Regulators to consider
- Thread starter scubamedic2012
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scrane
Contributor
I like the Atomic Z2 for a reasonably priced widely available regulator set that's reliable and has great breathing characteristics. That said, I've been diving a D400 mounted on a Conshelf first for the last four years. The D400 breathes light, smooth, and dry no matter your position in the water. But the center balanced seconds tend to be finicky, complicated, and difficult to get serviced compared to more common designs. I would not recommend any of the D series for a new diver not willing to get emotionally involved with his regulator.
Rearviewmirror
Contributor
I dive the Apeks XTX50 with the DST turret first stage and it's great. However, if I was buying today I would get the Apeks XL4 Ocea (it does come in non-mint variety) as it is more compact, lighter, and breathes as easy from what I've heard. The XTX50 is great - it's just not the lightest and I primarily travel to do my diving.
Because Aqualung bought Apeks it is relatively easy to get these serviced most places, and they seem well covered in the US, Europe and the Pacific from what I've heard. The also appear to be nigh on indescructible.
Because Aqualung bought Apeks it is relatively easy to get these serviced most places, and they seem well covered in the US, Europe and the Pacific from what I've heard. The also appear to be nigh on indescructible.
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
Perhaps my "English" is rusty, you say "everybody" and then you say "they" in the same sentence to imply that they, the "everybody," still run out of air.
If your statement is even remotely correct or accurate, we would be hearing about loads more of fatalities and accidents due to air loss/running out of air but we don't. It does happen for various reasons including stupidity and carelessness but not to the degree you seem to imply.
OP, just get the Atomic B2 set or a Scubapro G260 with a Mark 25 Evo first or if budget is a concern the Hog sets are nice.
As to unbalanced first stages, there is much to be said for simplicity and reliability. They just work and keep on working no matter what. The drop in performance as pressure decreases in the tank, thus a drop in IP, is not that big of a deal if the second stages are a good, simple, reliable balanced design, like a G250 or G260 or similar. I have used such regs at depth, under strenuous conditions and was just fine.
My newest regulator, picked up the Mk 2 Evo for a song in Bonaire, always wanted my own, and just prepped it for my next trip. I meant it as a reliable back up but it may become the go to for the trip as I need to travel light and reliability is priority. Is it not a beauty:
A standard tank valve can flow about 40 cfm wide open. No currently produced regulator from any manufacturer I know of cannot flow at least double if not multiples of that volume. And volume is the key word because the volume is the same at depth as it is at the surface and within sport diving depths (and then some) the increase in density is real but not enough to reduce the volume the regulator can flow significant to the diver. Decades ago I used Mk 2s with unbalanced second stages at depths I should never have been at spearing fish offshore Louisiana. It was stupid and dangerous and very strenuous. A relative was bent and paralyzed doing a similar thing. But the Mk 2 and the unbalanced second stages did just fine.
A scuba valve can flow about 40 cfm wide open. A top performing second stage can flow about 60 cfm wide open. A top performing human body at maximum output can flow about 4 cfm (an elite athlete may can flow about 8 cfm). That is a lot of ventilation. Strap a tank to your stationary bike or treadmill/elliptical and see how fast you breath it down with you going full out. My point is to not get lost in the numbers, any modern regulator set or any from even decades past can deliver all the air volume you will ever need at any reasonable depth you belong at. So purchase the pretty one (Atomic) the ugly one (Scubapro G260) or the one you can gets parts for or from the lds who smiles the nicest at you or just toss a coin. Nowadays, I prefer the ones that have the S on them.
As to unbalanced first stages, there is much to be said for simplicity and reliability. They just work and keep on working no matter what. The drop in performance as pressure decreases in the tank, thus a drop in IP, is not that big of a deal if the second stages are a good, simple, reliable balanced design, like a G250 or G260 or similar. I have used such regs at depth, under strenuous conditions and was just fine.
My newest regulator, picked up the Mk 2 Evo for a song in Bonaire, always wanted my own, and just prepped it for my next trip. I meant it as a reliable back up but it may become the go to for the trip as I need to travel light and reliability is priority. Is it not a beauty:
A standard tank valve can flow about 40 cfm wide open. No currently produced regulator from any manufacturer I know of cannot flow at least double if not multiples of that volume. And volume is the key word because the volume is the same at depth as it is at the surface and within sport diving depths (and then some) the increase in density is real but not enough to reduce the volume the regulator can flow significant to the diver. Decades ago I used Mk 2s with unbalanced second stages at depths I should never have been at spearing fish offshore Louisiana. It was stupid and dangerous and very strenuous. A relative was bent and paralyzed doing a similar thing. But the Mk 2 and the unbalanced second stages did just fine.
A scuba valve can flow about 40 cfm wide open. A top performing second stage can flow about 60 cfm wide open. A top performing human body at maximum output can flow about 4 cfm (an elite athlete may can flow about 8 cfm). That is a lot of ventilation. Strap a tank to your stationary bike or treadmill/elliptical and see how fast you breath it down with you going full out. My point is to not get lost in the numbers, any modern regulator set or any from even decades past can deliver all the air volume you will ever need at any reasonable depth you belong at. So purchase the pretty one (Atomic) the ugly one (Scubapro G260) or the one you can gets parts for or from the lds who smiles the nicest at you or just toss a coin. Nowadays, I prefer the ones that have the S on them.
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
I guess you’re just one of those guys that needs to have everything precisely spelled out in exact terms or else you find a crack to begin to pry.
I wrote “..everybody has an SPG”, because now days they do, unless you count in those weird vintage divers. But then here is where I went wrong, instead of saying “…and they still run out of air”, I should have said “and some of them still run out of air”.
But that’s not really accurate either because some people don’t use air, they might use nitrox or trimix, so I guess I blew it all the way around.
I’ll try better next time.
Considering that this is an international forum with different cultural backgrounds of participants, their level of command of the English language, their knowledge and experience in diving, their apprehension level in diving, yes, it is wise to be careful and more precise in what we say in the context of potential accidents and "running out of air." As a very long time instructor, the biggest fear potential students have before they sign up for diving is being "eaten" by sharks and "running out of air" and hence one needs to be careful of their words they use here especially since we are in the "Basic Scuba" forum.
That is still an extreme exaggeration. Again, if it were "some," we'd be having a substantial number of divers getting into serious accidents and serious injuries. This is NOT the case here.
It isn't "me" that I, or you, should worry about, it is the inexperienced, the ones that don't have adequate command of the English language and the ones that are already have a fear or apprehension about diving that we need to worry about. Again, this is the "Basic" forum where the greater majority of posts and members (including lurkers) and explorers of SB hang out and read. Call me crazy (or anything else you want to call me), but I do care about the accuracy and information disseminated to these people here.
Big time but we all know that deep down, very deep, you are basically a nice guy and mean well
Yes, try harder, much harder.
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