Which Reg to get?

[JackOfDiamonds]

Hello everyone!
Been thinking of upgrading my Regulator for a while now and with this upcoming black Friday i might get a good chance to do so.

Whats very important to me about a Reg is the ease of breathing, with my current one (Mares abyss navy 22x) i can breath very easily no matter the depth / air pressure.
I also like how sturdy it is and never seemed to flutter, its an absolute work horse.

Would love to hear some recommendation's from you guys, specifically about Scuba Pro / Mares / Aqua lung reg's (easy to service them here).
Sadly i do not have the opportunity to try out myself as i have no accesses to such gear around here, none of my dive buddies have the reg's in question and in the dive clubs they only have cheap rental gear.

My dives are mostly warm water but it does get cold during winter (15-30 Celius) , only salt water dives.
I need something sturdy and reliable that wont fall short of the Abyss navy 22x.

Also as a little side question - Is putting up the money to have a Reg with a swivel worth it? it seems pretty comfortable, but not sure how effective it really is as i never got to try it.

Thanks and have a great day!
- Shachaf

 

[northernone]

Why not buy a second Abyss? Makes servicing easier and it sounds like a regulator you trust.

Cameron

 

[flyboy08]

Deep six has a nice deal going on....

Regs don’t come with swivels, you can by a 90 degree and adopt it to any hose.

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

Why not buy a second Abyss? Makes servicing easier and it sounds like a regulator you trust.

Cameron

Its definitely an option but i thought ill see what else is available, might find something nice.

Deep six has a nice deal going on....

Regs don’t come with swivels, you can by a 90 degree and adopt it to any hose.

Maybe was poor word choice on my part, what i meant is the "swivel" like on the ScubaPro MK25 where the LP & HP hoses connect to the 1st stage.
It might have a different name but im unsure.

 

[JackD342]

Mares Navy is a really nice regulator, not one I would think of upgrading FROM, but rather upgrading TO.
What are you looking for that you don’t already get from this? Sounds like you never do any diving in water colder than 10C, so no real reason for the oil filled Navy, which is made for extreme cold. So all I can think is to get away from the unnecessary added expense and hassle of the oil, and perhaps get something lighter weight.

If the Navy is indicative of your budget, the best you can do for performance in Aqualung is a Legend LX. The Supremes are all CW versions, the main difference is that the IP is lower which slightly increases the Work of Breathing. Legend LUX is the same, just some more durable materials used, if you tend to bang up your gear. The lighter weight Core and Mikron still perform well, but do sacrifice a little WOB for the lighter weight.

You already have Mares experience, the only “upgrade” option for you without getting CW is the Fusion 52x. Weighs about the same as a Legend. If for some reason you feel you need a 2nd stage with an adjustment knob, Mares will soon be adding several such versions. Which is completely baffling, as they have for years bragged that their Vortex Assist Design, that air bypass tube, eliminates the need. I don’t know if that new control will be Venturi, or a cracking pressure adjustment. I suspect it is the latter.

I have no Scubapro experience.

 

[JackD342]

If you are looking for a swivel first stage, You won’t find one in Mares or Aqualung. I think if you don’t already know you have a need for one, then you probably don’t need one. If Apeks, owned by Aqualung, is also easily available, they do have one.

If you want to convert a 2nd stage to a swivel, I suggest getting a Miflex swivel hose, rather than adding an extra inch of brass and weight to your 2nd stage with a swivel adapter.

 

[Mr. Sunday]

Maybe was poor word choice on my part, what i meant is the "swivel" like on the ScubaPro MK25 where the LP & HP hoses connect to the 1st stage.
It might have a different name but im unsure.

I think you mean a 'Turret' like the MK25 or Apeks DST with a 5th port.

And yes its a nice option in a reg IMO. Makes for nice hose routing for singles, doubles, stages etc..... I use and would recommend either of the two regs I mentioned.

 

[diversteve]

While Deep6 is the current darling here. their model is for self-service and never planning to establish a dealer network.

I'd go with a MK25. I saw a test once where every LP port had a 2nd stage/diver on it and all were able to get air .

I think the current high end 2nd stage is an A7000 but I'm a fan of the S600 since that's more familiar to me. Buy the newer EVO designation in either and it will handle all your cold water conditions also.

You also described Atomic Aquatics gear - if you can get local service. Most of their line can be purchased with turret first stage and 2nd stage swivel options. All their line has a 2 year service interval and all braathe basically identically, the difference in price being the materials used - the percentage of exotic metals like Titanium increases with the cost and they charge $100 more for the 2nd stage swivel hose. I like mine, effortless breathing at any depth. And dry in any orientation. I film so often find myself upside down etc.

 

[Mr. Sunday]

I'd go with a MK25. I saw a test once where every LP port had a 2nd stage/diver on it and all were able to get air .

Here is video link of 135 divers breathing off a single MK25 first stage at once.

 

[Charles2]

Here is video link of 135 divers breathing off a single MK25 first stage at once.

Cool....Of course you realize that at 33 feet you could only support 67 divers and at 100 feet that would only support 33 divers.