What else to buy when buying a regulator?

[Joneill]

Nothing wrong with a 5' hose for open water.

Nothing wrong with a 32” hose for recreational open water either - that’s what I’ve used since I started diving in 2015. Never had an issue with that length on my primary!

 

[andrewmcc]

There is a new dgx xtra rec package on eBay now for $425. That is $125 less than from the site. Not sure about shipping cost for you though.

 

[happy-diver]

Ha ha ah ha ha ha ha!

Yeah ALL my main tanks come with a device for the clip

True enough. Tip for the long-hose during setup: clip off the second stage immediately after uncoiling it (and the SPG as well if present), and then put the first stage on the tank.

then that leaves every second of your life between the clipping and the unclipping, including the clipping
for the long hose to give you the shits
for the rest of your life

 

[Doc Harry]

What else do you recommend buying when buying your first regulator?

Buy some tanks and a compressor

 

[buddhasummer]

I am a new diver, certified last spring and live in Florida. Like you I don't plan on diving cold water. My LDS suggested I get a ScubaPro a MK11, c370, R95 + an SPG which I did. The MK11 is great for warm water divers and the c370 breathes well. ScubaPro regs are easy to get serviced and the service interval is 2 years for most folks.

My LDS was kind enough to clean/fix my octo for free after I dragged it though the mud in Alexander Springs, then failed to clean it properly causing a free flow on my next dive. Buying your regs from your LDS has benefits you may not have thought about. Your LDS should have equipment that works well for your conditions and is convenient to get serviced.

The C370 breathes exceptionally.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I appreciate everyone's input. Thank you!

I'm indeed planning on mostly diving in Puerto Rico. Dives here are boat dives and shore dives. I know there are some wrecks, but I don't think you can dive inside them.

I do see myself growing in the sport, eventually wreck and cave diving, but I don't think that'll be this year.

Except for the tank, I already have the rest of the equipment. My BCD is DGX's BP/W package.

I do plan on traveling with my equipment, although rarely. Maybe I'm being naïve, but I think I don't mind the extra weight of long hoses.

On traveling, too, I don't think it'll be in cold water. If I ever did, maybe I can rent the regulator on that particular occasion.

Here's my takeaway so far:

• Get an IP gauge, to keep an eye on the output pressure.
• I'll need some tools, to make hose adjustments/changes.
• I'm also going for the long hose setup, I don't mind too much the streamlined setup, but I don't the hose sticking out. I will try long hose and see if it stays closer to the body.
• I'm gonna go with rubber hoses. If I regret the weight after my first travel, I may buy braided for a streamlined setup and use it when traveling. I don't want the abrasion on my neck.
• Silicon lube.
• A tec reg bag.
• Given that it may be overkill for my skill + type of diving, I will reconsider which regulator set. I was thinking Apeks DST + XTX50 hoping it is the only reg I'll buy in my life.

It doesn't matter if you are diving in cold water. The correct term for the first stage is "environmentally sealed," meaning sealed against the environment. That includes salt, sand, silt, critters, etc.
I have serviced hundreds of regs over the years, and non-sealed regs tend to be the ones that took just a bit longer to do.
People did not rinse them as well as they should have, and the environmental chamber would have the above-mentioned contaminants in them. Sometimes, the salt had started to corrode the plating on the surfaces inside.
In the real world, sealing the 1st stage means a difference in cost of just a few dollars over a non-sealed. One mfg I serviced for stopped selling non-sealed regs altogether.
Unless you are a really big guy, getting a long hose setup of 5 ft should be fine for you. Put the backup on a 24-inch hose with a 110 swivel and necklace it under your chin.
The long hose routes much nicer on a reg with a 5th port. Run the long hose out of the 5th port down along your right side and loop it around your neck. It should stay nice and tucked without looping out.
Put the SPG on a 24-inch hose.
Rubber hoses all the way. Braided hoses, in my opinion, do not offer any benefit when traveling. What, a few ounces saved? In exchange for them taking a set when coiled, being floaty, and can kink and shut off the air to the second stage. Some of us do/did not allow them in tech classes because of the latter tendency.
Tools? Not a bad idea. Silicone lube? Nope. Never. Get a tube of Tribolube even if you are not using higher O2 percentages. I found that the silicone lube commonly sold is too thick and attracts dirt and holds it. Also the only o-rings the average diver would use lube on are the ones on the SPG spool. Hose o-rings don't need it.
The most important thing is to just take good care of your regs. My tips for that are below and I provided them to every customer.

