Thank you for your input Richard i really appreciate it. I feel like the Cobalt 2 fits what I'm looking for, i defiantly want a back up wrist watch. i was thinking about the suunto zoop. it seems like a simple system and a reasonable price. Oh and thanks for mentioning about rinsing the reg i wouldn't have thought of that, makes sense. I wonder if one that is a sealed system would do that? or if like you say only if its under pressure? hmm
The Zoop uses a different algorithm than the Cobalt. Actually it will be the more conservative of the two initially and only able to be set even more conservatively - Suunto's idea of diving safely. The Oceanic Bud or some of their wrist models - provide levels of adjust-ability to match most other brand computers
. Dual Algorithm® with Conservative Factor Setting adjusts to match just about any computer out there
Rinsing an M1 is virtually no different than any other reg. Optimally you don't want to dunk both stages simultaneously for a long time. The Seat Saver Orifice will retract the seat allowing a tiny amount of water to flow back up the hose and into the first stage. So rinse one stage then the other. Although I dove a B1 for years and dunked it regularly since I wasn't aware of it then. Nothing was corroded when it was serviced multiple times.
However the whole idea behind the M1 is that
First stage materials are chrome plated Brass for the body and Monel for key internal components
Monel is:
a nickel-copper alloy with high tensile strength and resistance to corrosion.
So even less likely to be affected if it is dunked. Brass is probably the only part of the 1st stage that could corrode and that takes a long time and exposure to water - like years. Since it's probably chrome plated inside as well (IDK) I think a lot of it is marketing. (says the happy owner of a T2...)
It's also inert. Good for higher levels of oxygen mixes than you will used in recreational diving. Although any Atomic is good to 40% - and the best recreational Nitrox mix you'll likely find is 36% - most are 32%. So that's only useful in technical diving situations typically. A standard M1 does 50% - 02 cleaned up to 80%. An M1 can also be adapted with a cave ring should you ever pursue that - it allows you to remove the cover during a dive to clean/clear it.
Buy an ST1 if it's still a concern. Stainless doesn't corrode. If you're looking for a deal, see if abstract will tell you where he got his new ST1 recently - he paid $300+ UNDER list.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...xing-first-stage-second-stage-regulators.html
Really the simplest solution if you're concerned is hook it back up to your tank after rinsing and purge both 2nds. The air thru the chamber will dry everything. I know someone who cleans their Atomics hooked to a pony, this seems like overkill to me and never rinses the screen/filter.
Every Atomic breathes identically. And they're all going to last a
long time. My B1 is 14 years old and if I didn't tell you, you couldn't tell from a picture - I sold it to my buddy and it's his primary reg - used on dozens of dives yearly. If you're considering the M1 thinking it's better for that reason, probably think again. You're paying more for Monel which is not needed for recreational diving. And the Cave ring option. One nice thing the M1 does have is wider 2nd stage exhaust ports than the rest of the line - some people retrofit them.
about users who neither need nor want the mickey mouse rec interface/alarms, it would be a very good tech computer indeed...but the years of 'oh yeah, we'll look at that' followed by utter inaction leads me to believe that's not going to happen.
