grabby
Registered
Hey SB,
Fist and foremost, I wanted to say a hearty "thanks" for the wealth of information this board has provided. That said, I've read so much on this site (especially regarding regulators) that I'm starting to chase my tail. Long story short, I am a new diver, got hooked instantly, and wanted to purchase my own gear. I ended up going with a bp/w setup, am happy with my fins/mask, protection, etc. But the damned regulator game has got me pulling my hair out (and I don't have too much left). I know the hose setup I will have, and that if I want my 1st stage to be a balanced diaphragm (more for silty water locally). That said, here is my dilemma:
I live somewhere fairly rural at the moment, and there are no dive shops within two hours or so. I lack the ability to try out regs, and will be buying blind. Furthermore, I don't plan to live in this area too much longer, but am unsure where my travels will take me, so I won't have a dedicated LDS. I realize that all the main manufacturers offer viable regs that I would be more than happy with, but I'm a jackass and can't just take a pick. I've gone back and forth regarding the pros/cons of Hogs, Apeks XTX50, SP G260/A700, the entire AL line, Atomics, Zeagle, etc. I felt that I had decided on the Zeagle F8 line (reg set from DGX is only somewhat-painfully expensive) due to their reputation, ability to eventually service them myself, and based off the premise of possibly working myself into more technical diving down the road. I figured that a good set should last a very long time, and called it a day.
Because I'm an idiot, last night I got bored and put a low bid ($400) on a brand new MK17/A700 on Ebay, and won the auction. So now I have to make a decision: do I scrap the plans of buying the complete Zeagle set (1st, 2 seconds, spg, etc at ~$799), or build up a SP reg set with with either another A700 (used), any other new SP second as an octo, or throw on a 109/156 BA octo for nostalgia/awesomeness/frugality? The more I thought about a 109/156, the more I thought WTH, why not just use two 109's or BA's, a MK10 (not diaphragm), and laugh my way to the bank?
Anyway, I bought the MK17/A700 set for $400, so I figure I can recoup the cost either way, but I'm just going deeper down the rabbit hole (for reference, I've never been below 50ffw, yet I'm concerned about the fact that should I go the GUE route one day, the A700 faceplate doesn't screw off.)
I would love a bit of advice from anyone of sound mind, as I no longer am due to this forum. I need to either sell the Mk17/A700 and stick with my original plan, keep it and build my set, or sell it and go old school. I can no longer think about metal cases, venturi effect, or anything else at this point. I just want reasonable people to tell me what to do so I can stop thinking about this mess.
Thanks, and sorry for the absurd first post.
Fist and foremost, I wanted to say a hearty "thanks" for the wealth of information this board has provided. That said, I've read so much on this site (especially regarding regulators) that I'm starting to chase my tail. Long story short, I am a new diver, got hooked instantly, and wanted to purchase my own gear. I ended up going with a bp/w setup, am happy with my fins/mask, protection, etc. But the damned regulator game has got me pulling my hair out (and I don't have too much left). I know the hose setup I will have, and that if I want my 1st stage to be a balanced diaphragm (more for silty water locally). That said, here is my dilemma:
I live somewhere fairly rural at the moment, and there are no dive shops within two hours or so. I lack the ability to try out regs, and will be buying blind. Furthermore, I don't plan to live in this area too much longer, but am unsure where my travels will take me, so I won't have a dedicated LDS. I realize that all the main manufacturers offer viable regs that I would be more than happy with, but I'm a jackass and can't just take a pick. I've gone back and forth regarding the pros/cons of Hogs, Apeks XTX50, SP G260/A700, the entire AL line, Atomics, Zeagle, etc. I felt that I had decided on the Zeagle F8 line (reg set from DGX is only somewhat-painfully expensive) due to their reputation, ability to eventually service them myself, and based off the premise of possibly working myself into more technical diving down the road. I figured that a good set should last a very long time, and called it a day.
Because I'm an idiot, last night I got bored and put a low bid ($400) on a brand new MK17/A700 on Ebay, and won the auction. So now I have to make a decision: do I scrap the plans of buying the complete Zeagle set (1st, 2 seconds, spg, etc at ~$799), or build up a SP reg set with with either another A700 (used), any other new SP second as an octo, or throw on a 109/156 BA octo for nostalgia/awesomeness/frugality? The more I thought about a 109/156, the more I thought WTH, why not just use two 109's or BA's, a MK10 (not diaphragm), and laugh my way to the bank?
Anyway, I bought the MK17/A700 set for $400, so I figure I can recoup the cost either way, but I'm just going deeper down the rabbit hole (for reference, I've never been below 50ffw, yet I'm concerned about the fact that should I go the GUE route one day, the A700 faceplate doesn't screw off.)
I would love a bit of advice from anyone of sound mind, as I no longer am due to this forum. I need to either sell the Mk17/A700 and stick with my original plan, keep it and build my set, or sell it and go old school. I can no longer think about metal cases, venturi effect, or anything else at this point. I just want reasonable people to tell me what to do so I can stop thinking about this mess.
Thanks, and sorry for the absurd first post.