What regulator do you guys recommend for deep water?

[DA Aquamaster]

I would recommend the SP Mk 25 with a G250 second stage. I have had no problem with Mk 20's and Mk 25's in 300 plus dives in water as cold as 34 degrees and the average bottom temp around here is low to mid 40's. The now discontinued D400 is an excellent cold water reg as is the G250. I am less enamored with the S600 as it seems to have a tendency to develop a slight freeflow that increases the adibatic cooling load on the first stage and can contribute to freeze flow issues.

I also use low pressure (2250-2400psi) tanks and I think this makes a big difference.

 

[Doppler]

Yeah, see I was thinking of getting a ScubaPro MK25 with G250 or higher. Just wondering b/c I'll be starting with warm water diving and eventually moving up to colder waters.

I have used SP exclusively for many years... wrecks, cave, critter... have had no problems... I do a lot of trimix dives in the great lakes so cold is normal for these regs. Your choice of a 25/G250 or "better' is a sound one. Think longterm as well... can you get them serviced easily by a well-respected technician who does similar types of diving?

 

[BILLB]

All the regs mentioned in my opinion have passed the test of knowledge and experiences. That is they can provide breathing gasses even when two divers are on the same first stage! That is what high performance is all about.

BTW, I dive with a Scuba Pro MK20/S600 in cold and warm water. If you check my profile, you will see that I do dive in really cold conditions (but not ice diving).

 

[PonyBottle]

If you decide on Scuba Pro, and plan on diving cold, I would recommend staying away from the S600 second.

My G250 has always performed flawless in all water temps, but my 600 will tend to start freeflowing at about 40-35 degrees.

I have never dove the new 650? second, but hear it is a great reg.

My fav is still the Xstream Poseidon though.

 

[matt_unique]

I just purchased this reg about two months ago. I have the cold water design but she still free flowed on me in 46 degree water at 118'. I had the 2nd stage tuned down and another o-ring was added to the first stage. I used this adjusted reg last week and it breathed like sh*t so I am going to have it adjusted back to where it was on the 2nd stage. I practiced buddy breathing and my buddy commented right away that the reg breaths hard. He did not know I had it adjusted at the time. I have friends that use these regs for ice diving with no problems but I have not tried their regs/settings. If it has to be adjusted down to poor breathing to avoid free flow I will be disappointed with the purchase. I read about others with free flow problems before my purchase. None of my buddies have had trouble with them. We'll see what happens....

--Matt

 

[J1M1]

id reccomend apeks. i've had em deep and they perform..just my suggestion

 

[lamont]

id reccomend apeks. i've had em deep and they perform..just my suggestion

the over-balanced diaphram design on the apeks is supposed to be good for deep.

 

[ShakaZulu]

If you decide on Scuba Pro, and plan on diving cold, I would recommend staying away from the S600 second.

My G250 has always performed flawless in all water temps, but my 600 will tend to start freeflowing at about 40-35 degrees.

I have never dove the new 650? second, but hear it is a great reg.

My fav is still the Xstream Poseidon though.

I heard the 650 was recalled???

 

[voop]

I'd voice a word for AquaLung Legend LX'es too. Had them deep too, and they also just perform. For me, the fact that they can be serviced easilly locally was determinal in my buying into them.

 

[Atticus]

The shop I work with suggests Apeks DS4's to our tech students. They are (relatively) inexpensive, easy to service, and common.

I dive DS4's to 200' regularly and am very happy with them.

As was mentioned, a critical factor is going to be service - what lines does the shop you dive out of carry and service?

[my opinion] If you choose Poseidon look into the service costs up front. A good talk with your repair technician along of the lines of "What is this regulator likely to cost me per year" is probably in order. They are excellent regs, but (usually) require more effort to keep functional.