Regulator Care Tips

​

Do you find yourself paying more for service on your regs than you think you should? Does the tech say that it’s because of corrosion, silt, salt, sand, etc.? Are your regs seeming to need service due to the adjustment knobs/levers being stiff? Do the adjustments feel smooth, or are they gritty? Do you use the dunk tanks on the dock or boat to rinse your gear?

If the answers to any of these are yes, you may want to follow these regulator care tips from me at UDM Aquatic Services.

1. DO NOT RELY ON DUNK TANKS FOR GEAR USED IN SALTWATER! Once a BC has been dropped in that tank, unless it has a constant supply of FLOWING freshwater, you are dunking it in saltwater. Maybe even worse than what you just dived in.

2. Do not rely on the dust cap to keep water out of the 1st stage. Unless it’s on a pressurized cylinder, the 1st stage should generally not be fully submerged and soaked.

3. If you don’t have a cylinder to pressurize the reg, put the dust cap on, drape the set around your neck back in your room, and take them into the shower with you. Allow the warm water to flow over the 1st and second stages. Then hang them to dry before packing them.

4. If they are DIN regs, take a slightly damp clean cloth and wipe the threads on the reg and the dust cap. Allow them to dry before putting the dust cap on. Take both of your second stages and rinse them in the sink or tub while working the levers and knobs. Do not store regs with DIN/YOKE adapters on them. For yoke regs, do not blow the cap dry with air from the tank! You can end up blowing water into the 1st stage and/or risk a pressure-related injury to your hand. You can inject an air bubble through the skin. Think of the needleless vaccine guns. Plus it’s incredibly annoying to other divers and if opened too far can actually affect hearing.

5. Do not pack wet regs in luggage if at all possible. It’s too easy to forget them for a few days and later discover they are covered in salt residue and have started to corrode.

6. When you get home if you have a cylinder to hook them up to, fill the bathtub or sink with warm freshwater. Hook up the regs and pressurize them. Allow the regs to soak for a half-hour or so. Drain the sink or tub. Refill with fresh water and while soaking them, work the levers and knobs and swish them around. Drain the sink. Rinse the 1st and 2nd stages with fresh RUNNING water. Hang to dry before storing them. Do not hang them in direct sun. A cool, dry, ventilated space is best. A damp basement or garage is the worst place to store gear. Mold and mildew can degrade the fabrics, the hoses, and permit mold growth in second stages that can be a health hazard.

7. If you don’t have a cylinder, follow the above steps in 6 but without soaking or submerging the 1st stage. Do the seconds and rinse the 1st well under fresh running water with the dust cap installed. Dry as above.

 

[Johnoly]

What else do you recommend buying when buying your first regulator?

Just kidding.....

 

[MidOH]

Pic is worth a thousand words:

Top left hose is necklace reg. Bottom hose is the 5th port, 7' longhose reg. Top right is Spg. Bottom right is wing inflator hose. Small piece of bungie added to reduce turret rotation so it's not spun backwards during annoying tank swaps.

Hog D1 sealed 1st stage reg. Which was relatively cheap. Dgx Xt4 2nd stage regs.

 

[sparragus]

It doesn't matter if you are diving in cold water. The correct term for the first stage is "environmentally sealed," meaning sealed against the environment. That includes salt, sand, silt, critters, etc.
I have serviced hundreds of regs over the years, and non-sealed regs tend to be the ones that took just a bit longer to do.
People did not rinse them as well as they should have, and the environmental chamber would have the above-mentioned contaminants in them. Sometimes, the salt had started to corrode the plating on the surfaces inside.
In the real world, sealing the 1st stage means a difference in cost of just a few dollars over a non-sealed. One mfg I serviced for stopped selling non-sealed regs altogether.
Unless you are a really big guy, getting a long hose setup of 5 ft should be fine for you. Put the backup on a 24-inch hose with a 110 swivel and necklace it under your chin.
The long hose routes much nicer on a reg with a 5th port. Run the long hose out of the 5th port down along your right side and loop it around your neck. It should stay nice and tucked without looping out.
Put the SPG on a 24-inch hose.
Rubber hoses all the way. Braided hoses, in my opinion, do not offer any benefit when traveling. What, a few ounces saved? In exchange for them taking a set when coiled, being floaty, and can kink and shut off the air to the second stage. Some of us do/did not allow them in tech classes because of the latter tendency.
Tools? Not a bad idea. Silicone lube? Nope. Never. Get a tube of Tribolube even if you are not using higher O2 percentages. I found that the silicone lube commonly sold is too thick and attracts dirt and holds it. Also the only o-rings the average diver would use lube on are the ones on the SPG spool. Hose o-rings don't need it.
The most important thing is to just take good care of your regs. My tips for that are below and I provided them to every customer.

