Why is it cheaper to buy a first and second stage regulator separately?

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BoatingDave

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Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Hey so been in the market for an Atomic ST1. I saw I could buy the first and second stage together for $999. But, if I buy the first stage separately from a dup second the total is like $959. Why would that be? Anyone know? Is there less of a market for first stages (or dup seconds) alone, so they are cheaper?

Does that make sense to anyone, and is that typical?
 
Hey so been in the market for an Atomic ST1. I saw I could buy the first and second stage together for $999. But, if I buy the first stage separately from a dup second the total is like $959. Why would that be? Anyone know? Is there less of a market for first stages (or dup seconds) alone, so they are cheaper?

Does that make sense to anyone, and is that typical?
.....
 
Amazon, Divers discount Florida, leisure Pro, I think.

But doesn't the dup second have the hose to attach to the first stage?

Some do. Some do not.

I wouldn’t assume that it comes with a hose. I would ask.
 
oddly you're right.

Leisurepro has the St1 with a 32" swivel hose ($100 by itself for the hose) in grey for $439. And the ST1 1st stage in DIN or Yoke for $519 on Amazon. Both offer free shipping so you could self-assemble it but then it needs to be tuned. I don't believe your local tech works for free on gear bought online.

One assumes the set - bought thru an online scuba dealer - would be checked/adjusted as needed. Maybe that's the $40.

My local shop would have it for the same price - Atomics are never discounted much online. Plus local tax

They also gave me the first service free as a thank you for spending $1400 cash on a T2 with them. I think I paid for the parts kit.

Plus they offered to attach my Z1 octo and gauges while I waited. With the swivel turret I stood there while the tech draped it over my shoulder to get the hose placement right.

And I got to see that the IP was set in the proper range and locking up well.

None of it is rocket science or something I couldn't do but since they offered...
 
oddly you're right.

Leisurepro has the St1 with a 32" swivel hose ($100 by itself for the hose) in grey for $439. And the ST1 1st stage in DIN or Yoke for $519 on Amazon. Both offer free shipping so you could self-assemble it but then it needs to be tuned. I don't believe your local tech works for free on gear bought online.

One assumes the set - bought thru an online scuba dealer - would be checked/adjusted as needed. Maybe that's the $40.

My local shop would have it for the same price - Atomics are never discounted much online. Plus local tax

They also gave me the first service free as a thank you for spending $1400 cash on a T2 with them. I think I paid for the parts kit.

Plus they offered to attach my Z1 octo and gauges while I waited. With the swivel turret I stood there while the tech draped it over my shoulder to get the hose placement right.

And I got to see that the IP was set in the proper range and locking up well.

None of it is rocket science or something I couldn't do but since they offered...

So very noobie question here. Why would a new second need to be tuned? If I bought the first and second separately and attached them wouldn’t it still be at factory spec? When you buy a first and second already put together has the manufacturer checked/adjusted the rig, as you note?
 
@BoatingDave balanced second stages are less finicky than non-balanced second stages so the need to tune them to each other is as important as it is with unbalanced second stages. You can certainly pop it right on there and assuming everything is in spec, it will breathe fine. For optimal breathing, the second stage needs to be tuned to the specific first stage it will be attached to. That is not normally done at the factory, so in either instance you should have someone who knows what they're doing tweak them. You can do that yourself if you want
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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