Hog Regulator Combo or get something better ???

[Eric Sedletzky]

Scubapro is no longer the innovator they once were they are a follower. Were they the company that brought you backplates and wings or did they come late to the party? Many tech divers in the US wanted a MK-19 but Scubapro in their infinite wisdom decided to restrict sales to Europe, why? They killed the G-250 only to bring them back again as divers weren't impressed with the S600 or G250HP.

In that respect I think Aqualung is actually a more stable company. Aqualung still produces a few of their tried and trued designs that are reliable as hell and they know better than to monkey with them.
One that Scubapro still makes and is a no frills simple reg is the MK2 (or did they discontinue that one?). I don't understand why they discontinued the MK5 and G250?
The 109 I understand because of production costs, but why did they monkey with success with the other stuff? Was it no good any more? If they bring back the MK5 will it be called the MK5-V?
What makes the MK25 so much better than the MK5?
What makes the MK25 better that the MK20?
Is the MK20 really better than the MK5?
How many people died diving with a MK5 because of mechanical failure?
I have a MK5 and see no difference between it and my MK20?
Is there a noticable difference in performance between a MK5 and a MK25?
Why does Scubapro constantly have to discontinue stuff and come up with models with different numbers


Where does SP go from here?
Is there going to be a new MK30 coming out soon?
Is there going to be a new 800 second stage out along with it?
What will the price be of these new models if there are ever going to be new models. Will it remain the same or will the sets cost more?
Do you think their next model is going to be radically different inside than any of their other stuff? or is the price just going to be radically different.

You see, before the internet I wouldn't have had a medium to post my retoric for everyone to read, but now I do. I could post this stuff on every scuba related board out there.
How many will read this? A few hundred?, a few thousand?
Before I would have had to stand out on the sidewalk in front of the dive shop holding a protest sign screeming my lungs out at passing cars. I would have been lucky to get a toot from a horn once in a while. I'm sure the cops would be there eventually to haul me off if I didn't have a protest permit from the city.

Now I'm here planting seeds.
I question everything these companies do.

Are they geniuses or are they fools?

 

[ams511]

Look, people are cheap.

People want to get the most utility for the least amount of money, that is not being cheap that is being rational.

That's what the fanfare comes down to. If DiveRite, OxyCheq or Salvo (RIP) were giving the repair classes for their regs then everyone and their grandmother would be here talking about DiveRite, OxyCheq and Salvo.

I'll leave it up to you to figure out why I mention those three regs specifically and how they're related.

If I remember correctly they are all made by Ocean Diver Supply of Taiwan as well as some Scubamax models and probably some we never heard of. Now my turn, what does Scubapro MK-16, Tusa RS-460 and some Coltri-Subs have in common? What about older Apeks, Beuchats, and Zeagles?

Now, the HOG business model is great. I applaud the ingenuity. Take what would be a mediocre reg in the traditional service/repair model, and teach people how to service it themselves. No problem with that, but just call it what it is. It's cheap and accessible. Once it has reached the level of "cheap and accessible" it could be a soda straw and a tin can and people will still swear it's better than SP, Atomic, Aqua Lung, etc.

Zeagle and Dive Rite sell parts and I think Zeagle even has a DVD on servicing so they are also cheap and accessible.

I don't believe there is a "bad" reg out there, but if you really believe that all are created equally then I'll just stop here. If you really believe you bought HOG regs because they are "better than ________" then you are really kidding yourself. Cheap and accessible. Nothing else.

Where in this thread did anyone say that all regulators are created equal?

...and to someone else that said that they're so cheap because they don't advertise. GMAB. They're cheap because of how and where they're made. Again, don't kid yourself. Call it what it is. You get a big, giant "Come on, man!"

And yes, those ARE Atomic M1's in the pic. I don't need to try HOG's because I already own a Dive Rite. Ba-zing!

Why does it matter where they are made? From my understanding some Scubapros are made in Italy, the Italians have never been known for their engineering and manufacturing prowess. Also many plants both in Europe and the US rely on foreign labor, so you are not sure even an actual Italian assembled the product.

 

[cbm32]

Ba-zing? More like Ba-logna. Am I cheap? Depends on your definition of cheap I guess. If you think that not wanting to pay more than I have to for something that will absolutely do the job....yup, I am one cheap SOB. But if I thought for a minute that using HOG/EDGE put my life in danger more than diving some other reg....I would be diving some other reg.

 

[Griffo]

That people are cheap?

Cheap? Or want to spend their money on better things. I could buy 2x 1st stage's, 2x 2nd stages plus a bunch of deco / stage regs and easily blow through $5k

or spend $2k on equivalent quality regs, and spend the other $3k on a diving holiday. Is that being cheap?

 

[JamesK]

So let's strip everything down. Let's talk about regs only. Not service, not price, nothing but the regs. What make Scuba Pro better than HOG?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

So let's strip everything down. Let's talk about regs only. Not service, not price, nothing but the regs. What make Scuba Pro better than HOG?

The name.

 

[KJSmith84]

I want to thank everyone for their imput here in this thread.

from all my research i have done it looks like im going to go with the Subgear sg-1000 any order my gear from Beaver Divers. Casey has been a big help and being a Platinum ScubaPro dealer has some of the best prices and knowledge on all the gear(not just scubapro).

The SG-1000 is a proven reg setup(MK17/S600) that has been around for years that has very high credibility at a great price (VERY SIMILAR TO THE HOG PRICE from BeaverDivers). For everyone not knowing what the SG-1000 is; it is ScubaPro's sister company Subgear that makes a re-labeled MK17/S600 for a cheaper price.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/430678-subgear-sg-1000-same-scubapro-mk17-s600.html

 

[jonnythan]

Hmmmm.

 

[JamesK]

Glad you figured something out.

That goes right in line with What most are saying. If what you bought is just a relabeled Scuba Pro for a cheaper price, why are the Scuba Pro so much more expensive?

But congrats on your new reg purchase!

 

[KJSmith84]

Glad you figured something out.

That goes right in line with What most are saying. If what you bought is just a relabeled Scuba Pro for a cheaper price, why are the Scuba Pro so much more expensive?

But congrats on your new reg purchase!

Not sure really; but from what i have read the mk17 and S600 always get great reviews so there is no second guessing with this reg.
I think it is cheaper because they do not offer the free parts for life program that ScubaPro regs get; so this is where the savings come from?