Looking for a set of travel regs (yoke) - what else should I consider besides Aqualung Mikron and Scubapro Mk11/c370?
Travel regs
- Thread starter TDiddy
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What is your motivation for a travel reg? Weight? Size?
If you want the option to be able to dive locally in cooler water (<50°F) then consider the Apeks XL4 or XL4+.
Not quite as lightweight as the Mikron, but definitely not a beast either. For that matter, the Aqualung Core is fairly light, although marketed as a "lightweight travel" regulator. Add a few ounces for the Core Supreme model instead, and you are ready for cold water again. (can you tell which brands I carry at the shop?)
If I didn't already own a Legend and a Flight and wanted to buy just one regulator for all my diving, I would jump on the XL4+.
OP
Yes, weight/size is mainly what I'm after. I currently have a Hollis 200LX/DCX DIN setup so I don't need to worry about using these in cooler water.
Jack - I had the Flight on my list originally but after doing some reading on them and challenges with repairs/specialty tools needed etc I thought maybe it wouldn't be a great choice. I'll take a look at the XL4+ though.
Jack - I had the Flight on my list originally but after doing some reading on them and challenges with repairs/specialty tools needed etc I thought maybe it wouldn't be a great choice. I'll take a look at the XL4+ though.
I love my Mikrons and we even use them for local diving by choice. I recently ordered the Deep6 Scribble but haven’t yet received them so can’t compare. I needed another 1st stage din and couldn’t beat their price.
Regulator Packages - Regulators
XL4 does require a few special tools for the 2nd stage - a subset of the Flight special tools. If you don't need coldwater, Mikron is probably fine rather than XL4. (The XL4+ just adds a 2nd HP port, and everything is white.)
Just one note to consider - in general, smaller compact 2nd stages usually have a higher Work Of Breathing than larger 2nd stages. Often that difference, while measurable on an ANSTI machine, would never be noticed by the diver except in extreme conditions. (depth, higher rater of breathing, etc.) So that is not a game changer, just something to be aware of when making an informed decision.
If weight is in a issue I disconnect my hoses and carry my first stage in my pocket. Makes me walk a little funny but its a huge boost to my confidence.
SaltwaterNomad
Registered
I have couple hundred dives on my Mikron and still love it. Great for travel. Added a SeaCure moldable mouthpiece which made it even better.
A second vote for Apeks. My Flight rig was an awesome travel set. I swapped up for the XL4+ only due to the fact that I wanted a set for year round use and the Flights froze once diving in water around 10c (their bottom temperature rating). Doing deep dives at home routinely gets me near 5c.
The XL4+ first stage is slightly heavier than the Flight but still light enough to fly with. The added bonus is the XL4+ second stages, while just as light as the Flights, use standard wrenches to disconnect from the hoses (I even added a swivel to my primary second). I can then swap to a long octo hose when working with students here at home (DM Trainee) since the stock hose is barely arms length. Adequate in a true emergency but a bit short for demo and student work.
The XL4+ first stage is slightly heavier than the Flight but still light enough to fly with. The added bonus is the XL4+ second stages, while just as light as the Flights, use standard wrenches to disconnect from the hoses (I even added a swivel to my primary second). I can then swap to a long octo hose when working with students here at home (DM Trainee) since the stock hose is barely arms length. Adequate in a true emergency but a bit short for demo and student work.
tbriggsnh
Registered
I went through the same decision process about a year ago and went with a pair of C370's and a Mark 11. I'm anal about traveling light and while the Apeks Flight and Aqualung Mikron were top contenders, the C370's are incredibly light and the MK11 isn't too bad weight-wise. Plus all 3 components are physically quite compact. And the price was reasonable. Finally, compared to the Mikron and Apeks, my LDS prefers to service Scubapro and that factored into my decision as well.
The setup is perfect for me. When I recreational dive in warm water, I can get all my gear into my roll-aboard and backpack and don't have to check anything (except when traveling the last leg on the prop jobs).
Since March, I've done about 100 dives with the regs. and they've performed just fine. Since I only dive warm water, I'm also able to use them for technical diving. For that diving, I move the C370's over to my (DIN) HOG D3's. I've had them down well past 150' on the San Francisco Maru in Truk and at the Cavern in Grand Turk and didn't notice and WOB issues-- they breathed just fine for me.
Just a thought. If you're an instructor/divemaster and up & down the ladder or flipping onto a RIB constantly or diving on boats where equipment gets trashed & bashed continuously, lightweight regs. won't hold up as well as a traditional brass regulator. But if you're doing a hundred dives a year and keep things clipped off and take reasonable care of your equipment, they should be fine.
The setup is perfect for me. When I recreational dive in warm water, I can get all my gear into my roll-aboard and backpack and don't have to check anything (except when traveling the last leg on the prop jobs).
Since March, I've done about 100 dives with the regs. and they've performed just fine. Since I only dive warm water, I'm also able to use them for technical diving. For that diving, I move the C370's over to my (DIN) HOG D3's. I've had them down well past 150' on the San Francisco Maru in Truk and at the Cavern in Grand Turk and didn't notice and WOB issues-- they breathed just fine for me.
Just a thought. If you're an instructor/divemaster and up & down the ladder or flipping onto a RIB constantly or diving on boats where equipment gets trashed & bashed continuously, lightweight regs. won't hold up as well as a traditional brass regulator. But if you're doing a hundred dives a year and keep things clipped off and take reasonable care of your equipment, they should be fine.
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