Reg options

[Diver-Drex]

First post on the board, thanks in advance for all opinions. I am getting back into diving after about 10 years. I need to refit all gear and looking at regs. I'll be diving in local waters above 50 deg and traveling to warmer climes. I don't see much need to go below 90' unless there is a specific wreck or something to see. Nitrox cert likely this year. I am a minimalist in general and have the same thoughts on scuba gear... simple, functional and only what I need.
The three choices I'm looking at are all within a few bucks for 1st stage, 2 seconds and hoses.

- Sherwood Brut - simple and dependable as a hammer
- Zeagle Envoy - adds adjustability, but that is something that can fail
- HOG D1/Edge - adds one more adjustment and DIN to yoke adapter, which are more failure points but is adjustable and allows using DIN valves

So my question is really whether the dual adjustment and DIN2yoke are advantages or dissadvantages? I've never run into DIN tanks and I'd never used an adjustable reg in the past. I made 5 dives recently using adjustable rental regs and had three free flows, one I couldn't stop. With personal gear I will have it adjusted to where I want it, but I'm having trouble getting past this.

 

[redacted]

You may want to get a better understanding of how each of those options works before you start comparing "failure points".

Bottom line is any one of them will get the job done.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The main issue I see with new divers and adjustable regs is that they often are not properly instructed on how to use them. Another issue is that the regs are not always tuned to where they should be or they are and the problem goes back to the diver. All of my regs are tuned pretty tightly so that there is either a very slight freeflow on the easiest setting or just a hair past it doing so. When I open it up all the way I want all the air I can get. Having said that I normally dive them turned down to what would be half of that or on my back up and stages set even more restricted to minimize the chance of them freeflowing when I don't know it.

I'm not sure what you mean by one more adjustment unless you are talking about the breathing effort adjustment knob. Which if instructed how to use it, may make you wonder why you didn't get one in the first place. The Brut is simple and reliable. I've owned two of them. They work and if tuned by someone who really knows what they are doing breathe as good as any. But finding someone was the issue for me that could. So I started doing them myself. But they still weren't as versatile as an adjustable.

Never owned a Zeagle but have used them. The adjustment you are referring to on the Envoy is not so much an adjustement as it is a setting that you can vary to prevent free flows on the surface. All it does is deflect some of the air that would be going out of the mouthpiece back into the case to create a greater pressure differential and help the diaphragm to be pushed back out should you accidentally hit the purge button, drop the reg face down in the water, etc. It does have some tiny effect on breathing effort but not by design.

The HOG though, and other adjustable regs are designed to allow you to set the effort it takes to get the reg to "crack" or open given the conditions of the dive. Nice easy reef dive with no current and I may be breathing so relaxed that a tight setting is not big deal. But in a current or working on an S&R task I may want to make it so that the reg practically breathes for me. The adjustment knob allows me to do that. And then when the dive is over to turn them all the way and not worry about a free flow. Had to edit that first sentence. Mind was somewhere else. Only halfway through first cup of coffee.

There was also no reason for you not to have the rental reg set where you wanted it. That's what the knob is for. If turning it didn't make a difference that wasn't because it was an adjustable, it's because the rental places maintenance practices suck and you got a piece of crap. Another reason to own your own.

I have no issues with the DIN adapter on mine. But if you rarely or never use DIN tanks I can convert a HOG reg to yoke. If done after the inital sale then the cost is about 60 bucks with labor. If you buy from me and have it done when I'm setting up the reg there is no labor charge only the parts which is 39.00 and you get to keep the DIN connection so that down the road if you want it switched back you can have that done. And if it's a reg you got from me, the first time to covert back is no charge except return postage to you.

The other thing if you go HOG is that you choose your hose length from the start. Bigger guy and need or want a bit longer hose? No problem.

It also appears that the Envoy is not a sealed reg. I may be wrong but looking at the pics I can find, that's what it looks like. The Sherwood uses the dry bleed system to keep the internals dry. Again it works but I love to see the people unfamiliar with it freaking out over the "leak'! Some of the reactions are pretty funny. The HOG comes in sealed an unsealed. I rarely sell an unsealed unless it's for a stage set up. Some refer to it as cold water seal but the truer description is "environmentally sealed" as it keeps all the salt, sand, mud, muck etc, out of the internals and makes rinsing a bit easier as well as reducing the risk of freeze up.

If you have any other questions feel free to PM or email me.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

The regs didn't free flow because they had adjustable features, they did because they were poorly adjusted or not well maintained.

Any of those regs is a great choice but if you know you'll never use DIN, go with the Edge brand which comes with yoke instead of DIN. I try to never use yoke, but if that's all I'd be using, I wouldn't buy a DIN reg...

 

[Jim Lapenta]

And to echo JahJah, If you never plan to use DIN consider an Epic or EXP. Both come in sealed versions and are every bit as good as the HOG line in terms of performance when set up properly. I own and use both. MY GF uses an EXP and I would not have her on a reg that I had any doubts about.

 

[herman]

A couple of thoughts on what everyone else has said. Unless you are diving cold with water temps less then the upper 40s enviromental sealing is not that big a deal, esp for diaphgram regs like the the HOG/Edge and Zeagles. Not to be picky but the seal does not keep the stuff from the "internals" but rather it keeps it out of the spring chamber which has a very mimimal number of parts, all of which handle salt water with no problem, as long as they are rinsed properly. I do a lot of work with old USD Conshelfs which have used that design for over 40 years and I rarely see any major corrosion and the same can be said for all the Scubapro regs that are out there, granted they are piston regs but the corrosion in the spring chamber is the same. For warm water diving I just don't see it as a selling point either way.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Depends on where the diving is and how well they are rinsed. I agree with herman but I've also serviced ones that looked like they were rinsed in saltwater. A seal would have made things much easier and less expensive for the owner. I also have divers who are so attentive to their gear that I have to wonder if they were only diving them in their bathtub. I love those people.

 

[bbarnett51]

I'm going to make a recommendation. I have both HOG and Edge regs. For recreational diving I think the Edge is the way to go. They are lighter, adjustable, yoke and come with miflex type hoses. The HOG is a more robust reg and is awesome but the Edge is more comfortable IMO. I dive dirty lakes so I like them sealed for dirt and temperature purposes.

I have used the Edge Epic on many Lake dives as well as several wrecks in the Gulf including the Oriskany. Depths from 20' to 136' and the Epic breathes every bit as good as the HOG and actually as good as my buddies AL Legend.

There are plenty of good options out there but for value vs function I have yet to use one that beats the Epic. Feel free to ask specific questions. I can tell you anything about performance but direct technical questions to Jim!

 

[beaverdivers]

The regs didn't free flow because they had adjustable features, they did because they were poorly adjusted or not well maintained.

Any of those regs is a great choice but if you know you'll never use DIN, go with the Edge brand which comes with yoke instead of DIN. I try to never use yoke, but if that's all I'd be using, I wouldn't buy a DIN reg...

Welcome to Scubaboard.

I agree with both points.

You may want to consider some of these Scubapro regs;

MK17/G250V ( adjustable )

MK25/S600 ( adjustable )

MK11/C200 - no adjustment

MK2 plus/R295 - no adjustment

If you go w/ a 2012 model, they are an excellent value.

 

[redacted]

Welcome to Scubaboard.

I agree with both points.

You may want to consider some of these Scubapro regs;

MK17/G250V ( adjustable )

MK25/S600 ( adjustable )

MK11/C200 - no adjustment

MK2 plus/R295 - no adjustment

If you go w/ a 2012 model, they are an excellent value.

I only see the Mk2/R190 as being in the implied price range: Sherwood Brut Regulator