When to upgrade regulators?

[Alex_Garland]

Hello,

I have been diving regularly for 10 years now. About 9 years ago I invested in my own set of regulators, a TUSA first stage and octo and an Oceanic second stage. I have been servicing them on schedule and never had any major problems on 300+ dives. The other day I was picking up my regs from my local dive shop after servicing and the technician on staff pitched me on a new set of Apex regs that were on sale. I don't recall the exact model but it was something like these:

XTX50 Regulator

The XTX50 Regulator is for the diver who wants the benefits of a feature-rich regulator at a moderate price. • This popular first stage has four medium-pressure ports all mounted on a rotating turret. This results in optimal hose routing while eliminating sharp bends in the hose • The first...

www.diverightinscuba.com

He said that Apex usually offers this special--both stages + octo for $650--every October/November. So the next time my current regs are due for servicing in the fall next year, he recommended replacing them instead.

I have heard it said that so long as regs are serviced on schedule, they can last a good long time--up to 30 years, or even a lifetime. However, the tech probably had a point when he said my regs are not exactly state-of-the-art, current technology. One point in favor of new regs, he said, is that with up-to-date parts involved, the techs at the shop can replace them at the shop faster. With my current set, they have to be sent away for full rebuild, which can take up to a month or longer. (Though Tabata recommends a full rebuild every year, I have settled into a pattern of rebuilding them every other year, with an inspection on off years, and this has worked out fine.)

My question to some of the long-term divers in this forum is, Is it considered good practice to upgrade regulators every 10 years or so? Could that be considered overkill? Or is this more of a personal preference kind of thing?

All thoughts appreciated.

 

[Johnoly]

...... he said, is that with up-to-date parts involved, the techs at the shop can replace them at the shop faster.

Just me,,,but faster is not what I want to hear from my reg technician.
I actually like it when he yells at me to do a better rinse and then shows me pictures my reg's guts.
Ask him for pictures next service.

 

[Bigbella]

However, the tech probably had a point when he said my regs are not exactly state-of-the-art, current technology.

My question to some of the long-term divers in this forum is, Is it considered good practice to upgrade regulators every 10 years or so? Could that be considered overkill? Or is this more of a personal preference kind of thing?

Any tech worth his salt will tell you that, with the fewest of cosmetic exceptions, mostly material in nature (far more plastic), regulators still utilize 1950s Eisenhower era technology -- and that your LDS is just pursuing a cynical marketing ploy.

I still have some regulators, in my collection, that are decades old which still see action on pony and stage bottles -- and think nothing about using them as primaries. The manufacturer, Poseidon in my case, still supplies rebuild kits for a model they discontinued in 1993. They've all been from the ice to the tropics without so much as a single hitch.

Just get good quality equipment with real company support; avoid fly by night Chinese peckerwood crap; and you'll never look back . . .

 

[BoltSnap]

Or is this more of a personal preference kind of thing?

Generally yes. There are exceptions for when there is end of support of the product, diving circumstances change such as going from warm to cold water or going tech diving, etc.

 

[happy-diver]

Put the $650 in an interest bearing account and periodically look at it

 

[Nemrod]

Hello,

I have been diving regularly for 10 years now. About 9 years ago I invested in my own set of regulators, a TUSA first stage and octo and an Oceanic second stage. I have been servicing them on schedule and never had any major problems on 300+ dives. The other day I was picking up my regs from my local dive shop after servicing and the technician on staff pitched me on a new set of Apex regs that were on sale. I don't recall the exact model but it was something like these:

XTX50 Regulator

The XTX50 Regulator is for the diver who wants the benefits of a feature-rich regulator at a moderate price. • This popular first stage has four medium-pressure ports all mounted on a rotating turret. This results in optimal hose routing while eliminating sharp bends in the hose • The first...

www.diverightinscuba.com

He said that Apex usually offers this special--both stages + octo for $650--every October/November. So the next time my current regs are due for servicing in the fall next year, he recommended replacing them instead.

I have heard it said that so long as regs are serviced on schedule, they can last a good long time--up to 30 years, or even a lifetime. However, the tech probably had a point when he said my regs are not exactly state-of-the-art, current technology. One point in favor of new regs, he said, is that with up-to-date parts involved, the techs at the shop can replace them at the shop faster. With my current set, they have to be sent away for full rebuild, which can take up to a month or longer. (Though Tabata recommends a full rebuild every year, I have settled into a pattern of rebuilding them every other year, with an inspection on off years, and this has worked out fine.)

My question to some of the long-term divers in this forum is, Is it considered good practice to upgrade regulators every 10 years or so? Could that be considered overkill? Or is this more of a personal preference kind of thing?

All thoughts appreciated.

I am going to be contrarian. What the tech means by faster is that they may actually have the parts kits in stock or their supplier has them for right away delivery. I am not a Apeks fan but that is a nice set and if it comes with the octopus or another stage then it sounds like a good deal to me.

Regulators come to end of life when service kits are NLA or some part of the regulator is broken that cannot be replaced. Some brands, Scubapro, have a history of long product support and others, Oceanic, not so much.

 

[Ez E]

I dont have an answer but I keep buying them for some reason. Debating another G260 for my octo. Someone please tell me its either a good idea or bad idea.

 

[rx7diver]

... My question to some of the long-term divers in this forum is, Is it considered good practice to upgrade regulators every 10 years or so? ...

I continue to dive the Scubapro regulators I purchased new in 1987 and 1988--when I am diving single-hose regulators on low pressure (i.e., 2,250 psig, 2,400 psig, and 3,000 psig) cylinders in temperate water.

When I began using high pressure (3,500 psig) cylinders filled to 4,000 psig, for deep, cold, Great Lakes diving, I purchased Poseidon regulators. When I ceased doing this type of diving, I returned to using my Scubapro regs.

The only "upgrades"--"conversions", actually--I have ever done to my Scubapro regs was to convert them to 300 Br DIN (in 1988, when I purchased my HP80 cylinders), convert two of Mk 10's to Mk 10+'s (Mk 10 Pluses, ca.1992, when SP began selling the Mk 10+), and convert another of my Mk 10's to oxygen service (to use with very rich deco mixes).

I expect to never have to "upgrade" my regulators beyond this, for the next dozen (or so) years I likely will continue to dive.

rx7diver

 

[USdiver1]

Regulators come to end of life when service kits are NLA or some part of the regulator is broken that cannot be replaced. Some brands, Scubapro, have a history of long product support and others, Oceanic, not so much.

^^^
This. I still dive several regulators from the 1950s onward. Service kits are available from a host of sources [USD and Voit DH regs from The Scuba Museum, USD SH from AL and Trident, Voit SH from Mares and Trident, SP from SP, etc.] My go to, everyday SH is a Connie SE Supreme from 1986 with a couple of thousand dives on it. If you have the parts available, a regulator will last you a lifetime.

 

[Mobulai]

I dont have an answer but I keep buying them for some reason. Debating another G260 for my octo. Someone please tell me its either a good idea or bad idea.

Matching primary and secondary is nice, but even if that’s not the intent the g260 is just awesome so.. go for it (or wait the Ti version)
(Spoken like an enabler regaholic )