when is a hi-performance reg needed?

[bluce]

Under what circumstances is a high-performance regulator required? Is it only with extreme depth or extreme cold? Is there a situatiion imaginable where I would wish I had a TX100 or S600 at only 60 feet instead of a R190 or Oceanic Alpha 7? Thanks...Bob

 

[Lost Yooper]

That's a decent question, Bob. If all you ever intend to do is 60' warm water reef dives, then virtually any regulator on the market will keep you alive. The thing is that often times you can buy a good Apeks reg for a similar amount of money as a "low end" reg.

To answer your question, at 60' in warm water you are unlikely to find yourself in a situation that virtually any regulator won't be able to handle. However, there are significant performance differences among many of the regulators out there. Even at 60', these differences can be noticed. Other factors such as ergonomics can play a role too.

It's kinda like comparing a BMW to a Yugo, but without the huge cost differences. Both cars can get you where you want to go, but if the luxery doesn't cost any more, then why not go that route? With the Apeks, you'll never have to worry about if your reg is good enough for any environment.

Mike

 

[devjr]

The answer is "no". Most brand name regulators will deliver all the air you need. Differences which you may consider have to do with second stage design or "ergonomics". For example, some regs like Aqualung have weird mouthpieces. Some people luv 'em, some hate 'em. Some regs have heavy second stages. The plastic ones are nice and light. Some have adjustable seconds, doesn't hurt and can be nice to have. Some regs are side breathers and some exhaust air under the chin. Some seconds are bulky, others are tiny as a baby's fist. You pick.

In summary, any meaningful differences in branded regs with respect to recreational diving(and most tech diving) is a matter of personal preference. If despite this advice, you want to learn about the subtle differences in air delivery and breathing feel, consult somebody like Rodales'.

http://www.scubadiving.com/search/

 

[Rick Murchison]

The term "high performance" is distinct from "top quality" - there are plenty of top quality regulators that are not "high performance" and there are "high performance" regs that are so touchy that they're not practical for any kind of "rough" diving.
If you're a DIR devotee, you'll notice that "high performance" regs are specifically shunned by George, because they tend to freeflow easily.
I personally dive USD Micras ("high performance") and love 'em - They are quite good at great depth and can deliver all the air two divers can possibly want there - but, mine would require some modifications before they'd be be suitable for cold water diving, as they allow water against the diaphragm and so would be susceptable to free-flowing freeze-ups. They also tend to require more tweaking, fine tuning and regular maintenence than my other "lower" performance regs. Still, when properly adjusted they're solid, bulletproof good tech regs and my favorites.
Rick

 

[Lost Yooper]

Are you sure about that, Rick? They use high performance regs (Apeks TX50/DS4) for their primaries and low performance regs (TX40) for their backups. They are able to tune them down due to using trimix, but they are still capable of delivering a tremendous amount of gas at depth.

It is extremely important to have a high performance reg on deep dives so eliminate any risk of CO2 build up. As we both know, using a stout trimix also helps in the reduction of CO2 (as compared to air). Irvine has made this quite clear several times over the years.

I can dig some stuff up if you want.

Mike

 

[bluce]

Performance question...I notice that Scubapro claims the S600 has a WOB of about .5 joules/liter at 99 feet to about .8 joules/liter at 269 feet. Does any non high performance regulator get a WOB of .5 joules/liter at any depth, even 30 feet? If not, then wouldn't the high performance regulator breath better at ALL depths than a non high performance reg?

One reason I have been trying to avoid high performance regs is their reputation for having poor bubble dispersion. I like taking underwater photos. So I am often motionless in the water looking at some critter. Would the S600 be a poor photographer's choice? And...would a larger face mask as opposed to a low profile mask, possibly prevent bubbles from flowing up in front of your field of vision?
...thanks again...Bob

 

[Tavi]

I don't have any problems with bubbles while I'm taking pictures, or any other time. Also I have not been able to overbreath my reg. It always delivers what I need.
I use a Apeks Tx-50

Good luck in your hunt for the reg thats Right for you!

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by Lost Yooper
Are you sure about that, Rick? They use high performance regs (Apeks TX50/DS4) for their primaries and low performance regs (TX40) for their backups. They are able to tune them down due to using trimix, but they are still capable of delivering a tremendous amount of gas at depth.

It is extremely important to have a high performance reg on deep dives so eliminate any risk of CO2 build up. As we both know, using a stout trimix also helps in the reduction of CO2 (as compared to air). Irvine has made this quite clear several times over the years.

I can dig some stuff up if you want.

Mike

Hmmm... in George's paper on gear configuration he specifies a low performance reg for the backup - and doesn't mention performance on the primary. What I can't find but I'm pretty sure is in the DIR literature somewhere is that the primary and backup should be the same reg. While JJ doesn't mention reg performance in his gear write-up in the "Technical Diver Encyclopedia" his article is sandwiched between others who do specify the same regs for primary and backup. If they aren't the same then you'd be risking all the bad things that result from the "low performance" reg in the event of actually having to use it, wouldn't you? If DIR advocates different regs for primary and secondary then that's another point where I disagree with it - I feel strongly that in an overhead environment I want identical quality, performance and configuration (aside from hose length) on both regs. (I de-tune my Micras to where they don't crack with "high performance" but they deliver - more than I could ever use at any depth)
The important things in a reg are air delivery capacity, toughness and reliability - and the industry isn't really talking about any of these when they talk about "high performance" - but rather after a nod to adequate delivery rates they get tied around the axle on cracking pressures measured in hundredths of inches of water pressure and shaving the envelope on "work of breathing" machine results. In the current vernacular there is no correlation between high and low "performance" and high and low "quality."
Make mine bulletproof.
Rick

 

[bluce]

Hmmm...okay. If I dive water no colder than it gets in Monterey (low 50's except for very deep) and go no deeper than 100 feet, could I tell the difference between the Aqua Lung Titan Glacia or the Oceana Alpha 7 and the Ateks TX100? The Glacia or Alpha 7 would save me some bucks but it wouldn't be worth it if the Ateks or Scubapro were noticably better...Bob

 

[TRUETEXAN]

Bluce,

While I do not have the tech diving experience that Lost Yooper and some of the others on this board have, let me just say that your reg is what keeps you alive, and although you may not technically need a "high performance" reg, there are plenty of situations that can arise even in warm shallow water that warrent having a proven "high performance" reg that will deliver all the air you want in what could otherwise turn out to be a panic situation if you were to become over exerted and started to overbreathe a lower performance reg, it can happen!! I am a divemaster and have run many boat diving trips in warm shallow freshwater lakes, and I have seen people get into these situations with inferior equipment and as soon as they start having trouble getting a good full breath of air things go bad in a hurry and in most casese they shoot to the surface holding what little breath they have, and we all know that isn't good. What I am saying is is that it usually doesn't cost that much more to go the "high performance" route, remember it's your life!!