Regs......which one to choose

[shoturtle]

To the OP, I have Apeks XTX100s and have owned ATX100s, ATX50s and TX50s before that. My dive buddy is head-to-toe Scubapro. Both companies make and sell fine regulators. And those aren't the only quality regulator brands, as you can see by some of responses that you labeled as "stupidity". :shrug:

shoguy, you obviously don't understand the scuba business very well. Hint: Scubapro enforces MSRP (less 10%) and MAP for their products sold in the US of A and Canada, just like Aqualung USA.


Were you somehow fooled into believing the Scubapro regs are all manufactured in the US, just because its a "US company"? It might be enlightening to visit your local Scubapro dealer and check the boxes to see how many Scubapro regs are manufactured in Italy or Taiwan. Also, I believe their Uwatec dive computers are manufactured in Switzerland. FWIW, Apeks regs are actually manufactured in the UK.

On the first point. It is easier to find sp parts then al part. That is how they make you use the dealer network. And have them do you service of your reg. When I was researching reg for myself, I check the availability and ease of obtaining parts and I found out that it is easier to get a sp part then an al part. I am not only talking about initial pricing. From everything I researched, the only place you can get a al part is form their dealers who will insist they do the work. For those that can do the work and have read the books, why would you want to pay that.

On the second point, nothing is made in the USA really anymore, except for cars, computers and movies. The US is more of a service economy then a manufacturing economy. Which I know very well. The end profits affect the bottom line of the US or French company when it is time to report earnings to the street. It comes down to which companies reporting you want to support. I know how things really work. Like I said, if he is into the political debate. Just wanted to point it out, for some. It is a reason to make the decision for one over the other. They are both good regs as I pointed out earlier.

PS

I have an Italian brand regulator made in Italy by the way.

 

[John_B]

It is easier to find sp parts then al part.

I don't work on my own regs, but I know where to find the Apeks service kits if I ever decided to.

On the second point, nothing is made in the USA really anymore, except for cars, computers and movies. The US is more of a service economy then a manufacturing economy. Which I know very well. The end profits affect the bottom line of the US or French company when it is time to report earnings to the street. It comes down to which companies reporting you want to support. I know how things really work. Like I said, if he is into the political debate. Just wanted to point it out, for some. It is a reason to make the decision for one over the other. They are both good regs as I pointed out earlier.

Both are publicly traded companies, no? There are no guarantees that the Johnson Outdoors shareholders are based in the US. I noticed that Johnson Outdoors reported a $1.6 million loss on a forex holding, with the dollar so weak a loss like that clearly points to importing not exporting. It would be interesting to see who the significant shareholders of each corporations are...

BTW, a few months ago I went to my local Pontiac/GMC dealer to look at small-ish SUVs, the one I was looking at had the engine and transmission made in China. Go figure. (I didn't buy it.)

 

[shoturtle]

I don't work on my own regs, but I know where to find the Apeks service kits if I ever decided to.


Both are publicly traded companies, no? There are no guarantees that the Johnson Outdoors shareholders are based in the US. I noticed that Johnson Outdoors reported a $1.6 million loss on a forex holding, with the dollar so weak a loss like that clearly points to importing not exporting. It would be interesting to see who the significant shareholders of each corporations are...

BTW, a few months ago I went to my local Pontiac/GMC dealer to look at small-ish SUVs, the one I was looking at had the engine and transmission made in China. Go figure. (I didn't buy it.)

On the the second. Shearholder has nothing to do with where the company reports. Johnson reports to the street as it is a small US company. And AirGas report to the CAC and the street because it is a true multinational, but the bulk of the shares are traded in Paris.

On the first point, I did not say it was impossible, I just said easier.

yup, the part supplier are global. Ford, GM, Honda's BMW's, and Subaru's do finally assembly in the US. But they also do it else were like Mexico, Germany, Japan, China, Slovakia, Spain, France and Canada. There is no such thing pure one country car anymore. At least they still assemble in the US. If that help some with a car decision.

 

[Andy0918]

Dive-rite
dependable
reasonable price
easily serviced- non-proprietary parts and dive-rite will sell them to individuals

 

[vicdiver656]

Many people will choose don't care because there's so many more brands out there than those 2. It a perfectly reasonable response to a limited poll, not "stupid."

I have had SP for a long time but recently bought Aqualung/Apeks and they haven't been wet yet. So I don't have a preference yet, and I suspect I may not even after using them.

I've often heard people say SP is a great choice for traveling, supposedly easy to get serviced many places, but my experience has been quite the opposite.

Yes, but many on this forum have told me that if I don't use the product, keep my mouth shut.

 

[TSandM]

I've never owned Apeks regs, but I will repeat something Danny Riordan said, as he was working to repair an Apeks second stage belonging to one of my classmates last week. He feels the Apeks regs are a little more finicky, and often are difficult, once you service them, to get back to the performance they had new. Although they still have some Apeks regs that they use, they have gone primarily to SP.

Now, of course, they're also SP dealers, but he had no reason to make the comment to us, as none of us was considering buying any regulators at the time.

 

[John_B]

Piston regs are simpler to repair, right?

Its cold water diving that puts me off of piston regs (in general). My dive buddy had a MK25 that freeflowed on him like crazy in cold (but not freezing, btw) water. He's replaced those with MK17s which are Scubapro's version of a sealed diaphram first stage -- just like my Apeks flatheads.

 

[Vie]

Piston regs are simpler to repair, right?

Sure, if you're thinking Scubapro MK2 or Aqua Lung Calypso... MK25 is considerably more fiddly.

Its cold water diving that puts me off of piston regs (in general). My dive buddy had a MK25 that freeflowed on him like crazy in cold (but not freezing, btw) water. He's replaced those with MK17s which are Scubapro's version of a sealed diaphram first stage -- just like my Apeks flatheads.

I'm disappointed that Scubapro is no longer making the MK19 - it combines the design of the MK17 with the hose routing possibilities of the MK25.

 

[John_B]

I'm disappointed that Scubapro is no longer making the MK19 - it combines the design of the MK17 with the hose routing possibilities of the MK25.

An MK17 with the turret end like an MK25? OMG, my dive buddy would probably buy a half dozen of those on sight! So they made them only for a short time? Whats up with that? I'd have guessed they'd sell those in the thousands...

 

[Vie]

An MK17 with the turret end like an MK25? OMG, my dive buddy would probably buy a half dozen of those on sight! So they made them only for a short time? Whats up with that? I'd have guessed they'd sell those in the thousands...

I think you can still find them in European shops - perhaps they are still being made, but just not marketed in Asia or the US. They were included in the catalogue in the SE Asia region, and then it was abruptly announced that they will not be imported. A few made it to Thailand and I have seen one but no more are available here, as far as I know.