Help me pick a regulator set for my 11 year old son, please

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I've read several dozen threads on regulators and I'm still uncertain the best course of action, so I burden you with one more thread on the subject.

Background: My son has waited his entire short life to get into diving. His mother and I were very active divers before he was born, but we took a break from diving until he was old enough. He was certified last month in Maui, and we have been diving local quarries once per week since returning. We plan to resume our pre-parenthood dive schedule of 3 - 4 dive trips per year, and he is 100% over the moon about diving.

Type of diving: There will be ZERO true cold water dives. My opinion of what counts as cold water is pretty much "anything under 70F". Our diving, historically, has basically been a blend of 3 different locales - quarries in the southeastern United States, wreck dives off the coast of Florida, and the vast majority of our diving has been tropical (Caribbean and Hawaii). If the water is cold enough to need to pull out my 7mm, I'm more likely to spend the day sitting in a hunting blind rather than diving. Given my son's age, it will be some time before he could seriously consider tec diving.

What gear we already use: I'm trying to kit him out with quality gear that will last many years to come. As of last weekend, he is diving with his own Halcyon Infinity BP/W, Hollis F1 fins, 5mm Bare ultrawarmth boots, and a Tusa mask. He's using my old Oceanic VT3 computer, and we will move the transmitter from my reg set to his so he can go air integrated once he has his own rig.

What I'm looking for: He has expressed interest in buying his own regulator set, but I don't think he has enough funds to cover the cost of one and I really don't mind buying gear for him. Either way, he's a bit more price sensitive than I am. I want to get him a quality set that will last him decades. He does want to dive long hose (like I do), but I'm a bit uncertain if I should get him a 5ft or 7ft long hose, as he's only about 5ft tall right now. I'm looking for a 1st & 2nd stage, backup 2nd stage (short hose w/ bungee), and an SPG.

Brand preference: I'm a bit unhappy with our Oceanic 1st stages that my wife and I dive with right now. Both have had failures (after being serviced) leading to excessive IP causing the octo to free flow. One is at the shop right now waiting on a new seat, the other will be dropped off this week for similar repair/rebuild.

 

[johndiver999]

If it were me, I would buy a used set of regulators from someone on this forum, have them serviced and dive, dive, dive. I think I would recommend a scubapro MK2 with maybe a G-250 (or two) for second stages. That set up will last him through college and if cared for well, it might not need any service other than a replace of the o-rings in the pressure gauge until he graduates.

 

[dulinor]

Congratulations - my twins are 7 and interested but I doubt they’d be ready to start diving at that age. I’m looking forward to when they are though. I definitely wouldn’t get more Oceanic. I started there and bailed after some severe parts shortages during when they got bought. (I also had a post-service incident but I think that can happen to anything.)

Honestly there’s a lot of good regulator options out there. What can you get serviced easily? You want to be able to take everything to the same place if he’s mostly going to be diving the same pace that you are.

I personally like Atomic or Deep6 (especially if he’s using his own money) but just get something you can get serviced. ScubaPro is available pretty much everywhere and lots of people swear by them.

 

[James79]

Well, I'll drop the DIY bomb in here. If you are handy (able to change your own oil level of competence) DIY isn't hard... a smarter man than I described reg maintenance/repair as "not difficult, just precise." If you are willing/interested to go that route (and I feel there is value in understanding how your gear works) then a "forever" reg set doesn't have to be expensive at all. My boys and I dive regs that are 30-70 years old (my oldest reg that I dive is a doublehose from the early 50s, my kids dive regs from the 70s and 80s, and my usual single hose set is 80s Conshelf). Further, most regs get serviced more often than needed, with most failures being due to maintenance errors/mishandling by a "Professional" reg tech. If you look into old metal Conshelfs or Scubapro Mk5, Mk10, 108, 109, 156, you can find regs that not only have decades of history, but are maintainable roughly forever. The downside of "old" regs is that many shops won't service them with excuses about "obsolescence" or that "Parts are unavailable". You get the parts bs about Conshelfs often... when the second stage rebuild just needs one (common) O-ring and a standard puck type seat.
If that interests you, shoot me a DM... I have stuff on the shelf that I could probably send for next to nothing if you wanted to take them apart and see if DIY is for you. If you do, I recommend involving your son.... My kids don't work on their own regs, but have been involved in the initial build of them so the understand how they tick.

