I own an Excursion II. It is a great BC for tropical diving & traveling and I really love it. However, for cold water diving locally in NJ with 7mm wetsuit, I use Probe. I used to live in Chicago when I was young and I remember how cold lake Michigan is even in summer. If you plan to do a lot of divings in Chicago, it may not be a good choice.
When I started my scuba lessons, I also purchased EOS with FDX-10 first stage, and yes, I bought PP2 at same time. EOS is a pretty good regulator. Easy breathing if you adjust the knob properly. However, the size is a little big and a little heavy. It also tends to free flow easily when it is out of your mouth on surface.
I was attracted to EOS because it has a knob to adjust inhalation effort and another one for ventur switch. However, when I was newly certified, these adjustment knobs become a source of confusion and distraction in water. I was constantly trying to adjust it to obtain the "best" inhalation effort. It is not until I have about 30 dives I no longer feel the need to constantly make adjustments. Oceanic is coming out with Omega and Zeta regulators and according to my LDS, they are small and excellent regulators.
I replaced my PP2 with PP3 this year and dove with it at Cozumel. The large display of PP3 is really great for my old eyes in water. Easy to read even for night dive, just a glance is enough to see all important information. If you don't have a pair of sharp eyes as my teenage daughter, I highly recommend it.