What regulator do you lust after?

[billgraham]

I've only ever really dove Poseidon Jetstream regulators and I have about ten of them, but I still look for ones with really cool colored second stages like red or green or silver.

 

[Green Frog]

I have an AIR2 you can have for $25
View attachment 804758

Thanks p_kos, but I already have three… one for each of the two rigs I hope to assemble plus a spare. It’s funny that so many folks like and use them and on the other hand how many hate them. When I first started using one almost 30 years ago, I was attracted to being able to eliminate the additional second stage (octopus) to save weight and space when packing to fly.

 

[Angelo Farina]

When I first started using one almost 30 years ago, I was attracted to being able to eliminate the additional second stage (octopus) to save weight and space when packing to fly.

This is a common misconception.
An Air-2 is a great device, providing some additional redundancy: this can be very useful, even life-saving in some circustances.
But having an Air-2 does not allow to get rid of your secondary air source.
In my opinion, for challenging dives the secondary air source must be a complete independent reg, possibly identical to the first one, mounted on the second valve of the tank.
I never used tanks with a single valve, they are simply not safe enough for me.
Adding an Air-2 to my full double-regulator setup is a welcome addition, providing a THIRD air source.
But, having it, does not allow to remove the second reg: doing that would result in a setup slightly less safe than the standard one.
Everything increasing safety is welcome, but reducing safety is not a good choice, albeit I see how attracting it could appear to reduce the complexity and weight of your setup.

 

[Green Frog]

Angelo,

I understand your point, but for a casual warm open water diver on vacation and diving to relatively shallow depths… in short, unlikely to even need a second air source, this level of redundancy may be excessive. The most intense emergency I’ve had was having my second stage kicked out of my mouth (she’s my EX-girlfriend now!) and since I always know where my inflator is, I simply stuck the AIR2 in my mouth and kept breathing, virtually undisturbed. I know we are coming at our needs for diving from entirely different points of view, so we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

BTW, I’m putting together a rig to use with my BP/W, and it’s getting a 2nd second stage (octo) AND an AIR2 as my inflator. Guess what I’ll use if I have a problem with my primary second! If I were young enough to train for serious technical diving, I‘m sure I’d share your opinion about the need for greater redundancy.

Froggie

 

[BoltSnap]

This is a common misconception.
An Air-2 is a great device, providing some additional redundancy: this can be very useful, even life-saving in some circustances.
But having an Air-2 does not allow to get rid of your secondary air source.
In my opinion, for challenging dives the secondary air source must be a complete independent reg, possibly identical to the first one, mounted on the second valve of the tank.
I never used tanks with a single valve, they are simply not safe enough for me.
Adding an Air-2 to my full double-regulator setup is a welcome addition, providing a THIRD air source.
But, having it, does not allow to remove the second reg: doing that would result in a setup slightly less safe than the standard one.
Everything increasing safety is welcome, but reducing safety is not a good choice, albeit I see how attracting it could appear to reduce the complexity and weight of your setup.

This s a gross false sense of security that is popular in some parts of Europe. They are too cheap to "pony up" and get a true alternate supply of air, a pony bottle. If you are scared about losing your air supply in your main system, pony bottle is the real solution (or sidemount).

 

[Angelo Farina]

This s a gross false sense of security that is popular in some parts of Europe. They are too cheap to "pony up" and get a true alternate supply of air, a pony bottle. If you are scared about losing your air supply in your main system, pony bottle is the real solution (or sidemount).

