Tech reg???

[upton7418]

I know that these have been done to death, and I'm going to get differing opinions on the matter but thats exactly what i'm looking for. I'm looking for some new regulators that are good for tech/wreck/cave diving that will be around for a long time and a tested. I have narrowed my search down to a few, and being that my brother had recently purchased a dive rite i'm looking to keep up with him. I've been comparing a few regs that i'm looking into buys. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated...

I'm looking at the mares abyss 22, atomic mr1, i'm open on the hollis regs and zeagle. I am looking to buy one reg now but will purchase another one in the future for my doubles when i configure them. All opinions positive and negative are wanted. any outside suggestion are welcome as well...

i currently use a maximus and would like some comparison if possible...

thanks for the assist...

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

why not scubapro, apeks, oms, dive rite, or salvo? I own a dozen mk17/S600 regs from scubapro so thats what I tell people to buy but dive rite makes some great regs as do the other manufactures I listed.

 

[rustyshakelford]

dive rite rg3000s get my vote.

brett

 

[Fishpie]

In order of popularity:
Apeks
Scubapro
Zeagle
....you do want to fit in don't you?

 

[PvtStash]

just what makes a reg "tech" anyways? seeing as how there are at least a half dozen 'mainstream' manufacturers that make quality regs that are reasonably priced it seems at first un-initiated glance that Any reg could be a tech reg, with perhaps the only requirement being an enviromentally sealed first stage.

here's another way of looking at it... I have an AL Titan LX Supreme, its a solid, cold-water reg with a proven trackrecord of quality that you can get for under $300... But its never listed among "tech" regs.... why or why not? what has that Apeks got that the LXS does not?

specific/empirical reasons please, try to stay away from the fear-mongering/how much is your life worth?-style of responses.

 

[Fishpie]

Nothing wrong with the Titan LX....if the hose routing works, I haven't tried one. Sometimes the barrel shaped 1st stages are difficult.
Reliability and performance are what is needed...in that order, and the LX has that covered.

 

[halocline]

just what makes a reg "tech" anyways?.......
specific/empirical reasons please, try to stay away from the fear-mongering/how much is your life worth?-style of responses.

I have no idea what makes a "tech" reg other than someone trying to sell it as such. In ANY regulator, you want reliability above all, adequate performance next, service availability and hose routing convenience are also valid considerations. When using doubles, there are some specific hose routing issues, but most regs can be configured to rout well enough.

Some tech divers have said that being able to disassemble the 2nd stage under water is a consideration, but truthfully that's a bit of a stretch. One valid emergency consideration IMO for stage regs is the ability to tolerate 1st stage flooding. There are realistic scenarios in which this might happen, such as failure of a stage reg (there is no alternate on a stage, so you would need to replace the reg on that stage in order to get the gas) or simply flooding of a stage reg that has been stored with the valve off to protect the gas, and accidentally purged. Given those scenarios, an unbalanced piston like the MK2 would be a good choice for a stage reg.

Thank you for bringing up the absurdity of the "how much is your life worth" BS.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I like the Mk 17 G250V for my back gas regs. They breathe well, deliver more than enough gas for any deep diving need and they are fully sealed and essentially bullet proof in cold or dirty water.

I also prefer the Mk 17 (and APex and similar regs ) hose routing compared to the MK 10/15/20/25 reg where the long hose is routed out the port in the top of the LP port turret. I think thatr works with that style reg, but some tech divers have elevated that hose routing to mythical status. It is in reality just ok and gives the MK10/15/20/25 workable doubel tank routing, but it is not superb.

For stage bottles, I agree with the reality thast they may at some point become flooded, so I prefer a piston design. I use Mk 10 G250s (the old original G250s not the G250HP) on all my stage/deco regs.

It makes sense to keep reg types to a minimum so that you can carry fewer parts kits in the spares box. It also makes even more sense to tune all your regs to the same IP so that in the event of a second stage problem you can swap it out with any other second stage (off an un used eco reg for example) to minimize any delay in getting in the water without compromising safety.

 

[upton7418]

thanks for the suggesstions...the reasons i was straying from Apeks and scubapro is that the availability locally isn't as prominent as the other brands that i was looking into. I'll keep on the trail and am starting to like the Hollis DC1, atomic m1, and the zeagle flathead. Like i said that availability for the other brands isn't supported as much around where i'm at and it seems that it would be a 2+ hour ride to get the gear and service the gear...

 

[gumbo717]

I have two APEX ATX200 regs and have used them on a doubles set up and now with a large single tank, with pony. I am very pleased with them and would recommend APEX to anyone. They are a great breathing reg no matter what the conditions.