Which Apeks 1st stage for both single and doubles?

[Ragnar]

To be used on what double tanks? The DS4 hose routing is a bit tight on AL80's but I've largely solved this with the use of Phantom braided hoses which don't mind the tighter bends as much and also by angling the first stages a bit. Because of this I also use a 24" hose for the back-up instead of the standard 22", it's perfect. Steel tanks have a longer neck on them so it's not an issue. No one has mentioned the FST's, but they are really the nicest for doubles. With the bladders facing outward they leave a lot more room for your head compared to the FSR'S.

That said, all I own at the moment are DS4/XTX50'S. At some point I'll probably get a set of FST's exclusively for doubles, but for now, the price, performance, and hose routing of the DS4's are great for everything including stages. Yeah it's not the "best" routing available for singles but I don't really care much since that's only for open water anyway, it's fine.

 

[Kern]

I think I might give up discussing these things with anyone in the Americas. Your equipment is just so different to ours. The most common aluminium tank encountered in Oz rental fleets is an SA 95, & the SA 80 (82cft) over here has different dimensions to the SO 80 (77cft) in the Americas. Our steel tanks don't seem to match up either.

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

I dive single tanks on rare occasions, WBH only (allergic to anything else...). When I do I use DS4+XTX50 with the regular Hogarthian set up. It works just fine. The DS4 is also just fine on my large doubles (2x12L steel) and hose routing works ok. So if you really want to bother with dismantling your regs to fit between single and large doubles set up, I'd say the DS4 will be the best choice.
I also own a small set of double 7L, mounted in a "slim" config. For this set the DS4 came out a bit troublesome since there's less space for hoses. I've installed TEK3 on this set, and I am VERY happy with them! (TEK4 = DS4 inside). Hose routing works out great. But I'd still recommend DS4 for larger doubles, since you don't win anything on specs otherwhise, and price is much higher.
I have a pair of FSR lying around and I've considered using them, but so far I have no good excuse to let go of my DS4s or TEK3.
Oh, if nobody has said so yet, the XTX200 is identical to XTX50 except for the glam factor & price. You chose what you want. But the only ones you'll impress with the XTX200s are those who don't know...

I have a number of DST+XTX50 as school regs and they've worked perfectly for many years. These are for ordinary BCD set up in my world, but I have found them perfect for stages as well. I can use 4 inch shorter hoses with them on stages than I can with the DS4. Actually I've set up to stages with DST, using the ordinary "octopus" yellow hoses. Probably a torn in the eye to those GUE fan(atic)s, but they're just kids anyways, ha ha!

 

[Druid]

Hello,
I have decided to buy Apeks XTX200 as my primary and secondary regulators. I have been wondering, however, which 1st stages would be the best?

Currently I am diving with a single cylinder but I have already taken some lessons on a twinset and it is likely that I will switch soon. Therefore, it is important for me for the 1st stage to offer nice routing on doubles as well (to be able to use it with both sets).

I know that XTX200 by default comes with FSR. I also know, however, that some people order it with DST. Moreover, DST can have 5th port added which seems to make it much better an option than FSR (at least from my "seen it on the pictures" point of view :]).

I would be grateful for your opinion regarding 1st stages for XTX200. I know that Tec3 would be the best for a twinset but it seems to be really bad for a single tank setup.

P.S. I really do not want to make it another "Scubapro/HOG/whatever is better than Apeks" or "XTX50 is equally good, you don't need XTX200"...

Thank you for your help!

Best,
Theriel

I use FSRs on my 12l steel twins and they work ok, certainly they route better than DSTs without the 5th port. If I was buying now I might be tempted by DSTs with the 5th port, they do seem to route nicely fron the pics I've seen - not seen them in the flesh though. Either are fine as singles regs but the FSRs are marginally better.

Now I know you said

I really do not want to make it another "Scubapro/HOG/whatever is better than Apeks" or "XTX50 is equally good, you don't need XTX200"...

but...

As your location says London, I might just be tempted to contact Divelife and get a couple of DS4/ATX40s, one with a 2m hose and the other with an SPG. This is one of the most common twinset reg setups in UK diving and represents astonishingly good value. In fact for the price of a pair of FSR/XTX200s you could get yourself a twinset rig and a separate singles rig, all DS4/ATX40s and a couple of hundred £ left over to go diving with.

If you think the XTX200/FSR is worth the extra then it's your money, spend it as you wish.

 

[Ragnar]

I think I might give up discussing these things with anyone in the Americas. Your equipment is just so different to ours. The most common aluminium tank encountered in Oz rental fleets is an SA 95, & the SA 80 (82cft) over here has different dimensions to the SO 80 (77cft) in the Americas. Our steel tanks don't seem to match up either.

Are you saying that your AL tanks have a longer neck on them than ours so there is more room to work with? Regardless of capacity I'd bet for hose routing they are about the same.

We have three different types of 80's, regular (S80), neutral (SO80), and super. The neutrals are sometimes called compact 80's even though they look the same and most people have no clue they even exist. Outer dimensions are the same but they have a thicker wall and are heavier. For thin wetsuit/no wetsuit diving the regular ones are the ones to have as it's pretty easy to get overweighted with doubles and added equipment.

This is just info for whoever reads it since we are not having a discussion about it.

 

[HenrikBP]

Just as a point of reference; the Apeks XTX200, XTX100 and XTX50 2nd stages are identical except for some cosmetic chrome bits.

The left post Tek3 1st stage can work for singles diving in a pinch - not ideal, but it works as long as you only need one HP port and don't need a drysuit inflator

Henrik

 

[axyto]

AI Transmitter

do you really need it?

 

[LouieLouie]

You can't beat TEK3's for doubles but they're one LP port short for singles dry suit diving unless you have an Y valve. However, all proper gear geeks have separate singles and doubles regulators so who cares...

 

[ajduplessis]

do you really need it?

Nope, the questions was "Why would you need more than 1 hp port?"