Reg designs

[Oyster Diver]

I am trying to choose between two different reg setups. The main difference I see between them is in the 1st stage. One is a balanced piston design while the other is a overbalanced diaphram design. I have not mentioned the makers because I dont want to have a discusion on the makers merits, I only want to talk about the design type and their merits.

I plan on ultimately diving in salt water to 200-250 feet. Water temperatures may be in the low 30's F. Hopefully these will be the last regs I buy for a long long time. Thanks for your help.

Andrew

 

[JRB]

If you truly plan on 30 deg temps then you may also be concerned with the 1st stage being environmentally sealed. And then on to the 200 to 250 ft depths. What ever you buy now will most likely work into the kit you will be wearing to do those dives. By the time you have the experience and training for those dives you will have at least 5 more regulators to buy….

 

[Jimmer]

If you're looking at temp's that cold, and I mean cold, considering my last ice dive was only 38 degrees, I would definetly suggested a sealed diaphragm to keep the internal parts protected in the cold water.

 

[Oyster Diver]

If you truly plan on 30 deg temps then you may also be concerned with the 1st stage being environmentally sealed. And then on to the 200 to 250 ft depths. What ever you buy now will most likely work into the kit you will be wearing to do those dives. By the time you have the experience and training for those dives you will have at least 5 more regulators to buy….

5 MORE!!! :11: My wife doesn't let me have that kind of money. I know that I am a long way off from the described dive profile and maybe the water temp is a little cold, but I was trying to cover all bases so that I dont wind up with 10 regulators in the garage.

 

[Oyster Diver]

If you're looking at temp's that cold, and I mean cold, considering my last ice dive was only 38 degrees, I would definetly suggested a sealed diaphragm to keep the internal parts protected in the cold water.

I really don't know if its going to be that cold and thats the problem, I don't know what I don't know. Below 40 definitely, around 30 maybe. Just want to cover everything since its cheaper to buy right once than wind up with a garage full of gear. I'm also trying to decide on a reg based on more than "my instructor/lds recommended this". In no way am I doubting them, I just want more information before I buy what they recommended.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The term "overbalancing" is pretty meaningless, especially the way a particular company uses it.

I do agree that a sealed diaphragm is the way to go if you will be doing cold or silty water diving in the future. But the model I would recommend is also made by a company best known for it's balanced piston designs. I like their second stage designs much better as the maker of the over balanced first stage has had some issues with their second stages not venting excess pressure if the HP seat fails in the first stage.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

5 MORE!!! :11: My wife doesn't let me have that kind of money. I know that I am a long way off from the described dive profile and maybe the water temp is a little cold, but I was trying to cover all bases so that I dont wind up with 10 regulators in the garage.

5 More regs!?!?

Yes there could be as many as 5 more regs in your future if your goal is 250 feet.

Depths like those mean doubles, and decompression cylinders... Technical diving is extremely gear intensive, and VERY expensive. It is also not somthing that you should plan on cutting corners while you do it. The real long term costs need to factor in such things as multiple sets of double cylinders, several decompression cylinders, a dry suit, multiple regulator sets, and lots of other associated gear. The costs could easily add up to several thousand dollars in purchase price, even if you shop carefully and get some used gear. You will also need to consider the costs of maintenance, for the amount of gear involved it can easily add up to at least a couple of hundred dollars each year if you pay a shop to do it.

Doubles mean two first stages each with a second stage. You are also probably looking at a travel gas / deeper decompression mix cylinder, so there is another first stage with a second stage set. You will almost certainly also be using a shallow decompression gas so there is yet a fourth first stage with second stage regulator set.

OK so I only got the count to 4 total, but you will probably still make some less than ideal purchases along the way so the count could easily get to 5 or more.

For water temperatures like the ones you describe a sealed first stage is probably a better choice. In water and air temperatures like those associated with really cold dives don't forget about the second stage, you will need to consider how it will perform when it gets extremely cold.

Good luck,

Mark Vlahos

 

[Jimmer]

Yeah 5 is not out of the question at all for dives like that. I'll be starting my first of the decompression classes this summer, and I started buying my gear last year so it wouldn't be such a major hit all at once, and I'm now up to 5 regs. 2 matching regs for the doubles, another 2 regs for deco bottles, and I picked up a used reg off ebay, cleaned and overhauled it and have that as my single tank reg when I'm with students or on a nice shallow dive and don't want to screw with the hoses on my doubles regs.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

During a surface interval I added up the retail cost of the gear I wore on a technical dive last year and came up with roughly this:

Back gas regulator -(2) $1000.00
Deco regs (2) $500.00
Deco tanks (2) $280.00
Primary tanks, steel (2) $580.00
KM-48 mask $350.00
BP/wing/harness $500.00
Jet Fins, $130.00
Dryusit, neoprene $700
Hood, gloves, $70.00
SPG (2) $200.00
Bottom timer $300.00
Reel $130
Finger spool $35.00
Lift bags (2) $180
Wrist Slate (made it out of PVC pipe) $5

Total = $4960.00

That does not include tax, training costs or the other 10 tanks (8 back gas and 2 more deco tanks) I have set up for technical diving, or the other BP/wing/harness I use for warm water dives. And I dive independent doubles, if you use a more conventional configuration, plan on spending at least $200 per manifold. Plus I like neoprene drysuits, if you go the tri-lam route plan on spending $1500 for a suit (and you can spend up to $4000 for a custom DUI dry suit). It also does not include all the other do-dads like gas analyzers, deco software, etc.

It's a fairly expensive sport and even if you can get some very good deals, plan on investing $3500-$4000 on the basics if you go the "new" equipment route.

Used equipment can save you a lot of money but you need to know exactly what you are buying. With used regs stick with brands that offer both perfromance and long term parts support for discontinued models (Aqualung and Scubapro). For example, used Scubapro MK 10's, Mk 15's, Mk 20's and Mk 25's are commonly available and make good backgas choices. Used Scuabpro Mk 3's, Mk 200's and Mk 2's are also commonly available and make very good deco regs.

 

[Greg Barlow]

If you are planning on making technical dives to 250' on air, you probably won't be buying any more regulators....

Greg Barlow