Twin regulator recommendations

[drakcheslav]

If you can find them, XDeep regulators would be my choice.
They replaced my Apex XTX200, and I can tell you they blow the Apex out of the water easy.

The routing is by far the cleanest on any set Ive seen and tried, and they're pretty low profile and protected. So it's easy to get to your manifolds.

 

[drakcheslav]

Thank you for the enlightening post! I am in the same boat as the OP hence this discussion is very relevant to me. Since my goals are for extended range only with limited deco (<30min, imagined as of today) I intend to get two turret 1st stages with a 5th port option (also sidemount training). My question really is about a 3rd reg to begin with - would the Apeks DS4 make a good choice for stage bottles when using the turret regs for backmount? If not good for stage would adding a 90deg LP adapter to the DS4 make it an acceptable choice for backmount regs?

DS4 is great for both backmount and stages. Although, Apeks has the DS1 for stages, DS4 is by far the easiest to get and service.

 

[Marie13]

The turret does make hose routing a bit better on deco/stage bottles. All my regs have the rotating turret and fifth port. I won’t buy a reg missing those two features. My regs are a combo of Apeks XTX50/DST and Dive Rite. I bought a Frankenreg that is a DST first and a DR second. They play well together.

 

[Pearlman]

The turret does make hose routing a bit better on deco/stage bottles. All my regs have the rotating turret and fifth port. I won’t buy a reg missing those two features. My regs are a combo of Apeks XTX50/DST and Dive Rite. I bought a Frankenreg that is a DST first and a DR second. They play well together.

A “bit better” but not against convention and any safety inspired rules correct? With budget constraints into consideration, and also given that more than 60% of diving may be on singles (tourist diving at exotic locales) I am rooting for the DS4 as my 3rd and maybe 4th when I get to that level… I’ve been holding the DS4 in my hands at the local LDS last two weekends and simply love its compact form factor!

Another question - is the standard 29” primary hose length good for stage bottles? Meaning can I just buy a stock 1st and 2nd stage normally used for singles and use it for both singles and stages with extended range?

Thanks

 

[Marie13]

40” hose for stage/deco bottles is the standard.

I found the turret/fifth port first stage was a bit nicer single tank when I had to use my Apeks SM set once on a trip when my AL Legend had sudden issues.

I standardized my first stage types so they’re all mix & match.

Yes you can use any stock reg for deco/stage. Just has to be able to be O2 cleaned for deco use. So anything titanium doesn’t work for that, but how many regs are titanium anyway? Something Atomic but I don’t know what else.

 

[Pearlman]

40” hose for stage/deco bottles is the standard.

I found the turret/fifth port first stage was a bit nicer single tank when I had to use my Apeks SM set once on a trip when my AL Legend had sudden issues.

I standardized my first stage types so they’re all mix & match.

Yes you can use any stock reg for deco/stage. Just has to be able to be O2 cleaned for deco use. So anything titanium doesn’t work for that, but how many regs are titanium anyway? Something Atomic but I don’t know what else.

Ok so then if I stick to a single 1.5 mtr hose I can use it both as singles open water primary donate as well as a stage deco reg? Or is going above 40” to 58” against recommendations for stage bottles… ?
The other complication is O2 cleaning when switching from singles/tourist diving to Tech/XR. Is that a simple half day job at any tech oriented dive shop ( like arrive a day before to get the dive plans and equipment sorted out)? How much does it cost normally to get a reg O2 cleaned? Is it acceptable not to use the green color coded regs for O2 or against convention?

If you can find them, XDeep regulators would be my choice.
They replaced my Apex XTX200, and I can tell you they blow the Apex out of the water easy.

The routing is by far the cleanest on any set Ive seen and tried, and they're pretty low profile and protected. So it's easy to get to your manifolds.

They look good, but don’t you run the risk of bumping the diaphragm in overhead environments and puncturing it accidentally? I would be more comfortable pointing the diaphragms sideways with a turret design. Is an endcap not available for Xdeep? I imported my XDeep Zen directly from Poland but I dont want to do that for a reg with no qualified or authorised service tech around.

 

[Angelo Farina]

I did always use the same "general purpose" regs both an a twin tank and a single tank. What's the need of regulators "designed for twin tank"? Do they differ from "normal" regulators?
I do not get the point...
My only recommendation is to use two IDENTICAL regs. This makes everything much simpler regarding maintenance or solving failures.
So, if you are happy with your current reg, just buy another identical.

 

[Marie13]

Ok so then if I stick to a single 1.5 mtr hose I can use it both as singles open water primary donate as well as a stage deco reg? Or is going above 40” to 58” against recommendations for stage bottles… ?
The other complication is O2 cleaning when switching from singles/tourist diving to Tech/XR. Is that a simple half day job at any tech oriented dive shop ( like arrive a day before to get the dive plans and equipment sorted out)? How much does it cost normally to get a reg O2 cleaned? Is it acceptable not to use the green color coded regs for O2 or against convention?

The O2 green regs I’ve seen aren’t meant for deeper use. I want a good reg. I took a new DR SM set and used one reg for deco. I just had that reg O2 cleaned and it was $40. I’m in the US, but you don’t seem to be. That is dedicated as a deco reg. It has a yellow hose to differentiate it from other regs. Your local practices may be different. I just used the yellow hose as my own method. You really need to dedicate a reg just for deco so it doesn’t get contaminated - just to be on the safe side.

 

[Centrals]

I never bothered with O2 clean, just use O2 compatible grease to service all my regs including the 100% deco reg.
Turret, 5th port(Apeks), length of the hose etc are all personal preferences. Unless you are trained by certain agency.
Learn how to service the regs is far more important and practical.

 

[drakcheslav]

They look good, but don’t you run the risk of bumping the diaphragm in overhead environments and puncturing it accidentally? I would be more comfortable pointing the diaphragms sideways with a turret design. Is an endcap not available for Xdeep? I imported my XDeep Zen directly from Poland but I dont want to do that for a reg with no qualified or authorised service tech around.

Technically you could w/o a problem to orient the diaphragms inwards. But, since they're right behind your head, it's greater chance to hit your head than the regs and puncture them.

Then again, user error knows no bounds.

Also, yeah, it is a bit of a problem if there is no tech around, but from my experience the folks at XDeep will try and held and sort you out if needed.

But as you said, best thing is to get what's easier to service in your area.