Stuck between 3!!

[Notso_Ken]

I am putting together my first gear package and can't decide which reg to go with. I have read countless threads and have narrowed it down between three.

-Scubapro MK16/S550- Seems like everyone says good things about scubapro(including my instructor)

-Sherwood Magnum- We only have one dive shop were I am from and they carry Sherwood and Tusa. Maintance close by.

-Aqualung Legend- Have heard alot of good things about this one.

-Zeagle Envoy- Like the lifetime warrenty and made in US.

Please let me know what you guys think about these, as well as if you know of any in price range that are any better.

Thanks in advance

I recently went looking for what to get in a new reg. Based on everything I saw, and concetrating on price, availability of service, and cold water capability (#1 requirement), I bought the Aqualung Legend. Like it so far, but only a couple pool dives on it to date. I'll know more 30 April, after a weeekend of diving in 40-45* water.

Ken

 

[djanni]

Personally, I think all of those you listed and AquaLung, are good regs.

Put your money where your breath is and don't buy the low end of any brand. Skimp somewhere else.

I like Atomic.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I recently went looking for what to get in a new reg. Based on everything I saw, and concetrating on price, availability of service, and cold water capability (#1 requirement), I bought the Aqualung Legend. Like it so far, but only a couple pool dives on it to date. I'll know more 30 April, after a weeekend of diving in 40-45* water.

Ken

Hey Ken, we can both test out our new Legends at the GLWC M&G. I also just picked one up. The M&G will be the first time I get it wet. Looking forward to meeting you and many of the other regulars on 4/28.

 

[charden]

I picked up my MK16/S550 about 3 months ago for $250. The MK17 is great, but not enough to be worth the price difference at that point (as I'm not planning on any colder water than here in California).

Point is, if you can still find an MK16 at an LDS it should be cheap, and its a great reg. I doubt you'd ever be sorry you spent the money even if you upgrade at some point (I'm sure it would make an excellent spare!)

My fiance won her MK16 set the day I bought mine... grumble...

 

[mack50md]

I own Aqualung and Apeks but, that doesn't mean I'd recommend you go buy them. Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy with my regs but, they were purchased because they would handle the level of diving I want to do, they were within my budget, and I can get them serviced easily in my area. Your list is all quality gear IMHO.

There is nothing in your profile that suggests what type of diving you are doing and where. All we know is that you have one local LDS (which would bump Sherwood up my list). Perhaps more information from you may get more beneficial results to your question.

Then I'll go get my bag of popcorn and watch this thread. LOL

 

[tribaltim]

I have a ScubaPro MK25/X650 it's the only regulator I have every owned but I have to tell you that for me it works great and I would suggest it to anyone.

 

[halocline]

As charden said, the MK16 is discontinued, so it might be a good chance to buy a SP reg from a shop with a valid warranty at a big discount. SP is still supporting regs they made 30 years ago, so I would not worry about buying a discontinued one.

All the others you listed commonly come up on threads with very good reviews. Since virtually all regs made by reputable manufacturers these days are better than we really need them to be for most diving, you could take your pick and probably not be disappointed. It is really nice to have a reg that can get serviced anywhere should something come up while on a vacation. This gives an edge to SP, aqualung, and Mares (go figure!) regs.

 

[CompuDude]

Plug for both ScubaPro and Atomic, here: I like the lifetime warranty, as long as you have it serviced regularly. That can make a big difference in cost over time, even if it costs a bit more up front. And for me, the nicest thing about ScubaPro is that you can get that sucker serviced anywhere in the world. EVERYONE knows scubapro, no matter how far flung the dive location is.

 

[CPDiver]

You will continue to hear about Apeks, Aqualung, Poseidon, and Scubapro as this thread progresses. I just went through the process of buying a new reg and finally narrowed my purchase down to the Apeks ATX 50 and the Aqualung LX Supreme based on performance, reliability, and talking to many people in the dive industry.

I chose the Aqualung Legend LX Supreme based on one tiebreaker, and that was the ease of getting an AL reg serviced. You would be hard pressed to find a dive location without an AL certified tech nearby. The 2nd stage of the the Apeks ATX 50 and the Legend LX are ther same. You can't go wrong with either.

I just got back from a dive trip with the Legend LX and I can tell you it breathes as easily at 130 feet as it does at 10 feet, and at times I almost forgot it was in my mouth.

You should also know Aqualung and Apeks are running a deal that gives you the Octo free when you buy the Regulator - that saves you about $150. With that deal you get a lot more regulator for the same amount of money as the other regs you listed above.

Good luck with the decision.

 

[Gil57usa]

I am a member of a Public Safety Dive Team and we use Sherwood and Oceanic regulators. They are quality regs and serve us well. My own personal regs are Zeagle ds5/zx's and Zeagle 50D/zx's. These are without a doubt the best regs I have used. They both have sealed first stages and the second stages are adjustable. Plus, they are a step above the Envoy. The Poseidons are very expensive to buy and to have serviced.