Although I own a pony bottle and used it (with a twin tank) for "serious" deco dives, I found it causing a lot of drawbacks, which are better avoided when a more streamlined setup is advisable (single 15-liters tank with two valves and two regs, which is my standard setup for "light deco" dives).
I even own a special "pony reg", a SP 129, which is left-handed. So it cannot be confused with the other two main regs mounted on the main tank, which are right-handed.
In general the equipment should be adapted to the diving profile. For a no-deco dive to 15 meters max, I agree than a single small tank with a single rec is perfectly enough.
When diving deeper, "riding the NDL", there are additional risks, requiring "more redundancy". How much is a personal decision, and when the dive profile becomes significant, of course a pony tank is recommended.
Here in Europe we all started diving with twin tanks, and when we switched to a single tank, it was sensible to continue using the two independent regs we were used to. So also our single tanks are generally equipped with double valves.
I fully understand how, in regions where tanks with double valves are not readily available as here, this config cannot be popular, and when more redundancy is needed, the only possible solution is to sling a pony tank.
But when the double-valves tanks are available, this is a far preferable solution than a pony tank, for medium diving profiles. Of course there are cases where you need, say, a double tank plus a pony (or, perhaps, a deco tank), for serious deco dives.
I find that a tank with double valves is a good solution also for people using a single reg, particularly if yoke. If the primary valve or O-ring fails, you simply move the reg on the second valve...
The additional cost of a double-valve is minimal, and I do not understand why these valves are popular only in some places.

 

[BrooklynBond]

I'm looking for a Voit Dolphin if anyone has or knows of one for sale

 

[Nemrod]

I do not think I have ever seen a Y valve tank for rent. I have tried to carry a pony bottle via airlines and that too is a challenge. And a Y valve is just the promise of redundancy without being truly redundant. But if someone insisted upon a Y valve and actually found one to dive with I suppose you could supply the Air 2/BCI with the second first stage and be just as semi-redundant as two second stage configuration.

 

[Scott G. Bonser]

What reg set do you lust for?
It doesn’t have to be practical or make sense.

Currently, I have a lot of old Scubapro metal regs and some old conshelfs with metal 2nds.
Those are my workhorse regs.

I used to lust after double hose regs and dived one for quite some time then got over it.
I suppose if I could get my hands on a Royal Aquamaster in perfect divable condition, not converted or molested into something it’s not supposed to be, that would be fun (I’m a purist). That would be pretty lust worthy.
I thought about a Kraken at one point but just wasn’t feeling it.

Lately though I’ve been lusting after poseidons. I don’t know why I just am. Probably because parts are available and they are Swedish, plus they look cool. I heard they are very high quality, reliable, and well thought out.

I used to lust after Atomics, and they are nice regs, but getting parts and hearing about what a PITA they are to fill with goop and what a mess they are, no thanks. If I’m going to dive pistons I’ll just stick to my Scubapro’s.
New Scubapro doesn’t do anything for me nor does any of the newer Apeks knockoff brands available on the internet.

The only other new reg that piques my attention and gives me feelings of regulator lust is a brand new Conshelf 14 with all metal 1085 second stages available only from a commercial supplier. It would be cool to have a classic reg that’s brand new. Plus they are difficult to obtain so this makes me want it even more.

I am glad I spotted this posting. I have quite a few DHRs, however I really like my Dacors. My first, a DACOR Olympic 400 still breathes great, …don’t know why i ever went to the Pacer models but it was next in line. I now have that and a new Oceanic rig w/everything including a computer.

My next regulator I want, & I almost got one on eBay, is an old c.1960 blue Nemrod Snark DHR with the ‘straight’ mouthpiece, and working, or the parts available to overhaul one to work reliably. For some reason I gravitate to the old DHRs. I really LOVE the Voit 50 Fathom w/grey hoses and H G mouthpiece I bought from Rob at TSM. Very simple, and it DELIVERS the air, just as I want and need it w/little or no effort.

Scott G. Bonser
’the’ Giantfroginthepool

 

[USdiver1]

I really LOVE the Voit 50 Fathom w/grey hoses and H G mouthpiece I bought from Rob at TSM. Very simple, and it DELIVERS the air, just as I want and need it w/little or no effort.

You are certainly a DH addict now, once those sweet single stage regulators start their inhalation song, no one can resist. Love my Voits and USD single stage DHs.