Used vs unused, old vs new?

[JamesBon92007]

My first reg was a Healthways. I liked it because it was mine. I didn't have much to compare it to--it worked and that was fine. I was young and broke and sold my gear. Shortly afterwards, when I wasn't broke any more, I bought a tank and Calypso reg at a garage sale and dove with that for years. Around the middle of the 80's the guys at the dive shop were all raving about the new Sherwood Magnum. My ex bought one. I tried it out and then got one for myself. Both the Healthways and the Sherwoods were bought new. That was then and this is now. The Sherwood was so much better than the Calypso that I barely used the Calypso since then, however it is ready to dive. I also have a Calypso J (don't remember where I got it) that is also more or less ready to dive with. Recently I bought a used but very good Sherwood Magnum first stage on eBay and then the second stage. For about $50-$60 I now have another regulator that I have complete faith in that breathes easily, delivers as much air as I need, is highly reliable, and easy to service myself. What more could I want? I am very ignorant about equipment in general so if they made huge improvements since the Sherwood Magnum I don't know what those improvements might be. I also have a Dacor Poseidon that I picked up for a few bucks and it seems to work great but I have never dove with it. It has an annoying tendency to free-flow very slightly when it's in my mouth and I'm looking straight down. I have adjusted the hell out of it and it still does it. I figure I'll use that one if I have three other divers that need regs (yes, I kept my ex's reg) and if I have four other divers then I'll use the Calypso and try to avoid swimming against the current I also have a Sportsways diaphragm first stage (eBay, cheap) that I can't seem to get to work (replaced the pin, etc) and another Poseidon second stage so I have the makings of another reg but I don't think I would ever have any confidence in it. If fate drops on old double-hose in my lap I'll take it and dive with it after fixing it up and making sure it's close to 100%.

Edit: Oops, I meant Pacer, not Poseidon.

 

[tbone1004]

@Bob DBF grab an omni-swivel for them. Not cheap sadly, but you can get a swivel integrated for not much more and it will go to standard hoses. Sadly no one in Taiwan has made adapters yet so you can't get them for super cheap like the Jetstream/Xstreams

 

[Centrals]

To borrow a famous phase from Henry Ford:
"Any regs so long as it is Apeks"

 

[halocline]

For first stages I use MK10s and MK5s mostly, for 2nd stages I use D300s, balanced/adjustables (updated 109s), and both converted and original pilots. If I had to throw all of them away and only keep one set it would be MK10 and balanced/adjustables.

I now have several MK15s and I'll likely try those on my cave set for a while. They are really good 1st stages, just a little more difficult to service and have unique seats. Fortunately I have a stash of seats. Same with the D300s; they are great breathers, just require specialized poppets. Then again there's nothing like a good metal 2nd stage on a 2 hour dive for cutting out the drymouth.

You couldn't pay me to walk into a dive shop and leave with a new regulator.

 

[Bob DBF]

You couldn't pay me to walk into a dive shop and leave with a new regulator.

Depends on how much is being paid. Oh yeah, is there a time limit I'd have to keep it.


Bob

 

[Couv]

If I had to throw all of them away and only keep one set it would be MK10 and balanced/adjustables.

Ditto, however the more familiar I get with double hose regulators and how to properly dive them, I might just change that to the Kraken with a Balance Adjustable hanging off of it for an out of air diver.

Right now, I'd prefer deco regs that all took the same darn rebuild kit...

One can't go wrong with a ScubaPro MK 2 first stage and 108 or 109 second stage for that application. That setup needs only few o-rings, easy to source seats, easy to service and OK to use with high O2 levels if properly cleaned.

 

[KeithG]

i voted used old as i still dive my original circa 1989 sherwood. Nothing special. i have purchased a spare system or 2 from ebay so I have a parts bin. A few years ago i had to put a different spg on it as the original cracked and let some saltwater in. Service kits can be found easily, inspection is trivial, service is easy.

 

[TrimixToo]

One can't go wrong with a ScubaPro MK 2 first stage and 108 or 109 second stage for that application. That setup needs only few o-rings, easy to source seats, easy to service and OK to use with high O2 levels if properly cleaned.

Yeah, but I have five of them. I'll bide my time and acquire more that take the same kit.

 

[george_austin]

Just give me an old Conshelf XIV with all that battered and battle scarred chrome over marine brass or a Mk5 + 108 or 9. Good to go - but nothing so far in a single hose can touch the PRAM or Voit Phoenix V66 for "status" plus having no second stage in my mouth is so horribly comfortable its not even funny. Like diving without a regulator at all - except for that awe inspiring Darth Vader sound at depth.

I did have brain fade recently and purchased a new Mk25 +G260 - it's a bench warming back up to my regs from the 60's and 70's.

 

[Couv]

it's a bench warming back up to my regs from the 60's and 70's.

That's what rookies are meant to do.