picking out first reg and question about a "balanced" second stage

[Lorenzoid]

All that makes sense, Dana. I was just focusing on the OP's admitted paranoia due to a poor snuba experience. Upstream vs. downstream, piston vs. diaphragm, balanced second stages vs. adjustment knob, etc.--for a lot of us, it won't make a real difference to us in the water. In another thread not long ago, a brand-new diver asked for a reg that "breathes like butter." I just don't think most of us doing dives in warm-to-temperate water in the sub-100 foot range would be able to perceive that in a blind test. I could be wrong, of course. But so far, I haven't read any rec diver's regret over having purchased their regs of whatever brand and model.

 

[BoltSnap]

What brand/model would you consider an "unpleasant" regulator to breathe? I ask in all seriousness.

A number of times, I have taken the position that most of us doing recreational dives won't notice a difference among regulators in a blind test, and all modern regs work perfectly well for our purposes. Sure, I have seen the "work of breathing" measurements and read the comments from reviewers, but I'm just not convinced it's really meaningful for most of us.

Earlier in the thread, I said I have yet to read a comment in which someone says he regrets having purchased brand X regs because they are difficult to breathe in the water. Have you? Maybe there have been a few on SB, but I honestly just don't recall reading any.

It does make a difference and not all regulators are the same. One may argue that on the surface while sitting on a chair it may not make a difference (if you have the experience, you should note the difference however), but as soon as you go underwater and go deeper or exert more effort, you will notice the difference, at least I can very clearly and so do my students when letting them try different brands/models (all properly tuned to mfg. specs). In our experience at our dive school, our students tend to gravitate towards SP/Atomic when comparing SP, Atomic, AL, Mares, Cressi, etc. Cressi is always at the bottom of the list. No one reaches out for the Cressi regulators but they all compete to be the ones to use SP/Atomic regulators.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks, Burhan. I would love to try a blind test myself. So your students feel that Cressi requires noticeably more effort to breathe than the others. Interesting.

 

[BoltSnap]

Thanks, Burhan. I would love to try a blind test myself. So your students feel that Cressi requires noticeably more effort to breathe than the others. Interesting.

Yes, but it is also, more so, the way they breath. The +- switch on the Cressi regulators doesn't make a great deal of difference compared with the SP/Atomic or even the AL (Mares doesn't have it any adjustments on their regulators).

 

[rscott9399]

Hey guys
Well, we are back! And im sad to say that we landed in Colorado last night. We had SUCH a good time! It was awesome. We finished our PADI OW on Saturday and even had time for 2 more for fun dives on sunday.
We dove with Horizon Divers in Key Largo and let me tell you, they were fantastic. We got very lucky. We had a Fantastic instructor who was a retired Army Col and was instructing since 2004 for fun on the weekends. To top it off, we had two dive master candidates observing the class as part of their training. And the only students were my wife and I. So essentially we had THREE instructors for just her and I. I could not of felt more secure. Weather was PERFECT. The water was damn near hot at 85 degrees it was like swimming in a bath tub.

Now on to the point of this post. The Horizon Divers rental gear was like Xmass come early. I originally was contemplating as you saw above a C350 and S560
Well, i got to try them both! and i also got to try and Scuba Pro Hydros and Night hawk
It gave me a new sense for what i do and dont like in a BC.
Both the regs were very nice and very easy breathing. Much different experience then the Snuba.

So as most of you know im sure, there are like 50 dive shops in key largo in 4 miles
So of course i could not resist wondering into them. Those dive shops are like car dealers! They refuse to let you leave until they have exhausted all ideas to sell you something. Based on recommendations and reading reviews i was in search of........ YOU guessed it! An Atomic B2. So i drove around from Atomic dealer to Atomic Dealer and get got a crazy good price. So i did buy the B2. It was 30% off! And i paid less then $600 for a brand new B2. I was originally looking for a B2 octo but could not find one. So i paired my B2 instead with a Nice Atomic Z2 Octo. Which i think should do the job and also got 30% off that! I added an Aqua Lung SPG after figuring out i dont really like the console and prefer the wrist mount. I also bought the new Suunto Zoop Nova. I know some people dont care for Suunto but the new Zoop Nova gets great reviews, is regarded as a nice beginner computer and i liked the screen size and user interface. the list was 329 i paid $249!
So the only thing i dont have is a BCD now. It was such a great trip. My wife is already planning our Xmass holiday. Possibly a live aboard. Also plan to do our nitrox cert in denver and possibly our advanced OW.

I did get to use my B2 and test the Z2 on two dives. The side exhaust is what i truly noticed the most. The exhaust exiting away from me really helped my mask not leak. Very very nice unit. I have a local atomic dealer to service it and im a pretty happy camper.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and ideas.

 

[boulderjohn]

The exhaust exiting away from me really helped my mask not leak. Very very nice unit.

I am responding to this mostly for the benefit of others, since you are done with your training.

The problem of regulator exhaust making the mask leak is pretty much only found in scuba class pool sessions and OW dives in which skills are still taught the old-fashioned way, with the students kneeling on the bottom. Bubbles go straight up to the surface, so when you are kneeling, the exhaust bubbles go up into your mask. When classes are taught with students horizontal and neutral--as they are when they dive--the bubbles go up past the cheeks, missing the mask entirely. If you had found an instructor who taught skills the way instructors are being encouraged to do it today, you never would have experienced the problem.

 

[rscott9399]

I am responding to this mostly for the benefit of others, since you are done with your training.

The problem of regulator exhaust making the mask leak is pretty much only found in scuba class pool sessions and OW dives in which skills are still taught the old-fashioned way, with the students kneeling on the bottom. Bubbles go straight up to the surface, so when you are kneeling, the exhaust bubbles go up into your mask. When classes are taught with students horizontal and neutral--as they are when they dive--the bubbles go up past the cheeks, missing the mask entirely. If you had found an instructor who taught skills the way instructors are being encouraged to do it today, you never would have experienced the problem.

Slightly presumptuous to assume we did it kneeling don't you think john? Although you bring up a very valid point perhaps better to ask which position we were in rather then assume the worst of our instructor who i feel did an amazing job.
When in fact we did skills both ways in the pool and in OW.
I had problems with exhaust slightly lifting my mask actually more while neutral and horizontal due to the design of the reg exhaust. Contrary to your post, it was less of a problem while kneeling.

Now in reality this is probably due to a mask that does not fit very well but after trying on literally probably 100+ masks this is the best fitting one i could find. I have a very wide face and was very limted in options. I looked at numerous shops both in colorado and in Fl.

Im not meaning to be rude and im grateful for your thoughts ideas and encouragements im just saying lets make sure we have the full picture before we condemn an instructor

 

[boulderjohn]

Well, I didn't say your instructor did that, did I? I said it is pretty much only found in such classes, and I stand by that. If you had the problem while horizontal, I am surprised and would love to see it happening to see why it would be true.