Regulator advice

[Tamas]

ok, pardon my ignorance...

why is balanced so much better? there is something to be said
for a simple desing, don't you think?

a balanced reg will deliver the same amount of air despite the pressure remaining in the tank, while an unbalanced reg will be harder to breath as the pressure drops inside the cylinders...not to mention the depth issue, a balanced will perform the same while unbalanced will be harder to breathe as the depth increases......hard breathing is the last thing you want in a cave environment

the DS4/US4 is a proven perfomer - why get something that is not up to par?

 

[H2Andy]

ah i see... thank you, i appreciate the info

(there is a rason why i ask on ScubaBoard, you know )

 

[Mark Vlahos]

ok... i currently dive with two Yoke regs (Sea Elite Tech and Dacor Fury)
and am thinking to moving up to DIN regs of a higher quality.

at the moment, i can get two Apex US4-ATX50's for $480 (total price)

but i also can get two Scubapro's Mk2-R290's for $280 (total price)

(i'm talking about TWO sets of each, just to be clear)

so... do you guys think the two Apexes are worth the extra $200 bucks?

Hi Andy,

For my doubles rig I ended up getting two APEKS DS4's each paired with TX50 second stages. Are the Apeks regs worth more money, that is entirely up to you.

In a cave a sealed reg offers some long term benefits. If you are in a silty area the seal will keep the junk out of the first stage, this can have the benefit of keeping the innards of the reg cleaner. This benefit is small and may not mean anything.

If I had it to do over again I would get the exact same first stages but I would choose the ATX50 as the necklaced second stage, keeping the TX50 for the long hose. The TX50 is just a little bulky on the necklace. I like the larger exhaust Tee just a little more, but if your trim is good the bubble interferance everyone talks about is just not an issue. If you get vertical then bubbles in front of your mask might be a concern, but I don't think that will be a problem for you.

For me a major factor in my regulator choice was cost of maintenance and the shop I got my regs at was offering a service special on regulator sets purchased at that shop. The total cost of service if I send the regs back to the same shop was about as low as I have ever seen on regs.

The ScubaPro MK2's are unbalanced pistons and may be a little less than ideal in deeper caves when compared to the balanced Apeks. I am not specifically familiar with the US4, I am making an assumption that it is essentially the DS4 that I use, without the seal. WARNING - I MAY BE WRONG ON THIS ISSUE!

DIN in a cave is a good idea, since you will be far less likely to do any damage to your reg if you should accidentaly come in contact with the ceiling. Remember that in a cave is not the place you want to be diving with "economy" regulators.

Mark Vlahos


edits are italicised in the 5th paragraph.

 

[H2Andy]

thank you very much, Mark... very very helpful

 

[OneBrightGator]

I'd go for the Apeks, those ScubaPros are the entry level regs, kind of a waste of money at this point in your diving career.

 

[karstdvr]

Ever consider the Dive Rite regs? Balanced reg that delivers high quality service,plus the reg already comes DIN,so no extra cost for the DIN converter.

 

[mdb]

thank you very much, Mark... very very helpful

Mark gave good advice H2Andy. You will have good world wide support with the Apek regs.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Ever consider the Dive Rite regs? Balanced reg that delivers high quality service,plus the reg already comes DIN,so no extra cost for the DIN converter.

When I purchased my regs I looked very closely at the DiveRite, and I really liked the first stages. I was however a little less impressed by the second stages. When I took them apart I had a general impression that they were not as solid as the Apeks.

I like the Dive / Pre Dive construction on the Apeks, and the Zeagle second stages. I was left with the impression that the DiveRite was a little on the cheap side. I dive in a variety of conditions, in cave country my hands are free, but in colder waters thick gloves could make the switch a bit tough if I should need to switch to my backup. I also like the metal adjustment knob found on the Apeks. These concerns are relatively minor, but since I wanted to purchase regs intended for long term use, it made a difference to me. Please prove me wrong before I get a reg for a stage bottle.

Mark Vlahos

 

[H2Andy]

Ever consider the Dive Rite regs?

sure did, but the cheapest i can get those is for $325 each ($650 for two).

since i can get two Apeks for $480, that's a considerable savings

 

[Tamas]

I dive with ATX200s on my doubles and use DiveRite 1205's as stages, they are both good regs but I like the Apeks for the free parts for life (amongst other things).

IMHO the best reg will be the one you can get a good deal on, has local support and breathes well at any condition (not in that particular order)...so if you can get the US4's at a good deal, and have local support then go for it -- that is how I picked my regs and so far they have been great.

We all know how well the DS4's perform, so if you get US4's you can always seal them leater if you see the need to.