DutchDiverDude
Registered
Hi all,
I started diving last year, and over the year bought a bunch of used scuba sets, and now I have multiple sets of regulators.
I have been diving with the 'newest' set, a barely used / few years old Aqualung Titan 1st (DIN) + 2nd, + aqualung octopus. I expect it has been on less than 50 dives total, all of which in sweet water, half of them with me. No issues with this set. Bought new just before covid, used that year, and shelved during covid at which point I got it from the 1st owner. Diving computer confirms this.
In another sale I got an Aqualung Legend 2nd, nameless 1st (yoke, could be aqualung but isn't written on there), with the same aqualung octopus as the other set. Based on the other stuff in the sale (seaquest BCD, info from diving computer) I expect this set to be at least 15/20 years old. It is visually in great condition but I have no other info about it, as it was sold by an unrelated person after the original owner passed away. I have dis/re-assembled and cleaned the 2nd stages (inc intermediate pressure adjustment ), and so far the set works perfectly in the swimming pool. For obvious reasons (age of the set, and I'm not a qualified technician) I have not used it outside of the swimming pool.
So after this year is over, I want to get all my gear serviced and in top condition for next year. Since my collection is now more or less complete, I want to optimize my config. What would you suggest?
I dive in the Netherlands, so usually cold sweet water. After I get CMAS 2* I will also dive in the North Sea, which is cold salt water.
I have been considering a few options. Feel free to correct if my reasoning is wrong.
- Keep using the Titan because it is the youngest - less chance of failure if properly maintained.
- Start using the Legend. Despite the age, this was the best/most expensive model at that time. Is it 'better' than the new Titan though?
- Keep both, and use one for drysuit (the preferred one above), the other for pool / wetsuit (the remaining one) use. This is 'easy' as then I won't have to reconnect LP hoses for the drysuit all the time. Also, for exclusively pool use, DIY maintenance should be sufficient versus expensive servicing.
- Cannibalize both sets to make a single set with both the Titan and the Legend, and maybe add a long hose as well. I may have to cannibalize some others then to make a new pool set.
- Regardless of above, reconstruct tanks and regulator sets to a 2-1st stage config. Need to buy 2 new double DIN manifolds (I use 2 12L tanks for convenience, can do 2 dives before refilling) and ideally another 1st stage with DIN. 2 1st stages is safer w.r.t. freezing, but this is clearly the most expensive option. Downside: I expect to go into tech diving using for example double 8.5 within a few years (because most guys at my club do this), which would require me to update my config yet again soon.
Thanks!
I started diving last year, and over the year bought a bunch of used scuba sets, and now I have multiple sets of regulators.
I have been diving with the 'newest' set, a barely used / few years old Aqualung Titan 1st (DIN) + 2nd, + aqualung octopus. I expect it has been on less than 50 dives total, all of which in sweet water, half of them with me. No issues with this set. Bought new just before covid, used that year, and shelved during covid at which point I got it from the 1st owner. Diving computer confirms this.
In another sale I got an Aqualung Legend 2nd, nameless 1st (yoke, could be aqualung but isn't written on there), with the same aqualung octopus as the other set. Based on the other stuff in the sale (seaquest BCD, info from diving computer) I expect this set to be at least 15/20 years old. It is visually in great condition but I have no other info about it, as it was sold by an unrelated person after the original owner passed away. I have dis/re-assembled and cleaned the 2nd stages (inc intermediate pressure adjustment ), and so far the set works perfectly in the swimming pool. For obvious reasons (age of the set, and I'm not a qualified technician) I have not used it outside of the swimming pool.
So after this year is over, I want to get all my gear serviced and in top condition for next year. Since my collection is now more or less complete, I want to optimize my config. What would you suggest?
I dive in the Netherlands, so usually cold sweet water. After I get CMAS 2* I will also dive in the North Sea, which is cold salt water.
I have been considering a few options. Feel free to correct if my reasoning is wrong.
- Keep using the Titan because it is the youngest - less chance of failure if properly maintained.
- Start using the Legend. Despite the age, this was the best/most expensive model at that time. Is it 'better' than the new Titan though?
- Keep both, and use one for drysuit (the preferred one above), the other for pool / wetsuit (the remaining one) use. This is 'easy' as then I won't have to reconnect LP hoses for the drysuit all the time. Also, for exclusively pool use, DIY maintenance should be sufficient versus expensive servicing.
- Cannibalize both sets to make a single set with both the Titan and the Legend, and maybe add a long hose as well. I may have to cannibalize some others then to make a new pool set.
- Regardless of above, reconstruct tanks and regulator sets to a 2-1st stage config. Need to buy 2 new double DIN manifolds (I use 2 12L tanks for convenience, can do 2 dives before refilling) and ideally another 1st stage with DIN. 2 1st stages is safer w.r.t. freezing, but this is clearly the most expensive option. Downside: I expect to go into tech diving using for example double 8.5 within a few years (because most guys at my club do this), which would require me to update my config yet again soon.
Thanks!