Respectfully,

James

 

[Ghost95]

Second to what James said. You can find a clean Mk V or Mk 10 on eBay for under $100 pretty often and a G250 or a 109/BA if you like the cool factor of chrome and you'll have a reg that is near bulletproof and easily serviced. It should last years. Plus they breathe amazing.

 

[lowwall]

Like New - Sherwood Brut First and Second Stage - Rebuilt/O2 Clean

Used Scuba Gear

northeastscubasupply.com

It's a used, but serviced Sherwood Brut. They also have an octo available.

Northeast Scuba Supply is legit and Sherwood makes good regs. You won't be able to do better than this (about $200) for a serviced full regset. Give John a call and tell him your situation. I'm sure he can come up with something good.

 

[L13]

If it were me, I would buy a used set of regulators from someone on this forum, have them serviced and dive, dive, dive. I think I would recommend a scubapro MK2 with maybe a G-250 (or two) for second stages. That set up will last him through college and if cared for well, it might not need any service other than a replace of the o-rings in the pressure gauge until he graduates.

Depending on who you buy them from here, maybe DON'T have them service. They have already had problems with their regs after service by their LDS, and someone like @buddhasummer will have serviced the regs to a way higher standard than most LDS's.

 

[L13]

If you want new, I recommend Deep6, or DGX. Top quality for the price sensitive, and Deep6 has affordable mail-in service.

 

[JoeTPhilly]

I've read several dozen threads on regulators and I'm still uncertain the best course of action, so I burden you with one more thread on the subject.

Background: My son has waited his entire short life to get into diving. His mother and I were very active divers before he was born, but we took a break from diving until he was old enough. He was certified last month in Maui, and we have been diving local quarries once per week since returning. We plan to resume our pre-parenthood dive schedule of 3 - 4 dive trips per year, and he is 100% over the moon about diving.

Type of diving: There will be ZERO true cold water dives. My opinion of what counts as cold water is pretty much "anything under 70F". Our diving, historically, has basically been a blend of 3 different locales - quarries in the southeastern United States, wreck dives off the coast of Florida, and the vast majority of our diving has been tropical (Caribbean and Hawaii). If the water is cold enough to need to pull out my 7mm, I'm more likely to spend the day sitting in a hunting blind rather than diving. Given my son's age, it will be some time before he could seriously consider tec diving.

What gear we already use: I'm trying to kit him out with quality gear that will last many years to come. As of last weekend, he is diving with his own Halcyon Infinity BP/W, Hollis F1 fins, 5mm Bare ultrawarmth boots, and a Tusa mask. He's using my old Oceanic VT3 computer, and we will move the transmitter from my reg set to his so he can go air integrated once he has his own rig.

What I'm looking for: He has expressed interest in buying his own regulator set, but I don't think he has enough funds to cover the cost of one and I really don't mind buying gear for him. Either way, he's a bit more price sensitive than I am. I want to get him a quality set that will last him decades. He does want to dive long hose (like I do), but I'm a bit uncertain if I should get him a 5ft or 7ft long hose, as he's only about 5ft tall right now. I'm looking for a 1st & 2nd stage, backup 2nd stage (short hose w/ bungee), and an SPG.

Brand preference: I'm a bit unhappy with our Oceanic 1st stages that my wife and I dive with right now. Both have had failures (after being serviced) leading to excessive IP causing the octo to free flow. One is at the shop right now waiting on a new seat, the other will be dropped off this week for similar repair/rebuild.

I have seen the Scubapro MK25 EVO and the D420 marked down quite a bit because I think the D420 is being discontinued.

I would recommend the 7ft long hose if going long hose. Might as well get used to it from the start. It gets tucked in the waist strap or you can get him a mock light stick.

 

[dulinor]

If you want new, I recommend Deep6, or DGX. Top quality for the price sensitive, and Deep6 has affordable mail-in service.

Affordable and crazy fast.