When to buy a first regulator?

[BoundForElsewhere]

in my humble opinion, the MK11 is the most perfect regulator for recreational diving. Now, if you can get your hands on the titanium version....

 

[NothingClever]

When did you buy your first reg and what would you consider great timing doing so?

I bought my first regulator set (new) pretty early because I already knew I was committed to becoming a proficient diver.

That set lasted about a season before I upgraded because my needs and performance characteristics evolved quickly.

So, one approach could be to buy used so you save some money until you figure out your level of commitment and frequency of diving.

 

[NothingClever]

Go ahead and get it. That's a great deal. Just be prepared, over time, to buy six more reg sets, a dozen masks before you find the right fit, four pairs of fins, three wetsuits, and a bcd and then a bpw, and a bazillion doo-dads before you are through.

say goodbye to disposable income and being honest with your spouse about how much you are spending on scuba.

This ^ and add a DPV to the “spend-learn-spend more” purchase cycle.

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

When did you buy your first reg and what would you consider great timing doing so?

After you bought your own mask, computer. Rental regs are not exactly serviced very well or cleaned much.

I'm a very beginner diver (recently OW certified), pool diving each week in a club and planning to dive on holidays approx 30-40 dives per year.

My local dive shop has a great deal on a Scubapro MK19EVO G260 + R105 with 200€ off. I'm wondering if I should splurge now considering that I'm still very early in my diving "career".

When did you buy your first reg and what would you consider great timing doing so?

Many thanks!

From a philosophical perspective, I think that having different primary and backup second stage is a bit stupid. The R105 is there for you too, not just for your disposable buddy, it should be as good as your primary reg (G260).

But it's perfectly fine for normal sports diving.

 

[BoltSnap]

In particular, don’t buy something just because your local dive shop is pushing it with a “discount” because it’s old stock and it’s been sitting there for a while and they want to move it on before the next model comes out (which they know and you don’t) and they won’t be able to shift it then without an even bigger discount.

In this instance, they are passing on a discount from Scubapro to the customer. There is no an upcoming replacement for this regulator combo. There are NO hidden or sinister motives for the offer from the dealer here, they are just passing on a great deal they got from the manufacturer to the customer.

 

[grantmac]

Reg is the 2nd to last purchase right before tanks.

 

[rx7diver]

... When did you buy your first reg and what would you consider great timing doing so?

@BryanBM,

I recommend purchasing your skin-diving/snorkeling gear (mask, fins, snorkel, weight belt, dive knife, dive watch, and compass) first.

Next, purchase a quality, perhaps custom, exposure suit (suitable for the environment you expect to be diving in).

Then, purchase a quality regulator (suitable for the environment you expect to be diving in).

ETA: Don't "cheap out" when choosing your gear, especially your regulator. I am still diving the Scubapro regulators and SP analog gauges I purchased new in 1987 and 1988.

rx7diver

 

[Mobulai]

After you bought your own mask, computer. Rental regs are not exactly serviced very well or cleaned much.

+1

Reg is the 2nd to last purchase right before tanks.

+1

@BryanBM,

I recommend purchasing your skin-diving/snorkeling gear (mask, fins, snorkel, weight belt, dive knife, dive watch, and compass) first.

Next, purchase a quality, perhaps custom, exposure suit (suitable for the environment you expect to be diving in).

Then, purchase a quality regulator (suitable for the environment you expect to be diving in).

ETA: Don't "cheap out" when choosing your gear, especially your regulator. I am still diving the Scubapro regulators and SP analog gauges I purchased new in 1987 and 1988.

rx7diver

+1

The only deviation here for me was fins… they came last
I was never comfortable with any of the fins I tried and finally found it, after tanks, but I also have funny feet so not a metric (shoes don’t always fit right, tense arch and calfs)

 

[NothingClever]

@BryanBM - other divers raised an important consideration - I had bought higher priority items (mask, fins, DC, wetsuit, etc) before my first reg set.

 

[BoltSnap]

So he passes a very significant deal/discount on a regulator that won't be repeated soon? Are you folks nuts or just skip read and read what you want to read not the whole thing?