Regulators- Aeris vs. Atomic vs. SP

[Vinterwoo]

It's time for me to get a new reg. I thought about going scuba pro as I had an old Mark 5 that treated me well, and I'm happy with my night hawk. But I've heard SP is not what they used to be, especially for the price. I've heard good things about Atomics and Aeris, so I've been looking into those regs, but I wanted to get some unbiased feed back from the dive community.

Specifically the Aeris pro. It looked good, but I don't know if I should be worried about the dvt button on the first stage- is that just one more thing that can go wrong? Same with the Atomic swivel- should I worry about that as a failure point as well?

I don't plan to go much deeper than 160 or so on this reg, but I will be putting some serious hours on what ever rig I get so dependability is priority 1.

 

[fireflock]

I don't think you will get unbiased opinions, divers like what they like.

I like the Atomics, and think the Z2 has a lot of performance for the money. It also doesn't have a swivel, but I wouldn't worry about it as a failure point. Atomic regs, as you might know, were designed by engineers who left Scubapro to start something new (and better?).

You might be interested to check out the reg reviews over at Scuba Diving Magazine - Regulators

 

[ronbeau]

It's time for me to get a new reg. I thought about going scuba pro as I had an old Mark 5 that treated me well, and I'm happy with my night hawk. But I've heard SP is not what they used to be, especially for the price. I've heard good things about Atomics and Aeris, so I've been looking into those regs, but I wanted to get some unbiased feed back from the dive community.

Specifically the Aeris pro. It looked good, but I don't know if I should be worried about the dvt button on the first stage- is that just one more thing that can go wrong? Same with the Atomic swivel- should I worry about that as a failure point as well?

I don't plan to go much deeper than 160 or so on this reg, but I will be putting some serious hours on what ever rig I get so dependability is priority 1.

I own two Atomic B2 regulators and have never had any problems with them whatsoever.

The deepest I have gone with my Atomic B2 is little below 130 feet. Breathing was the same as it was at 30 feet.

I know other people that have gone deeper than 130 feet with the Atomic B2 and said the regulator performance was outstanding.

I can't comment about the DVT since I have never owned an Aeris or Oceanic regulator even though my BC (ATMOS XT) and dive computer (ATMOS AI) are both Aeris products.

It seems to me the only value of the DVT is in protecting divers from dunking the first stage while the dust cap is not covering the first stage air inlet.

 

[Doubler]

Best advice I could give would be, go to the LDS, put a large sum of cash down so they know you are serious and test dive what you want. I did this at my LDS between Scubapro 650 and Atomic Z2. Bought the Atomic, IMHO hands down the best but that is me not you. Also have the swivel hose but I am getting rid of it and switching to MIFLEX hoses. The swivel hose hangs way out there, it's okay but kind of stiff. Have to admit no jaw fatigue. We divers like what we like, get what fits your needs - as long as it is an Atomic

 

[cave_diver]

Did you ever try to compare a Chevy Neon to a 7 series BMW?

 

[msg]

I have two SP regs and like them both. I have done some dives with the Atomics and liked it a lot also. See if your LDS will let you try one out prior to buying.

 

[K9Pig]

I dive Atomics M1, and have three of them, but that's what my LDS has and can service. I have just over 50 dives on my M1's, at all temps down to about 58 feet. I did try Aeris DVT it was a good reg, but I haven't found anything comparable with Atomic IMHO....

Do you travel and dive alot? If so, maybe consider ScubaPro, they have a pretty good service/support around the world if something should happen will on vacation. Also consider the type of diving you will be doing, ie. cold water or warm water...

Like others have said personal preferance, and $$$. See if your LDS will allow you to test dive a few different reg's.

Good Luck!!!

 

[dgangi]

I'm not sure if cost is a consideration in your decision, but right now the Aeris is definitely the best value of the brands you listed.

You can get an Aeris Ion, which got terrific reviews on a recent Scubalab test (all 5's I believe, which is the best score you can get on breathing performance), for <$500. And they throw in the octo for free. So basically you can get the entire setup including octo for <$500. One of my local shops had one advertised for $480.

My wife just bought an Aeris Pro with the DVT. The Pro is 1 notch below the Ion (which is Aeris' best regulator). We're leaving tonight for a dive week in Turks & Caicos. I'll let you know what she thinks of it when we get back. This is the first Aeris product either of us have owned (my reg is an Oceanic Delta 4 and her old one was an Oceanic Gamma2).

Similar setups (including the octo) from Atomic and Scubapro are going to run at least a few hundred dollars more.

I bought the Aeris because, like you, I've heard a lot of good things about them. It turns out that Aeris is a sister company to Oceanic, and I've had great luck with Oceanic products (including service), so I figured I would take a chance on the Aeris.

Thx...Doug

 

[shoturtle]

The aeris pro is very similar the the oceanic GT3, same company just a different line. They use the same dcx5 1st stage. Allot on the board really like the GT3 and it is a really good regulator, it is a good cold water reg also. And it is not really that expensive. My friend just got the oceanic GT3 and loves it. It is also allot less expensive then the atomic's if that is a concern. If you are looking for a reg that is in the same price range as the atomic's. Look at the ION form Aeris, it is brand new, balance 1st and 2nd or the oceanic Eos pretty much the same reg. I have dealt with oceanic/aeris customer service and they are great.