Regulator Care Tips

​

Do you find yourself paying more for service on your regs than you think you should? Does the tech say that it’s because of corrosion, silt, salt, sand, etc.? Are your regs seeming to need service due to the adjustment knobs/levers being stiff? Do the adjustments feel smooth, or are they gritty? Do you use the dunk tanks on the dock or boat to rinse your gear?

If the answers to any of these are yes, you may want to follow these regulator care tips from me at UDM Aquatic Services.

1. DO NOT RELY ON DUNK TANKS FOR GEAR USED IN SALTWATER! Once a BC has been dropped in that tank, unless it has a constant supply of FLOWING freshwater, you are dunking it in saltwater. Maybe even worse than what you just dived in.

2. Do not rely on the dust cap to keep water out of the 1st stage. Unless it’s on a pressurized cylinder, the 1st stage should generally not be fully submerged and soaked.

3. If you don’t have a cylinder to pressurize the reg, put the dust cap on, drape the set around your neck back in your room, and take them into the shower with you. Allow the warm water to flow over the 1st and second stages. Then hang them to dry before packing them.

4. If they are DIN regs, take a slightly damp clean cloth and wipe the threads on the reg and the dust cap. Allow them to dry before putting the dust cap on. Take both of your second stages and rinse them in the sink or tub while working the levers and knobs. Do not store regs with DIN/YOKE adapters on them. For yoke regs, do not blow the cap dry with air from the tank! You can end up blowing water into the 1st stage and/or risk a pressure-related injury to your hand. You can inject an air bubble through the skin. Think of the needleless vaccine guns. Plus it’s incredibly annoying to other divers and if opened too far can actually affect hearing.

5. Do not pack wet regs in luggage if at all possible. It’s too easy to forget them for a few days and later discover they are covered in salt residue and have started to corrode.

6. When you get home if you have a cylinder to hook them up to, fill the bathtub or sink with warm freshwater. Hook up the regs and pressurize them. Allow the regs to soak for a half-hour or so. Drain the sink or tub. Refill with fresh water and while soaking them, work the levers and knobs and swish them around. Drain the sink. Rinse the 1st and 2nd stages with fresh RUNNING water. Hang to dry before storing them. Do not hang them in direct sun. A cool, dry, ventilated space is best. A damp basement or garage is the worst place to store gear. Mold and mildew can degrade the fabrics, the hoses, and permit mold growth in second stages that can be a health hazard.

7. If you don’t have a cylinder, follow the above steps in 6 but without soaking or submerging the 1st stage. Do the seconds and rinse the 1st well under fresh running water with the dust cap installed. Dry as above.

Fantastic advice, tips, and insights. Thanks for taking the time to write this. Learned a ton from it. I will follow your advice and take great care of the regs.

Pic is worth a thousand words:
View attachment 819634

Top left hose is necklace reg. Bottom hose is the 5th port, 7' longhose reg. Top right is Spg. Bottom right is wing inflator hose. Small piece of bungie added to reduce turret rotation so it's not spun backwards during annoying tank swaps.

View attachment 819635

Hog D1 sealed 1st stage reg. Which was relatively cheap. Dgx Xt4 2nd stage regs.

Lovely pics. Thank you!

 

[sparragus]

Money. I will be saving between $630-$730. That's a lot of dives, training, travel, gear, etc. I'll be better off spending in buying experience than buying (expensive) gear.

I stayed true to this and got the DGX D6 package. I also got it in 5ft long hose, instead of 7ft.

I'll come back to post first impressions as soon as I try it out.

Cheers!