Starter Tech Gear

[Standingbear56]

Umm, my stages have bottom mix in them. Are you talking about traveling gas? Or deco gas? I often spend more time on my stage tanks than my backgas. In fact, I prefer it that way.

OK, I was assuming (and yes, I do know what that means ) that they would be utilized for travel or deco. If you are staging for more bottom time, then you would definitely need regulators that are at least as high performance as your back gas regulators. They are being used for the same thing.


The side breathing jetstream is not considered a DIR reg.

Unfortunately this is true. Too bad, as the Jetstream DR is an extremely high performance regulator.

The hurricane is fine although its really a rebranded Beuchat and it looks like its being phased out. ($200 off at DRexpress is the hint). Service down the road on a rather unusual french regulator may be an issue.[/QUOTE]

After reading this, I contacted Dive Rite. What I was told was that with the future of the Euro vs the US Dollar, nothing is 100% guaranteed at this point. However Dive Rite has no plans of phasing out the Hurricane, and has full supplies of both the regulators as well as a full parts inventory to handle any sales/servicing needs for now and the foreseeable future.

Take Care,
George

 

[PerroneFord]

However Dive Rite has no plans of phasing out the Hurricane, and has full supplies of both the regulators as well as a full parts inventory to handle any sales/servicing needs for now and the foreseeable future.

Hmmm, this sounds all too familiar.

 

[Standingbear56]

Hmmm, this sounds all too familiar.

I know, I know. However DR is generally good with giving us the scoop. If there were any plans on phasing out anything, we're usually one of the first to know. However, if this worries anyone, we also have several other brands that will certainly suit deep tech needs, like Atomic (in store only) Aeris, Oceanic, Hollis, etc.
Safe Diving,
George

 

[serrada]

Halcyon's are great. I must point out though that I have halcyons and my girlfriend had an oxycheq. Her wing is holding up better than mine however I like the halcyon harness, plate, STA and cam bands much better. Go with one trim pocket on the upper and one on the lower cam bands to add weight rather than the weighted single tank addapter so you and make micro adjustments to you trim. It's lighter and travels better also.

We have Oceanic, Apeks, Scubapro and Zeagle regulators. Buying new for a single tank set up today, I'd go with the G250V, MK25 or MK17 (I like the MK25 better for single tank hose routing than the MK17 for single tank hose routing) and R295 (if you can afford it go up to the R395 and even better the S600) as a backup. Then later if you decide to go doubles just by an additional MK25 or MK17.

Apeks and Atomic also makes fine regulators as well, but buying an extra second stage is so costly you'd might as well buy two 1st and 2nd stages. If you get an Apeks balance 2nd stage without the adjustment knob than you need to have a tech detune it at some point to prevent it from free flowing. That why the adjustment knobs on the Apeks,SP, Attomic are better or the unbalanced R295 or R395 are better.

For a computer I'd recommend the Scubapro Tec 2g first or one of the Sunnto variants second followed by the DR and Zeagle. If you want to go bullet proof get the Scubapro bottom timer and plan you dives as you should be doing anyway with tables along with a casio g-shock or timex iron man.

Note I suck at diving but have learned quite a bit reading these forums

 

[BabyDuck]

I think I may go with an Apeks XTX50 for a primary and a Apeks XTX40 (maybe 20) for an octo. Then when I buy a doubles setup I will just buy a second set. I have been looking here Apeks XTX50 & XTX40 Octopus*-*Lucas Divestore It seems like it is two regs for $483. I cannot tell what kind of 1st stage it has. I want to get a DS4. Does this seem like a reliable starter platform.

remember that in most tech configurations, you give away the primary and breathe the 'octo' (backup, secondary) yourself...so most folks have two of the same.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Yep, people tend to forget that. When things go seriously south you will be the one breathing the backup reg so it makes sense to have two of the same model or at least the same performance.

There is also a school of thought that promotes having regs of different designs (for example a balanced secoind stage on the primary and a simpler unbalanced backup) to reduce the potential for multiple failures. I made a long post on that a few months ago. The short story is that in terms of real world wear tear and failure issues, you are better off with 2 balanced second stages.

I am an SP Mk 17 G250V fan and feel you just can't do better for a technical diving regulator.

I did however recently get a really good look at Dive Rite's RG3000 and I have to say I'd not be opposed to owning one if I could not go the Mk 17 G250V route. Unlike some of the clones of that first stage design, they are made in CA and the quality is both very good and pretty consistent.

In any event, I don't really believe in starter regs. Buy a good one and you only have to buy once. If you buy a starter reg, get ones that will be optimized for the the deco and or stage bottles they will end up on so you are not wasting money or getting away from an optimum configuration.

Computer wise, for offshore tech diving, it works well to just plan the dive with tables or computer generated software using a bottom timer and a slate in the water. In other words, the computer rides along as a backup. In a cave environment where the profile is by neccesity much more multi level, a computer begins to make a bit more sense, but again you still want a bottom timer (or an inexpensive computer in gauge mode) as a back up for depth and time.

The Dive Rite Nitek Duo/Tusa IQ700 is a great two gas computer that sells for around $390. It will get you all the way up to but not including trimix. Still, a computwer would be my last tech purchase as a bottom timer, a slate, and a set of tables will take you an awful long way and teach you more in the process.

 

[verybaddiver]

Something wrong about someone wanting to go into 'tech' diver, who is struggling to buy the intial equipment. I bet no-ones told him how much tech-1/2 costs or how much a can light or Gavin is

 

[verybaddiver]

Incidentally, I bought a Gekko, because it was easy to use and the dive shop in Scapa flow didn't ave any others, and i was damned if i was paying £50 to hire one

 

[opti12206]

Something wrong about someone wanting to go into 'tech' diver, who is struggling to buy the intial equipment. I bet no-ones told him how much tech-1/2 costs or how much a can light or Gavin is

Believe it or not, I have actually looked at how much tech gear cost. I know that to get certified and equipped for trimix ten grand is a decent estimate. My biggest concern with regs is that they meet GUE standards in case I go that route. I want regs that will transfer over from rec to tech, so that I can spend less.

 

[verybaddiver]

Fair enough .

I personally believe 10 grand (in US $) is on the lower end, but it's a fair starting point. You'll end up paying far in excess of that to reach tech2 fully equipped, in terms of outcome (petrol/dives/training/failed equipment). good luck..