Regulator Confusion

[BillNH]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum and have some questions about regulator setups.

My wife is getting certified right now and I have developed a renewed interest in diving because of it ! I have been certified since 1983 and have dove on and off since then mostly renting equipment along the way.

We are considering purchasing our own gear (BC's, Air delivery systems w/computers and exposure suits), but there are so many choices.
I have been reading the posts here and there seems to be a loyal following to Apez for many good reasons. My concern w/ going w/ Apex is that I can't afford to pay what my LDS charges and if I buy it off the internet there is no manufacturers warranty. I have been looking at Scubatoys.com because they are authorized dealers for everything they sell.

How come I havent seen any threads regarding Dacor Regs ? Are they bad regs now ? I like the Eagle Pro DPD or the Mares v16 Proton.
I would like to buy the same setup for myself and my wife w/Octo and guages w/computer.

Does anyone have any thoughts in regards to my thinking out loud ?

Thanks

Bill

 

[mtiffee]

I can't speak for the Apex but recommend scubatoys. I bought the Atomic Z1 reg and the aeris gyro octo from them.

 

[JCARR]

I second the positive Scubatoys comment, they have been great to deal with.

I am a novice and have not used either reg so take what I say with a grain of salt. You may do a search on the V16 Proton and look for comments on bubble interference, as it is very small. I understand that due to the design of the first stage it only needs service only every 2 years, that is a big plus.

I ended up with the Zeagle Envoy Deluxe, used it all of one time in a pool and it worked well for me.

I also purchased a Aeris Sport, it also works well. Like the proton, it has very short exhaust ports. I felt some bubbles around the base of the ear that were kind of annoying. My wife didn't note any problem with the same reg. So it must be my fat head. Good luck.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Mares now owns Dacor and it is still unclear what the ultimate fate of Dacor regs will be. We have also had serious problems with less than stellar support and with excessive shipping times and months long backorders on Dacor equipment. Dacor has also stopped providing parts support for older regs. For example you can no longer get parts for any first stage older than the Dacor 960.

So while Dacor was a major and well respected player 20 years ago, they are not in the same position today and I would personally be a little cautious about buying a Dacor reg due to conderns about long term parts and service support for it.

Apeks regs are the current favorites with the tech crowd but much of that is also politically/agency driven. There are many other quality non-Apeks regs avilable out there.

 

[Firefyter]

I dive a proton reg, and I absolutely love it. It is a smaller profile reg, but the only time I notice the bubbles at all is when I'm vertical, which is pretty rare. The V16 is a great 1st stage also, so I don't think you'd be making a mistake buying that setup. It's a good, solid reg for a decent price. You mentioned Scubatoys also, you can email Larry, or send him a pm here, and he'll give you his honest opinion on the regs. Scubatoys is another place I don't think you can go wrong. I was in there again today, slowly spending my retirement before I ever get a chance to draw it...lol. Seriously, though, they're a great bunch of guys, and you'll get good customer service from them.

 

[BlueDevil]

How come I havent seen any threads regarding Dacor Regs ? Are they bad regs now ? I like the Eagle Pro DPD or the Mares v16 Proton.
Bill

You will do well with any of the Mares range of regs. They always get good reviews in regulator surveys. They are durable, reliable, and very good performers. Even the lower regs in their range, such as the MR12 Axis will serve you well down to depths of 50m or so. I am on the verge of buying a Proton for my wife, but will probably get the MR12 Proton since we want light weight gear for travelling. Incidently the MR12 first stage is a great workhorse with a design that has proved itself over many years (I already have two of them and if we get the Proton that will make three MR12's, plus an MR22 Abyss). One other plus with Mares regs is that they are very resistant to free flow and so they don't need any silly adjustment knobs to fiddle with.


BD

 

[BillNH]

Thanks for the comments everyone. The new Dacors look nice, but if things have changed that much with them I think I may stay clear of them. The Mares V16 looks like a nice reg., so that will be a good option. The Apeks look very nice but as I mentioned with our budget buying Apeks from our LDS is cost prohibitive. I think the best pricing we have seen on the net is from Scubatoys, so we will probably work with them to put otgether a package. I am very interested in the Zeagle Ranger BCD which they carry for $ 200.00 less than my LDS. The next dilemna is finding a BC for my wife w/integrated wieghts and rear bladder. Thats a post for another forum though. Thanks again.

Bill

 

[daveg1]

Bill
Why limit your self to just 2 or 3 brands of regs. With all the LDS's we have here in NH you can get almost any brand of reg. I don't know where in NH you are but within 40 min of Concord you have at least 7 shops to choose from.

 

[BillNH]

Hey Dave

I'm in Wolfeboro and we do have a LDS here, Dive Winnipesaukee. They sell primarily Apeks regs.

I guess I am open to any suggestions. There are so many different brands and models available, it can be a bit overwhelming(kind of like buying wine !).

I figured it would easiest to narrow it down to a couple of brands based on price, reputation, etc....

Mares seem to be a good line as are others, but this will be the first time we have bought gear and I really don't know what good ones are and what bad ones are.

I'm open to suggestions...

thanks Dave

Bill

 

[JimC]

I own 2 MR12/Epos/Axis setups and 2 Apex DS4/TX50 setups

While they are an ok reg for warm water and easy use they dont cut the mustard for cold stuff or frequent hard use. There first year of service had 2 trips to the shop for IP addjustment and tunning over 90 dives. There second year of service both lost there abbility to hold IP after ~70 dives post overhaull. After inspection both of the HP Valves were worn.

Subjectivly the Mares are significnatly harder to breath. My Apex get up in the morning and breath for me.