Good Shallow Water Regs?

[GOAT]

All good points, but I didn't base my decision off of just price. After two weeks of reading articles and comments on this board that was what I wanted. Plus, my LDS is a Mares dealer.

I'm not a big traveler so other than local lakes I don't see me diving anywhere else.

I would have liked a Sherwood Blizzard or Maximus, but the price just couldn't be justified for my type of diving. And I know how everyone here loves their apeks and scubapro But I don't think that is for me at this time.

It's my first set, so I'll live and learn. And I didn't buy this thinking it well be the last set of regs i'll ever use I would prefer to think of it as a good stepping stone.


**just a question, has anyone, or has anyone read of anything bad or a bad experience with the v16 proton XL? I have yet to see anything negative about them...

 

[ShakaZulu]

Hmmm, when I was 7 years old, I wanted to dive. I took the garden house, placed one end in a piece of styrofoam and the other in my mouth. Jumped into the deep end of the pool...........viola. Saw amazing stuff, not sure if it was real, or the oxygen starvation. Shallow diving at it's best............

 

[jbisjim]

I also know about the Zeagle love fest.

Yup I love my Zeagles.

.......or the oxygen starvation

Hmm that may esplain a few things Love those pics Shaka

My question is will you ever dive Deeper, colder, etc? Might as well get a good all around reg. I would think you would be able to get one at a reasonable price/

 

[red neck diver]

I’ve done quite a bit of reading on the board and I know about all the Dacor bashing and the reasons for doing so. I also know about the Zeagle love fest.

Anyways, I dive freshwater lakes in Arkansas. The lakes are deep but I stay shallow (I have yet to go below 40 feet). I’ve made 40+ dives in the past year and have dove on borrowed equipment that consisted of Sherwood Magnums and various Dacor and Mares Regs. They all worked fine for me.

But it’s time to buy my own reg. I can’t spend a ton of money, I’m still a college student. I really like the Dacor Viper Package at ScubaToys http://www.scubatoys.com/store/Scuba_Package_Reg.asp .

I’m not worried about buying a NEW Dacor reg, but something about the viper just doesn’t give me complete comfort thinking about it (I haven’t dove one though).

I don’t dive cold water, I don’t dive deep, I don’t dive saltwater. So…. I figure I can get a cheaper reg that will do me just as well as an expensive one the serious divers use.

What should I get? I really need reg, octo, and gauges to stay below 500 (400 preferably).

i dive like you in fresh water 70 ft and up the best place to get regs for your diving is in henderson ark. lakenorforkscuba.com you can get genesis 2000, 3 guage console, and octo for around 350.00 and he is a sevice tech also. you can order on line or go to the shop

 

[GOAT]

i'll be going up to Norfork Lake later this year

and yes, i might dive deeper, and colder. and when/if I do i'll discover how well the mares reg works. if it doesn't do so well... then i guess i'll cough up the big bucks for something else.

 

[SouthernGypsy]

I've always been told the most important thing is to get a "Balanced" regulator, first state absolutly and second stage if at all possible. You can even find one on a budget if you look now days.

If you've never dove with a balanced reg (or have always dove with one and never experianced a standard model) then I can't even BEGIN to descrive the difference it makes at about any depth over 20 foot and the difference gets expedential from there down.

Once you've dove with a balanced model your unlikely to go backwards. So that is one of the #1 points on my list to look for.

I have a chance to buy a little used Viper TEC (not the newer America model) but heard they had a few minor bugs that were fixed in the new America model, I'm not sure with my diving right now which is kinda like Goat -> warm water, probably not over 60 feet, most of the good scenery around our regions lakes (I'm also in Arkansas)
will be found at about 60 feet max, usually a little shallower.

We have a few sunken towns left from where the dams were built which would be kinda cool. A complete goast town frozen in time other than being taken over by fish and a few of those are over 60 feet. We do have a couple of lakes that are 600+ feet at their deepest parts but I'm not sure what'd be down there to look at, no one I know ever goes anywhere near that deep around here other than just a few who have gone maybe once and that was just so they could say that they did it.

Hey Goat, since your in Arkansas write me (SouthernGypsy@worldnet.att.net) and
I'll send you a link to a project myself and a couple of friends have been working on this past weekend for us divers who live in the Arkansas and surrounding region.

 

[GOAT]

Went diving today with my V16 Proton XL reg. It worked great in 48 degree water. I really don't think i'll need anything more for some time to come.

Thanks Larry for a great product at a great price with great service

 

[SouthernGypsy]

After allot of research I ended up getting a Mares/Dacor Viper America TEC "Metal" edition, a Viper America TEC octo (even though my BC has a built in reg on the inflation control), and the Mares/Dacor Darwin air computer with the compass option.

All I have to say about the Viper Metal is AWESOME.

(The Darwin computer is awesome also but I'm still figgureing out some of the more advanced functions).

 

[SouthernGypsy]

You asked about the Proton and V16 setup, I know the only thing Rodales said against it was the also the only thing they said against the Viper Metal which was a "stiff purge" though I haven't noticed it on my new one. They have the Proton "Good" on the simulator and "Very Good" on the subjective divers tests.

That was one of the models I'd considerd but I liked the Viper Metals smaller size, side exaust and ability to work in any position, and the the swivels on both first and second stages. From everything I read the Viper America has solved the few problems the first generation Vipers had and then the metal had some more features but I think the Mares V12 Proton is actually a somewhat similar rig as far as the internal functionalitys.

 

[Mako Mark]

I would acctually say that I think sherwood regs are the best for this situation. They are extremely reliable, last a lifetime and a half, and are very cheap.

I back this 1000%

I changed my cave diving regs a couple of years ago from scubapro to sherwood bruts, they breathe as well as some of the top of the line diaphram regs (like the micra) and are virtually indestructable. They can take any kind of abuse (I have seen a Honduran fisherman do a full 1st stage overhall aboard a small fishing boat, armed only with a pair of vicegrips and a used oil can)

For very deep diving, they may not be ideal, but as long as you stay above 150' they are winners.