What regulator to buy for cave diving + regular diving

[Lauren Kenyon]

I'm a regular dry caver looking to get into cave diving. Soon, I'll be going on more dive trips and I figured its about time to buy a regulator. I'd like to buy one that would be useful for cave diving as well (hose large enough for side mount with maybe a little extra hose strength). Any recommendations?

Also, does the pacific northwest have some cave diving? I'll be moving to Washington in a few months.

Thanks

 

[Hartattack]

Extreme Exposure has some affordable Halcyon packages set up just for that. I'd go with Halcyon, or Apex's XTX 50. I'm sure others will chime in. With that said, The Guys/Gals at EE will have everything ready for you right out of the box if you go with a package. They also offer Cave Diving training with some of the best Instructors in the industry. (A one-stop shop)

 

[Marie13]

I like my Apeks XTX50/DST first stage. You want the rotating turret for much better hose routing. I use mine SM for both mine diving in WI as well as regular diving. Cold Midwest waters.

Other people here love Deep6. Dive Rite is something else to look at.

 

[rjack321]

I'm a regular dry caver looking to get into cave diving. Soon, I'll be going on more dive trips and I figured its about time to buy a regulator. I'd like to buy one that would be useful for cave diving as well (hose large enough for side mount with maybe a little extra hose strength). Any recommendations?

Also, does the pacific northwest have some cave diving? I'll be moving to Washington in a few months.

Thanks

There are quite a few (dry) lava tubes in southwest Washington and a small blob of limestone with some caving options accessible in the summer in the Cascades. But there is zero cave diving in Washington State. There are hundreds of open water and wreck diving sites accessible year round in the Puget Sound metro corridor however.

There are a few entry level divable caves in British Columbia, and more sumps. But it's anyone's guess when the border will be open again. Since they are underground rivers and/or streams in the rain forest, the BC cave diving season is basically Canada Day (July 1st) through mid September.

Where are you moving to in Washington?

 

[Lauren Kenyon]

There are quite a few (dry) lava tubes in southwest Washington and a small blob of limestone with some caving options accessible in the summer in the Cascades. But there is zero cave diving in Washington State. There are hundreds of open water and wreck diving sites accessible year round in the Puget Sound metro corridor however.

There are a few entry level divable caves in British Columbia, and more sumps. But it's anyone's guess when the border will be open again. Since they are underground rivers and/or streams in the rain forest, the BC cave diving season is basically Canada Day (July 1st) through mid September.

Where are you moving to in Washington?

I'm looking for places south of Seattle, such as Kent. Any cave diving in Oregon?

 

[gqllc007]

Recreational diver here....cavern no cave....I really like my Deep6 signature series that could be used for both and a SP Mk19/G260 I would think would be a solid choice

 

[rjack321]

I'm looking for places south of Seattle, such as Kent. Any cave diving in Oregon?

There is one flooded lava tube in Oregon. It's on private land and completely closed. You're moving to a cave diving desert. You are looking at flying to Mexico or FL if you want the kinds of cave diving you see in videos here on SB. Or driving 12+ hours to Canada for some sumps if you meet the right people to take you there. There are a few sumps in MT, WY, and UT, but you aren't likely to get access without being part of those grottos.

 

[lostsheep]

Hall City is Nor Cal is open.

there’s a couple more but good luck getting access and good luck talking me out of locations without something to trade

 

[happy-diver]

Regs that look like APEKS regs are copies of APEKS regs

APEKS regs are THE cave diving reg, also many CCR regs.

 

[rjack321]

Hall City is Nor Cal is open.

Isn't that the old gold mine?

We have a couple of sort of divable mines up here. They are very short and very crappy, and on private land.