Decently priced regs

[Dynasty]

I was just wandering what you guys would recommend for a decently priced regulator. I'm very new to the sport, and was wandering what makes a regulator better than another one? Also what brands are very good? I'm just so over whelmed with all the brands out there. Thanks

 

[lackingcreativity]

Well, congradulations on creating an opinion driven discussion. These are always quite entertaining. When I started out I was just certain to do my research. I know it is time consuming, but through research I have never had to discontinue the use of a piece of gear because it was worn out. My gear only retires when I want it. To find a good priced reg I would go to a place like diversdiscount.com or scubatoys.com. They both have great prices and are factory authorized. Trust me, it is a big deal, especially when it comes to regs. Most dive shops won't service non authorized regs, and if they do you will pay for everything.(Usually reg companys will pay for some of the maintaince, atleast for a few years.) Another good source for infromation on regs would be old editions of Rodales Scuba Diving, but becuse you say your new you probably won't have those so you can always consult the website, scubadiving.com

Now for my two cents: I started diving with a Genesis GS200. I chose it because of the company, what Larry at scubatoys had to say about it, and the value. Currenlty I own both a Zeagle and Scubapro reg, and love both of them. In the end there is a fine line between paying for performance and just wasting money. Remember you still need money to pay for diving.

 

[rescuediver009]

I think that you need to start out by looking at what your LDS (or wherever you are going to buy your regs) carries. Scubapro and Apeks may be the best thing since sliced bread but if your dealer is a sherwood guy you are SOL. So checkout what is available to you, then look at what your price range is. Are you the type that is unsure of how much you will like it and would prefer to build conservatively or are you positive that you will like it and prefer to skip the upgrading period and go straight for something that will keep you happy forever, and be cheaper in the long run?

 

[Woden]

I think that you need to start out by looking at what your LDS (or wherever you are going to buy your regs) carries. Scubapro and Apeks may be the best thing since sliced bread but if your dealer is a sherwood guy you are SOL. So checkout what is available to you, then look at what your price range is. Are you the type that is unsure of how much you will like it and would prefer to build conservatively or are you positive that you will like it and prefer to skip the upgrading period and go straight for something that will keep you happy forever, and be cheaper in the long run?

I agree completely.

When I bought my first reg I spent a great deal of time thinking of the type of diving I wanted to do. I have met many people who bought a reg their first year of diving and then bought another in their second year.

My suggestion is beg/borrow/rent for a few dives and decide on how much you like diving and then make a list of the type of diving you would like to do (e.g. deep, cold water, tropical, technical, wreck, etc.). Based on this list talk to your local dive shop owner and find a good reg based on the type of diving you want to do.

I wound up buying an Apeks ATX200 for my first reg because I wanted to do some Ice diving and later get into technical diving (and my local dive shop sold and serviced them). I have never regreted that purchase and have gotten a lot of use out of this reg. Many cheaper regs that would be fine for tropical vacation diving, would have fallen apart a long time ago so I think this was cheaper in the long run.

That said, if you have no desire to go deep or freeze your butt off why spend a fortune on your reg.

I hate to answer a question with a question but ... you need to start by asking:

"What kind of diving do I want to do"

Then the answers you get here will be much better.

 

[stoiclown]

Same as what these guys said, find a Local Dive shop in your area that you like dealing with, & go through them. If they carry it I have been very inpressed with Aqua Lung Legends LX line of regulaters.

 

[lackingcreativity]

Same as what these guys said, find a Local Dive shop in your area that you like dealing with, & go through them. If they carry it I have been very inpressed with Aqua Lung Legends LX line of regulaters.

I do like that idea, but I really don't like any of the Local dive shops that I have visited in my area. That why I go to the internet.

 

[gstroupe]

I have to agree with Woden, if you're going to focus mainly on warm-water recreational diving then you can look toward the lower price points for all the major brands. I bought a Scubapro for several reasons, I dive in New England which can be rather punishing on gear so I wanted something that could handle cold and depth. I spent a little more for my gear but I knew I was going to use it in some tough conditions. Hope this helps.

 

[stoiclown]

I do like that idea, but I really don't like any of the Local dive shops that I have visited in my area. That why I go to the internet.

Yeah if your local service is crap, there are some great deals on the internet. But read the manufacturers guidlines, as some of them will not support internet sales. So you might have to pay for warranty repairs.

 

[halocline]

Man, you're going to get alot of opinions on this one. When I bought my first reg, not that long ago, I remember being somewhat overwhelmed. I ended up buying the SP MK2/R190, due to it's price and reputation for bullet-proof reliability, as well as ease of service in many parts of the world. For recreational diving, almost any regulator from a reputable company will work fine. That's the good news. The bad news is that there's tons of hype and ferocious brand loyalty out there, so it's kind of difficult (to say the least) to separate fact from opinion.

Regarding service, there are plenty of places that will service regs bought from an online "non" dealer or a used reg. The price difference in warranty annual service between paying for parts and getting free parts is not that significant, as the parts replaced under routine service are usually cheap. So I wouldn't be afraid of buying something used or online, as long as you can get what you want.

The other thing is that high performance regs are really not necessary for enjoying recreational diving; it's kind of like buying an expensive sports car to drive around town when a honda or VW would do everything just fine. Even the modest SPMK2 delivers more than twice the air a diver will ever need at depths even close to recreational.

So, the choice is yours. Many people buy entry level SP or aqualung regs and love them; another popular choice is the zeagle envoy. Even though the reg is a VERY important piece of gear, you won't notice nearly the difference between any of the standard workhorses as you would between different types of BCs or wetsuits.

 

[Dynasty]

I'm mostly going to be diving in tropical conditions. Might do some wreck diving as my experience increases. I prolly will never do any cold water diving, just because I'm not the biggest cold water person. Prolly the coldest I will do right now or until my experience grows is NC. I'm trying to get my dad to take me wreck diving later on this year, and maybe do the QAR. So if some of ya'll wouldn't mind giving me some links of regs that you think would be good to me based on that I would appreciate it. I don't really want to spend more than $275-300 for the reg. Also what other octopus's would you recommend? Prolly $150 tops on the octopus. Thanks