Too good of deal to pass up on HOG reg's?

[ColdH2O]

I am just in the process of being certified right now and have been keeping an open eye for good deals on equipment to buy in the mean time (found a new Apeks WTX harness for $160, so I bought it).

I talked to the LDS today about some new HOG D1 Cold water doubles reg complete setup that I found for a smoking deal of $450, but he told me that I may have troubles getting them serviced because nobody around here does them. This particular LDS sells a lot of Apeks regulators which are nice too but I will be looking at around $900 to get the same setup as the HOG deal.

So i guess I am looking for some advice, buy from the LDS and pay double or take the HOG deal and worry about servicing? I have seen that you can service your own HOG stuff and I am very mechanically inclined but not an experienced diver.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

If you're just getting certified now, why are you considering buying a doubles reg setup?

FYI, if a reg tech can service an Apeks reg, then he should be able to service a HOG reg.

P.S. You can always "pass" on any deal. Good deals on scuba gear appear all the time.

 

[vshearer]

Sounds like a great deal, and servicing those regs, as is the case with most, is not difficult. The old saw is that if you can rebuild a carb then a reg is easy, but how often do you see carbs anymore? You should gain an understanding of how it works though, and maybe buy used USD off of ebay to practice on. (similar design)

Servicing your own regs is fun, and in some cases you will do a better job than a LDS.

 

[ColdH2O]

If you're just getting certified now, why are you considering buying a doubles reg setup?

FYI, if a reg tech can service an Apeks reg, then he should be able to service a HOG reg.

P.S. You can always "pass" on any deal. Good deals on scuba gear appear all the time.

I figured for that price, why wouldn't I just use the second reg for an octo, I know it is not necessary but its still cheaper than buying the Apeks setup. And also this way I have 2 really good regs. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought this logic made sense.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I'm not necessarily saying you should buy the HOG regs, but just know that you can always send them off to be serviced. It may be more or less convenient than having the Apeks done at your LDS, depending on where you live and etc.

Note that you have to have some kind of technical dive training in order to take the HOG reg service class (although that's not to say you cannot learn to service them on your own as you can buy the HOG service parts yourself).

Another consideration is the "free parts for life" when you are buying regs. Some brands give you those free parts for life, although you do have to then get them serviced when the company says you should. If you are going to have them serviced by a reg tech, and are going to do them at those intervals anyway, then it might be good to look for regs that have that (many do).

I know that I'm the type who does not want to keep track of that sort of thing (not that I don't keep my equipment in good nick, but I'm not the type to do mail-in rebates either - just my quirk), so that did not influence my purchase.

I would not make a rush purchase if you don't need to. If you are buying new there will usually be another sale, or whatever (used is less like that but still something comes along from time to time).

I ended up buying a used-but-in-excellent-condition set of Zeagle Flathead VI regs. I like that they are made in the US and that parts are easily available to me as a consumer should I want to service them myself. I saved about half over buying them new (and that is even when the new ones were on closeout at a very good price). I had done enough research to have some idea what I wanted, but not 100% sure. Then a dive trip came up and I had three choices:

1) Rent regs which would come to over $200 by the end of the trip.

2) Buy a full set of budget regs new, for $2xx

3) Buy the used Zeagle Flathead VI (including alternate second stage) for $2xx

I went for door #3 and in retrospect (now that I know more) think it was the right door for me

So.. lots to consider but .... I wouldn't rush just because there is one good deal, especially if you are not in a situation with #1.

Although you may very well want to consider HOG as they sound like good, well-priced regs, a lot depends on how you plan to use and service them, and what type of person you are.

Blue Sparkle

PS: I think your logic on the doubles set is sound, although from what I remember when shopping for the HOGs, you can still do even better, pricewise, with them buying a first stage and two second stages. Something to double check, anyway.

PPS: The HOG regs are DIN only, so that is something to take into account. Oftentimes if you travel and use rental tanks, they have yoke valves. You can use a DIN/yoke adapter, but that will make the reg project a bit more towards your head - that would be an issue for me.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Some regs really are hard to get serviced, like Dacor.

But a modern, simple balanced diaphragm design with the company still in business and parts readily available through several web sites? Easy. If the shop really won't work on it then as long as you have a FedEx, USPS, UPS, DHL or other postal carrier nearby, you can easily get the regulator serviced at one of several dive shops that care about your business more than pushing a specific line of regulator.


You do need several tools to take the class, but it's pretty cool to know how your regulator works. Taking the class and learning how regulators work was a great decision.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I figured for that price, why wouldn't I just use the second reg for an octo, I know it is not necessary but its still cheaper than buying the Apeks setup. And also this way I have 2 really good regs. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought this logic made sense.

That logic doesn't make sense to me.
You won't need 2 first stages immediately after OW certification. The only way it would make sense is if you plan on getting a pony bottle right away or moving to doubles quickly.

Purchase what you need. Save your money for any other necessary equipment, more training, gas fills, and dive vacations.

I don't think it's usually a good idea for basic OW students to be making "large" scuba gear purchases...unless fit or safety is an issue.

 

[ColdH2O]

Purchase what you need. Save your money for any other necessary equipment, more training, gas fills, and dive vacations.

I couldn't agree more, and yes I will have a 2nd stage 1 not doing anything until I decide to use doubles or a pony bottle, but by buying the HOG's for $450 vs. $900 for the Apek's at the LDS, I am saving $450 which could be spent on other things, right?

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I couldn't agree more, and yes I will have a 2nd stage 1 not doing anything until I decide to use doubles or a pony bottle, but by buying the HOG's for $450 vs. $900 for the Apek's at the LDS, I am saving $450 which could be spent on other things, right?

I'd recommend against buying a first stage that will just sit around unused for who knows how long. You don't have any current plans for it, right?
Just ask the dive shop whether they'll sell you what you need at a reasonable price. Surely, they can subtract one first stage from the doubles package.

$900 seems a little steep for a comparable Apeks setup. Price out an XTX50/DST or XTX50/DS4 + XTX50 octo. At my local shop (authorized Aqualung/Apeks/Suunto dealer), such a reg package runs $700-$750. I have seen it for less at an annual "blow-out" sale.

HOG regs do seem to represent a good value. Although the company hasn't been around for too long, the products appear to function well, are priced nicely, and the owner is accessible for any warranty issues. I wouldn't worry about not being able to find anyone who services them.

 

[Tortuga68]

HOG Gear D1 Doubles Reg Package - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL who are normally pretty competitive list the complete doubles set for $605 (with the coldwater upgrade) plus you'd have to cover shipping costs and you're not supporting your LDS

So I can see the temptation, if $450 includes the SPG and all hoses, that's a good price. A single 5-port D1 Cold first stage is usually $170

One thing to consider is that with a doubles setup you'd normally run a 7' primary hose with a bungeed backup, which you might not want to do on your singles rig as a newly certified diver (assuming that you haven't been trained in primary donate for OOG/long hose). It's a different skill set to what's taught on OW