regulator questions
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Beck-Miester
Registered
I dive cold water, and did my cert with a rental Sherwood Blizzard as my primary Reg. I liked the way it breathed, and the fact that it was good for just about anything and everything that I could possibly ever want to use it for. That said, since money was only "somewhat" of a concern, and I knew that my LDS could service it, I decided to go a step up, and got the Sherwood SR1. I know a lot of people that end up going with the Reg brand that they trained with, since that was where their brand loyalty was born.
When it boils right down to it, from my perspective anyway: Your life is going to depend upon your Reg. How much is your life worth? For me: In conjunction with all of the considerations that are in this thread, It's worth every penny I could afford.
Beck
emoe1973
Registered
REGULATORS ARE REGULATORS ARE REGULATORS.
every one that is sold for use for SCUBA DIVING has to pass certain regulations on their ability to provide air in an AVERAGE state.
The differences are as follows
1: construction material. Plastic, Polcarb, Carbon Fibre, Stainless, titanium. the list goes on.
2: size of the second stage; flight type for lightness and travel, large for gloved hands on the purge
3: cost of the internal parts. some are made cheaper with less positive wearing parts. (service costs are higher!)
4: First stage set up. Is it Sealed? DIN OR YOKE mounted?
So basically, you need to look firstly at the money you can afford.
then what kind of diving will you do?
if its in cold water as well as warm, then look for a set up that has an Environmentally sealed FIRST STAGE. this helps with freezing.
you then have PISTON over DIAPHRAGM first stage.
after that, whats the inter-stage pressures? ask the Shop about Flow and delivery of each you look at.
Make sure you match the first stage with the second stages. Dont mix them as Interstage pressures are important.
Basically then try them. If they feel comfortable, and deliver air nicely to you then youre halfway there!
After that, look at where to get it serviced. and what cost. some cheaper models will end up costing you the same if not more after 4 years of servicing, than the more expensive model!
In the end, buy the BEST you can afford, The most comfortable and the ones that you are happy with.
every one that is sold for use for SCUBA DIVING has to pass certain regulations on their ability to provide air in an AVERAGE state.
The differences are as follows
1: construction material. Plastic, Polcarb, Carbon Fibre, Stainless, titanium. the list goes on.
2: size of the second stage; flight type for lightness and travel, large for gloved hands on the purge
3: cost of the internal parts. some are made cheaper with less positive wearing parts. (service costs are higher!)
4: First stage set up. Is it Sealed? DIN OR YOKE mounted?
So basically, you need to look firstly at the money you can afford.
then what kind of diving will you do?
if its in cold water as well as warm, then look for a set up that has an Environmentally sealed FIRST STAGE. this helps with freezing.
you then have PISTON over DIAPHRAGM first stage.
after that, whats the inter-stage pressures? ask the Shop about Flow and delivery of each you look at.
Make sure you match the first stage with the second stages. Dont mix them as Interstage pressures are important.
Basically then try them. If they feel comfortable, and deliver air nicely to you then youre halfway there!
After that, look at where to get it serviced. and what cost. some cheaper models will end up costing you the same if not more after 4 years of servicing, than the more expensive model!
In the end, buy the BEST you can afford, The most comfortable and the ones that you are happy with.
Atomic_Diver
Scubaboard Enthusiast
I personally dive Atomic Aquatics Regulators, but....
Buying a set of regs is like buying a vehicle. If you have a family to cart around, you aren't going to buy a sports car and vice versa. You need to be practical in your purchase.
If your diving is going to include cold water dives, for example, you'll want regs that are environmentals. It's going to cost. If warm water diving is all you'll be doing, then you can save some money by not going the environmental route.
Cost, breath ability and your intended use all come into play here. as well as the ergonomics of the rig. Having a first stage swivel is a nice touch. So are extra, low pressure ports on the first stage. You might decide later, that you'll want a dry suit. If you don't have a port available for the whip, you won't be using that first stage reg for diving a dry suit.You'll also have to factor in serviceability here too. It's no good buying regs that you have to drive two hours to the nearest dealer to get them serviced as not all dive shops will carry all makes and models.
Buying a set of regs is like buying a vehicle. If you have a family to cart around, you aren't going to buy a sports car and vice versa. You need to be practical in your purchase.
If your diving is going to include cold water dives, for example, you'll want regs that are environmentals. It's going to cost. If warm water diving is all you'll be doing, then you can save some money by not going the environmental route.
Cost, breath ability and your intended use all come into play here. as well as the ergonomics of the rig. Having a first stage swivel is a nice touch. So are extra, low pressure ports on the first stage. You might decide later, that you'll want a dry suit. If you don't have a port available for the whip, you won't be using that first stage reg for diving a dry suit.You'll also have to factor in serviceability here too. It's no good buying regs that you have to drive two hours to the nearest dealer to get them serviced as not all dive shops will carry all makes and models.
RonFrank
Contributor
Most regulators on the market are VERY good. I use Zeagle. But I have friends using just about everything out there.
I would not worry too much about grey market vs. an LDS purchase vs. even used vs. new. What most people here call *grey* is not, but rather not sold via an authorized dealer. Just make sure your decision is informed, and you get a reasonable deal. A new purchase is maybe a no brainier if you know nothing about regs.
Warranties are generally not all that important, and most *free* parts programs don't save the consumer a dime.
Good Luck
I would not worry too much about grey market vs. an LDS purchase vs. even used vs. new. What most people here call *grey* is not, but rather not sold via an authorized dealer. Just make sure your decision is informed, and you get a reasonable deal. A new purchase is maybe a no brainier if you know nothing about regs.
Warranties are generally not all that important, and most *free* parts programs don't save the consumer a dime.
Good Luck
imwright1985
Contributor
I personally like aqualung, the shops i use here and in the keys all service them so i dont have to worry. I was going to get a Titan LX because for the AL line its probably the best bang for your buck then ended up with a sweetheart of a deal on a Mikron which is near identical. Like everyone here says though your major brands all are good regs, just find one that is locally servicable to the areas you will be and that fits in your price and performs the way you want. I have heard a few problems with mares but alot of people on here like them, and I have a buddy that has a genesis that has never had a problem with it (hopefully he wont because there are no authorized service shops here so he has to take a risk with a shop that can service it but might not be as familiar with the internals)
wjefferis
Contributor
If I were you I would actually try some of them out. My local dive shop (LDS) has a pool and will allow you to try out gear in the pool. if a shop doesn't have a pool or they will not let you splash one in on a test dive them try it out in the shop. Ask to hook it up to a tank and see how it breaths. I have a ScubaPro mk25 1st stage and a s600 2nd stage and they breath like a dream. When I compaired them to say the rental scubapro gear there was a big difference in how easy the MK25/S600 performed and how the rental stuff performed. I really like ScubaPro they give you free parts for life on your 1st and 2nd stages as long as you bring it in for service every year.
LeadTurn_SD
Contributor
A final thought (from me) on regulator selection: Tuning is 90% of the battle.
I think a lot of the "brand x" breathes better than "brand y" can come down to which reg is tuned better.... a well-tuned mid-range ($400) regulator from any of the current "major players" will make most divers very happy.... but a badly-tuned $1,000 regulator can wreck your dive.
Best wishes.
I think a lot of the "brand x" breathes better than "brand y" can come down to which reg is tuned better.... a well-tuned mid-range ($400) regulator from any of the current "major players" will make most divers very happy.... but a badly-tuned $1,000 regulator can wreck your dive.
Best wishes.
Kevin Carlisle
Contributor
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