Disposable regulators

[elmer fudd]

I didn't take up scuba because I wanted to save money, otherwise I'd still get all my air from a Snorkle.

Scuba is an expensive sport, but that doesn't mean I want to spend my money needlessly. The money spent servicing a regulator could also pay for a day of diving on a chartered boat.

 

[Crass3000]

So.. I still think the HOG's are great regs, but I had a series of issues with my regs related to the lack of dealers in Australia at the time and the apparent inability of anyone locally to service them properly. I had them serviced 3 times in rapid fashion by different shops after I broke them on holidays (where I couldn't get them serviced due to lack of parts) as they were never the same as they were when new. I then had a colleague service them for me to get them working as all 3 shop services left them in poor state. We discovered that the 1st stage had been assembled wrong and I had a damaged knife-edge, but by this time i'd spent enough to have thrown them out and bought new.

As all my fellow divers, instructors etc all dive Apeks, I had to make a decision and decided that the availability of parts, the trained service techs, and the ability to parts swap with friends over-ruled any cost saving by going HOG. This is not HOG's fault, in the US this decision may not have been valid. But after sinking nearly $20k into my dive gear, the couple of hundred saved wasn't worth missing another dive over. Again, nothing wrong with HOG, just not practical in this country currently.

Yah I can understand your thoughts. Within a couple hours we can take HOG classes that teach you how to fix them. I'm typically an APEKS diver though just because they have never done me wrong. I have been looking into a HOG doubles set. Just wanted to know your thoughts. Thanks and let me know anything you might also think I would help me make the decision. APEKS is spendy but I love them.

 

[KeithG]

moving towards? ... I think we been there a long time.

This concept really applies to mid range (mine!) regulators. My annual service is about 30% of the cost of buying new. Why pay $150 for annual service when new regs cost $500? Wait 3 or 4 years years and buy new...

 

[Crass3000]

moving towards? ... I think we been there a long time.

This concept really applies to mid range (mine!) regulators. My annual service is about 30% of the cost of buying new. Why pay $150 for annual service when new regs cost $500? Wait 3 or 4 years years and buy new...

Maybe if you know how to service them?! What do you call a good reg? I guess I see your point but I want to be diving a good reg all the time. Not looking for a free-flow. You shouldn't either where you live. Are you serious? What is a mid range $500 reg to you?

---------- Post added July 2nd, 2013 at 04:57 AM ----------

moving towards? ... I think we been there a long time.

This concept really applies to mid range (mine!) regulators. My annual service is about 30% of the cost of buying new. Why pay $150 for annual service when new regs cost $500? Wait 3 or 4 years years and buy new...

Maybe it makes sense but hard to see. What regs are you talking about?

 

[Tortuga68]

APEKS is spendy but I love them

I have 10+ sets (10 first & second pairs, plus a few spare 2nd stages) of Apeks regs... only two that I bought new (my first ever reg, XTX200, and a set of Tek3s). The rest I all bought second hand, stripped down and checked and in nearly every case, dove without any service/parts replacement required. So in short, you can get the quality but save some moeny buying second hand (if you can strip/check them yourself and/or know someone) since you can easily buy a pair for $300 or less.

As a general rule I only service them when they show some sign of needing it but that's just me, YMMV. Can save a significant amount of money though when you have a lot of regs.

 

[Crass3000]

I have 10+ sets (10 first & second pairs, plus a few spare 2nd stages) of Apeks regs... only two that I bought new (my first ever reg, XTX200, and a set of Tek3s). The rest I all bought second hand, stripped down and checked and in nearly every case, dove without any service/parts replacement required. So in short, you can get the quality but save some moeny buying second hand (if you can strip/check them yourself and/or know someone) since you can easily buy a pair for $300 or less.

As a general rule I only service them when they show some sign of needing it but that's just me, YMMV. Can save a significant amount of money though when you have a lot of regs.

You sound like my kinda guy but I would need to be able to look at them and make sure they were OK. Sort of that want to stay alive sort of thing. You are obviously more experienced. That's where I want to be. You are obviously more experienced. I only have a year and a tad in the water.

 

[chrpai]

Yes, I think we are approach this point. Not because Hog is "cheap" or "throw away" but because the cost to replace is so low relative to the cost to service.

Example, my regs are now 14 months old with 140 dives. They are still performing fine and don't need servicing yet, but let's say I decided I wanted to. It would probably cost me $55 in labor (I'm not qualified to DIY yet.) and $40-$50 in parts (there's a sale right now) So let's say $100 to service.

Looking online there is a nice Hog sale going on right now. A new D3 first stage and 2 Zenith second stages would cost me $300. Now, on to eBay. A Hog 2nd stage just sold for $68 and a 1st stage sold for $101.

So if I can sell my first stage for $100 and my second stages for $65.... take way commissions, that's $300 right there. I can literally get brand new gear and spend less then what it would cost for me to service it.

Crazy, huh?

 

[Crass3000]

Yes, I think we are approach this point. Not because Hog is "cheap" or "throw away" but because the cost to replace is so low relative to the cost to service.

Example, my regs are now 14 months old with 140 dives. They are still performing fine and don't need servicing yet, but let's say I decided I wanted to. It would probably cost me $55 in labor (I'm not qualified to DIY yet.) and $40-$50 in parts (there's a sale right now) So let's say $100 to service.

Looking online there is a nice Hog sale going on right now. A new D3 first stage and 2 Zenith second stages would cost me $300. Now, on to eBay. A Hog 2nd stage just sold for $68 and a 1st stage sold for $101.

So if I can sell my first stage for $100 and my second stages for $65.... take way commissions, that's $300 right there. I can literally get brand new gear and spend less then what it would cost for me to service it.

Crazy, huh?

So you are talking all HOG? I know they have good cold water reviews. What type of temps do you dive them in? I know they have great reviews otherwise. Hog, Dive-rite, APEKS, etc... what would you choose and what temps do you dive? Texas is warm, no?

Yah if you can do that it is pretty crazy!!! I'm pretty new to the game so I wanna be able to trust my regs. I wish I knew how to work with them. More classes I guess.

 

[chrpai]

Lake travis got down to 52f over the winter. But yes, for a reg that is warm.

So I dive them from 90f to 50f. But I'd trust them much colder then I want to dive.

 

[Tortuga68]

Another way to look at it, maybe they are going the way of printers, where it's almost cheaper to buy a new printer than to replace the ink catridge?

You sound like my kinda guy but I would need to be able to look at them and make sure they were OK. Sort of that want to stay alive sort of thing. You are obviously more experienced. That's where I want to be. You are obviously more experienced. I only have a year and a tad in the water.

As I said before, my first reg I bought new... I wanted Apeks because most of my friends dive them (swapping, parts etc) and the shop I do most of my diving with is an Apeks dealer. I bought the XTX200 because it was (at the time) their top of the line reg and i wanted something new, good and reliable.

A few years and a lot more regs down the track... I can strip & check them myself yes but I am also confident that a reg failure won't kill me. Air is not going to magically vanish, I have a second/backup, if I am diving single tank I am either with a buddy and/or or in depths that I know I can CESA from. I trust my gear (new or second hand) and I trust my skills.

Worst case scenario, you buy a second hand reg set, stick it on a tank, breathe from it, it works. You take it on a few shallow dives, still works. Maybe you check the IP too (plug a gauge into the inflator hose). Odds are probably nothing cataclysmic is going to happen and if it does & you follow your training, nothing much should happen apart from an elevated heart rate for a short while. BUt you need to have confidence about that and that comes from some experience.

YMMV and I am not recommending this to anyone