New Regulator Advice

[Ghosty]

So I've done a ton of reading from about four different "Regulator Buying Guides" for 2015, along with reviews of the top models, trying to stay around $300, or less. I'd like some of the special features without sacrificing quality. Like solid manufacturer, good reputation, adjust. 2nd stage, swivel connect, 2 HP ports (I have an AI transmitter and want to allow for a backup hosed SPG). Don't wanna skimp, but aint rich either, heh.

What do you guys think of the Oceanic Delta 4 or 4.2 FDX10? Other options include the Zeagle Envoy II, Scubapro MK2-Evo, one of the Sherwoods maybe, etc.

 

[tbone1004]

wait another few weeks for the Deep6 regs to come out, or call Cave Adventurers and get either a Hog D3 or a Dive Rite XT, preferably something similar to their streamlined OW regulator kit. The others aren't bad, but no better than the ones I just listed, and the others have nicer features

 

[Ghosty]

wait another few weeks for the Deep6 regs to come out, or call Cave Adventurers and get either a Hog D3 or a Dive Rite XT, preferably something similar to their streamlined OW regulator kit. The others aren't bad, but no better than the ones I just listed, and the others have nicer features

Haven't heard of Deep 6, but will search around. Thanks for the suggestions, will add those to my list.

 

[John A Lewis]

Rather than go just off of written specs, try to also find out what divers are actually using and under what conditions. It can go a long way towards determining what then would work for you.

 

[Ghosty]

Rather than go just off of written specs, try to also find out what divers are actually using and under what conditions. It can go a long way towards determining what then would work for you.

Thanks, am doing. This thread is part of that, along with a lot of reading online, and asking friends and local diveshop folks.

 

[tbone1004]

Deep6 is importing from ODS, same company that makes Hog, Dive Rite, Hollis etc etc. Very nice regs. Most of the cave divers seem to be using Dive Rite or Hog right now because you can freely buy parts to service yourself which is a requirement for technical diving. I dive Poseidons personally, but will be getting some Deep6 regs when they come out as well.

 

[Ghosty]

Cool, I should've stated in the o.p. that for now I'm purely a rec. diver, not commercial, tech., cave, etc. When I move to Florida next year I might get into more advanced stuff like that. And I'm not looking to service my own equipment. Would have an official tech. do that for me regularly as needed.

 

[tbone1004]

one of the common misconceptions is that you are only a rec diver so you don't need the gear that we use for tech and cave, but the reality is that we use that gear for a reason. Servicing your own equipment is a requirement for us, but a nice feature for all divers as you don't have to pay ungodly amounts of money for something that is very simple and requires very few specific tools.
The hog/deep6/dive rite regs require a pin spanner $10-$15, a brass o-ring pick set *$10 but you should have anyway*, and a set of allen keys with adjustable wrench, and an IP gauge, again that you should have anyway. Nothing else, though if diving a lot in salt an ultrasonic cleaner is nice to have, but again it is multi function because you can use it for cleaning watches/earrings/rings etc etc, so good to have around. They are very very simple to do and almost idiot proof, with Hog actually having a sanctioned class to learn how to repair them.

Find BoulderJohn on this forum, he will be a tremendous asset to you and is close to your area. Consult with him and see if he will let you hop in the pool and try some of his equipment before you buy. Will be worth it

 

[BoltSnap]

Like solid manufacturer, good reputation

Then forget the ones that manufacture their regulators in Taiwan who are anything but what you say here. Stick with Scubapro, Atomic and possibly AquaLung.

Scubapro is as solid as can be with excellent reputation that is a very long term regulator manufacturer (one of the two oldest regulator mfg. in the world). Atomic is up there with top quality regulators but is more expensive.

I can't believe that people are actually recommending Deep6 products when Deep6 is a very new company that is less than a year old and isn't even shipping any products yet. Come on!!!

 

[tbone1004]

why? they're buying from ODS who has been producing high quality regs for a very long time...

Scubapro make most of their own, though some are produced by TUSA. Halcyon buys from Scubapro
Apeks/Aqualung still make their own.
Atomic are a bunch of pissed off former Scubapro engineers so they're making in the US and you're going to pay for it. Zeagles are made by Atomic now
Poseidon still make their own

Dive Rite, Hollis, Hog, and Deep6 all buy from the same mfg, and the reality is that cnc machined hunks of brass are cnc machined hunks of brass, no matter where they come from. I look at it this way. For $360 I can buy a Dive Rite XT which is a sealed diaphragm with a swivel, with reversible second stages. The only other one out there that can say that is Apeks XTX50 with DST which is $600. If the Dive Rite lasts half as long as the Apeks, I'm doing OK, but they'll actually last about the same amount of time. Apeks has free parts for life, as long as you service them every year. So $50/year. The Dive Rites can easily go 2 years and the warranty and all that isn't predicated on service intervals, so you spend $40 for parts, plus $50 in repair bill every other year, and you are $5 ahead per year over the Apeks, or you can service it yourself every year and be $10 ahead of the Apeks per year. Say you keep it for 10 years, it isn't a huge amount of money, but you are likely going to replace regs after 10 years or be out of the sport, so you're multiple hundreds of dollars ahead. This is per "set" so add another $25 to the Apeks for a single regulator set, and another $35 to the Dive Rite total cost, so you're at $150/2years for Apeks, and $125/2years for Dive Rite. Dive Rite has been around almost as long as Apeks, they're mid70's vs Dive Rite at 1984, so they have history, and you're doing quite well with them.

Deep6 is the same boat, though we don't have pricing or anything out for them yet, but their regs are super slick and will be priced quite attractively....

granted I buy basically all of my regs used, and the last set I bought was 3 second stages and 2 firsts and two SPG's from Poseidon Jetstreams for $300, so there's that