What's the best reg for me?

[buzo831]

I'm looking for a new reg to replace my old Mares. Here is a background of what I want and how I dive.

• I will do warm water diving only
• Diaphram only
• My max price is $650 for the reg (I will buy the octo separately)
• No Atomic (I will forget and dunk my reg and that would ruin the Atomic's first stage)
• Preferably not pneumatic
• Needs to be durable
• Preferably serviceable in Mexico
• I will be doing 1-2 dives a day, 6 days a week, for 6-8 weeks at a time
• Needs to be an easy breather

The reg I am leaning towards is the Oceanic Delta 4 but I have also heard good things about some Apex's.

 

[buza831]

What the heck????? You ALMOST have my name... just buy the Oceanic, you know that's what you will end up with. Listen to your mother.

 

[weaserm99]

Buy the Oceanic Delta 4, one of the easiest breathing regs ive ever used, plus it gives you the adjustability as well so you can make it breathe how you want it to breath. Plus it has the Dry valve technology so if you forget and dunk your reg it will be all right.

 

[mempilot]

My vote would be the Apeks DS4/XTX. There isn't an easier reg to maintain/overhaul. I did two of my first stages the other night in less than an hour. The 2nd's are super simple as well, and they meet all your requirements. They can be overtuned for deeper diving if you wish, and are the best breathing reg that I have used. As for brand name, the Apeks/Aqualung connection makes the Legend a great reg as well. Also, check out the DiveRite RG3000 for a cheaper alternative with all the same bennies as the Apeks/AL.

 

[Couv]

Welcome to Scuba Board.


I'm looking for a new reg to replace my old Mares.

First question is why replace your Mares? Regulators last a long time, you might find having it serviced is all you need.

Here is a background of what I want and how I dive.
How deep? Almost any regulator can handle recreational depths.

Diaphram only
No Atomic (I will forget and dunk my reg and that would ruin the Atomic's first stage)

If you have a tendency to dunk your regulator, then a piston regulator is better suited. Water trapped in a regulator is more harmful to a diaphragm type than a piston type. The type of regulator you are leaning towards; is it because it has a gizmo to keep water out?

Preferably not pneumatic

All scuba regulators or pneumatic. Could you be thinking of another term? Perhaps balanced? All 1st stage diaphragm regulators are balanced, some but not all piston regulators are balanced. 2nd stages come balanced and unbalanced.

Your other questions could probably be better addressed with a visit to the shop you plan on doing business with for sale and service.

Good luck with your choice, with a little more info we might be able to better advise you.

c

 

[buzo831]

I'm looking for a new reg to replace my old Mares.

First question is why replace your Mares? Regulators last a long time, you might find having it serviced is all you need.

Well, my Mares is not balanced, nor an easy breather. I have it serviced every year. As for regulators lasting a long time, I know. Buza831's reg is going on 20 years.

Here is a background of what I want and how I dive.
How deep? Almost any regulator can handle recreational depths.

Shallow dives I do will be around 60 feet (18.3 meters) and the deep dives will be around 100 feet (30.5 meters).

Diaphram only
No Atomic (I will forget and dunk my reg and that would ruin the Atomic's first stage)

If you have a tendency to dunk your regulator, then a piston regulator is better suited. Water trapped in a regulator is more harmful to a diaphragm type than a piston type. The type of regulator you are leaning towards; is it because it has a gizmo to keep water out?

Yes, the type of regulators that I am looking at have devices that keep the water out. I know that Atomic regulators do not have this device so that is why I ruled out the Atomic B2.

Preferably not pneumatic

All scuba regulators or pneumatic. Could you be thinking of another term? Perhaps balanced? All 1st stage diaphragm regulators are balanced, some but not all piston regulators are balanced. 2nd stages come balanced and unbalanced.

What I mean by not pneumatic is a part in the second stage. I'm not entirely sure what it is called but it is a lever that is in the second stage that holds back the air pressure that is coming at it at 150 pounds. When you inhale, this opens up the spring and allows air into your regulator. When this part is pneumatically made, it requires only 5 pounds to open it, but, allows in a predetermined amount of air in. This makes it impossible to take shallow breathes as the predetermined amount of air will be released anyways. This Aeris has this pneumatic feature.

