When to reassess regulator choices? A question to tech divers..

[stuartv]

no one ever said Scubapro was reasonably priced either. $1600 for an Atomic M1 doubles set. 2x the cost of Dive Rite XT, $200/15% more than Poseidon Xstream, $600/60% more than a Deep6 Signature, yeah that's reasonable.... Oh, and you can actually buy parts for all of those regulators unlike the Atomic, Scubapro, and Apeks.
So with all of that, what makes you say that the M1 isn't overpriced? It's in line with Apeks and Scubapro, but my point was the Apeks are overpriced in this country as well. Apeks for reference has a MAP of roughly 30% more in the US compared to Europe. A Tek3 set bought in the UK is about $1k and is $1300 here for reference.

I see what you mean. And I agree with that. I have a doubles set of Dive Rite XTs also and I definitely would not pay twice as much for the Atomics versus buying another set of the Dive Rites.

 

[NothingClever]

Also check out the Deep6 regs on your quest, the regs breathe much better than the Dive Rites and the parts are more standardized than the Dive Rites since the XT's are not made by a single manufacturer, they come from a combo of ODS, WMD, and a third company that does the diaphragms.

Word.

 

[NothingClever]

Will you notice a difference in performance? It is unlikely, but it is there.

Referencing @tbone1004 post but not directing my response at him...smart fellow.

I totally noticed the difference in breathing before I became a shameless D6G hussy in orange and black heels.

I removed my DR XT2s from backgas duty and replaced them with my DGX-sourced deco regs (price point D6G regs). The XTs went on deco duty.

I’m going to train on SM soon and will be picking up another reg set, D6G Sig series. I spent a week with @LandonL last month...he has bombproof values. No discount offered and not going to ask him for one. I’m happy to pay the full price to buy into a company that promotes self service.

I’ll swap the Signature kit back and forth between BM and SM duty.

The DR stuff will come back together to make some pure fleet ST sets.

 

[tbone1004]

Atomic is made in the US, SP in Europe/Italy and Apeks in UK. D6 and others aren't even the same league. That's like saying ToyoAuto (Chinese knock off Toyota) is less expensive than Mercedes or BMW. For technical diving, I wouldn't consider anything outside these three, Atomic (best choice), SP (second choice) and Apeks (third choice).

I am almost certain that there is an astronomical probability that Atomic, SP and Apeks will be here and still in business supporting their customers in two years compared with the insignificant little tiny company you mention.

(Cue for D6 fan squad to come out now)

Poseidon made in Sweden, and Sherwood made in US as well

That said, parts of Atomic regulators come out of the same factory that makes the Deep6/HOG/DiveRite/Hollis/Oceanic/long list of other companies regulators.

What is interesting to note though is that the only reason that companies like HOG and Deep6 were founded is to combat the archaic and asinine business practices of companies like Atomic, Scubapro, Aqualung/Apeks, etc. If Apeks was priced the same in the US as it was in Europe AND Aqualung didn't straight up forbid parts kits to be sold, it is highly unlikely the those two companies would ever have been founded since the main focus of HOG was to provide high quality, reliable, affordable, and serviceable regulators to the technical/cave diving communities. There is a reason companies like that haven't formed in the EU, they simply haven't had to.
The biggest objection I have to Atomic is the way they treat their customers, as is the case with every other company under the Huish umbrella. They make really nice regulators, but when you charge almost 50% more than everyone else and then you tell me that I can't buy parts kits, it's not even on the list when I look at buying new gear. Same with Apeks/Scubapro

 

[cerich]

That said, parts of Atomic regulators come out of the same factory that makes the Deep6/HOG/DiveRite/Hollis/Oceanic/long list of other companies regulators.

Nope, not far from but not same factory. Assembly at least, some parts may be jobbed by both from the same place

 

[tbone1004]

Nope, not far from but not same factory. Assembly at least, some parts may be jobbed by both from the same place

you'd obviously know either way, from Taiwan, from one of the two monster regulator manufacturers. I'd say that ODS and WMD are long term less risky than Atomic from a regulator manufacturer standpoint since they're diversified and their CNC machines are just as capable as the ones sitting in the USA

 

[cerich]

you'd obviously know either way, from Taiwan, from one of the two monster regulator manufacturers. I'd say that ODS and WMD are long term less risky than Atomic from a regulator manufacturer standpoint since they're diversified and their CNC machines are just as capable as the ones sitting in the USA

neither ODS nor WMD to my knowledge make parts used in Atomic regs. They are not the only two that make regs (or at least assemble from parts sourced from jobbers or from a mix of own and jobber) in Taiwan, there are amazingly 5 more I know of

 

[tbone1004]

neither ODS nor WMD to my knowledge make parts used in Atomic regs. They are not the only two that make regs (or at least assemble from parts sourced from jobbers or from a mix of own and jobber) in Taiwan, there are amazingly 5 more I know of

those two were mentioned specifically to address your regs and Dive Rite and the fact that if a reg is made by one of those two companies, I doubt there will be lack of support for them regardless of what happens to the company that originally sold the regulator. I.e. if Dive Right in Scuba goes out of business for whatever reason, their regulators will still have parts kits supported, etc.

 

[rx7diver]

To put the question up front: for those of you who have invested into multiple dive "kits," particularly folks diving doubles, with stages, OC bailout for CCR folks, etc. or even those of you who switch back and forth between single tank rigs and doubles, how do you select your next set of regs, and how heavily do you invest into one make/model?

Back to the OP: My first regs, purchased in the late 1980's and early 1990's, were Scubapro (Mk 10 + Balanced Adjustable initially; then Mk 10 + G250 when I needed to run two full regulators simultaneously; then a couple of more Scubapro reg items later). Scubapro's reputation was very solid, so I made the decision to invest in Scubapro gear from the very start. ("Buy once, cry once.") I was very lucky to have been given sound advice by people I trusted.

I would have been perfectly happy to own only Scubapro regs, but I moved to the Great Lakes area and began diving deep shipwrecks (in the mid-1990's, in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior) in very cold water, using liberally pumped, HP tanks. The very experienced divers I was diving with swore by Poseidon regs for this type of diving, so my next regulator purchases were a couple of Poseidon Odins to use with back-mounted doubles. That is, my decision to invest in regulators completely different from the Scubapro regs I had already invested in, was due only to the new diving venue. If I had pursued deep diving in the Caribbean (using Al cylinders), say, instead of in the Great Lakes, I am almost certain I would not have invested in my Poseidons.

My Scubapros served the role of bailout/deco regs--so, they continued to be used and never were neglected.

By the way, I no longer (not since the early 2000's) do deep, Great Lakes diving. So, I typically use my Scubapros now for my open water, solo, recreational dives in temperate (Missouri and Arkansas) fresh water--when I am not using my VDH-upgraded U.S. Divers DA Aqua Master double hose regulator, that is.

I hope this helps.

rx7diver

 

[Hartattack]

Yep. Halcyon/ScubaPro