Upgrade or Replace?

[ChaosHokie]

So...some follow-up....

* I'm a tiny bit confused about this, but when a regulator set is set up for "cold-water" is it just the 1st stage that's sealed or is there something special about the 2nd?
* Considering that it's proving to be extremely difficult in finding "just" a 2nd stage regulator from Aqualung, I'm almost tempted to buy the DIN version so I can swap out 1sts if I ever need it.
* Also, considering the price of the Aqualung stuff vs a HOG, and the typical shop charge for service, it's almost cheaper to buy a HOG 2nd and throw it away when the 2-year service is up!!!! *** I'm not endorsing that wasteful of an attitude, but yikes!
* I'm looking at stuff on ebay and on craigslist, but most people there are selling complete sets.

 

[tbone1004]

cold is a first stage only thing to prevent it from freezing. the rapid decompression causes the reg to get real cold and if there's water in there it will freeze. this is only really important in sub 40*F water and usually only happens on the surface unless you have a freeflow underwater

 

[ChaosHokie]

Ok, so then a "Titan LX Octopus" would be the same as my current primary regulator, since the 1st stage "Supreme" is already cold-weather? That makes more sense to me.

 

[halocline]

Ok, so then a "Titan LX Octopus" would be the same as my current primary regulator, since the 1st stage "Supreme" is already cold-weather? That makes more sense to me.

Yes. Any fuil size 2nd stage is fine; I believe the LX is a balanced 2nd, that's fine, or you can just get the titan 2nd, which is unbalanced. It doesn't make much difference. Or you can get a SP R190, that's a fairly common unbalanced downstream 2nd that will work fine as an alternate 2nd.