is as good an endorsement as any. Personally I'd stay away from the low end stuff.