 

[Jimmer]

What I mean by not pneumatic is a part in the second stage. I'm not entirely sure what it is called but it is a lever that is in the second stage that holds back the air pressure that is coming at it at 150 pounds. When you inhale, this opens up the spring and allows air into your regulator. When this part is pneumatically made, it requires only 5 pounds to open it, but, allows in a predetermined amount of air in. This makes it impossible to take shallow breathes as the predetermined amount of air will be released anyways. This Aeris has this pneumatic feature.

That Aeris reg doesn't have any feature that slowly leaks in a small amount of air, in fact I've never seen a second stage that leaked in a little bit of air. Where did you get that information?

 

[Jimmer]

Oh and one more thing, why did you target Atomic specifically when you were talking about the feature that keeps water out? Only Oceanic and Aeris (sister company) have that feature, no one else does. Also Atomics are all piston, so they were already ruled out lol.

 

[deepblueme]

Water in the first stage will not ruin it.
Who ever told you that was trying to get you to buy Oceanic.
I even dive an Oceanic I was made to buy from a store I worked for.

Salt Water in the first will cause the filter to turn green and clog over time.
All piston Reg's get water in the chamber to allow it to balance (other than sherwood).

If you do get water in the first all you have to do is remove the spg and hook it to a tank and turn on the air alittle and purge the second.
If you are that worried about it dunk it in fresh water with the dust cap off the hook to a tank.

Water in an SPG will ruin it and quickly.

All you have to do is remember to put on the dust cap how hard is that?

All 2nd that I know of are "Down Stream" that means when you inhale they give you air I have never heard of a predetermined amount of air 2nd.

 

[buzo831]

That Aeris reg doesn't have any feature that slowly leaks in a small amount of air, in fact I've never seen a second stage that leaked in a little bit of air. Where did you get that information?

Well, what I have stated was a brief understanding of what I was being told by the sales people. It does not slowly leak in air. It just makes it easier to breathe in. The pneumatic second stage thing makes the reg release a certain amount of air whether you breathe shallowly or deeply. Pretty much, it forces you to breathe the way it wants you to.

Oh and one more thing, why did you target Atomic specifically when you were talking about the feature that keeps water out? Only Oceanic and Aeris (sister company) have that feature, no one else does. Also Atomics are all piston, so they were already ruled out lol.

The reason I targeted the Atomic reg was because that is the reg I was told about that did not have this feature. It was a Dive Master who said he accidently dunked his T2 and had to have it repaired. Oh and this dive shop I was at sold Atomic regs but not Oceanic so that was an honest opinion.

Water in the first stage will not ruin it.
Who ever told you that was trying to get you to buy Oceanic.
I even dive an Oceanic I was made to buy from a store I worked for.

Salt Water in the first will cause the filter to turn green and clog over time.
All piston Reg's get water in the chamber to allow it to balance (other than sherwood).

If you do get water in the first all you have to do is remove the spg and hook it to a tank and turn on the air alittle and purge the second.
If you are that worried about it dunk it in fresh water with the dust cap off the hook to a tank.

Water in an SPG will ruin it and quickly.

All you have to do is remember to put on the dust cap how hard is that?

All 2nd that I know of are "Down Stream" that means when you inhale they give you air I have never heard of a predetermined amount of air 2nd.

Like I said before, the store did not sell Oceanic but the employee did recommend me to get it. Where I heard about the predetermined amount of air was from an Aeris sales rep that was at the store. I of course will always keep the dust cap on but what I was told is that this man dunked his T2 and it did not work so he had to have a guy work on it at the store.

From what I understand (which could be completely wrong) is that on a regular regulator, there is a spring that when you inhale, it moves allowing air that comes from you first stage into your lungs. Now that spring requires like 150 pound of force to open (or whatever your first stage regulates it to). With this pneumatic device, it only requires you to exert like 5 pounds of force to open it, thus, making it breathe easier. But, what I was told was that it lets in a certain amount of air. It will be the same if you breathe in deeply or if you breathe in shallowly.

Sorry if I am not making this comprehensible. The regulator was taken apart in front of me (which you can do yourself to see the part) an was given a brief introduction of the differences of the two types of this part. I will go back down to a couple more shops in the area and try to find the answer to this problem.