New Old Regulators for new diver.

[Timmyjane]

My wife and I are new to diving. We would like to get our own equipment. Being brand new to the sport I don’t have the experience to know what older equipment is the best.

We can upgrade down the road but would like to have some equipment to get started with. What are some older regulators, all stages, that I should be watching for to pickup when they are available?

I have read some on the g250. Are there competitors that are regarded as highly?

How about 1st stages?

Thanks.

 

[GJC]

Buying used gear from private individuals is risky. You could be stuck with a reg that was damaged from neglect or a bad servicing in the past and is no longer fixable. This can happen to the best, most expensive regulators. You definitely would want to get any privately purchased regulator serviced before using it, so consider that additional cost as well ($100+).

I suggest you consider 2 other options:

Check with your local dive shops to see if they might have a supply of rental regs they might be interested in selling to you. Some shops do a swap meet once a year (usually in the fall at the end of the dive season) where they sell off some of their rental stuff. The shop should be selling gear ready to dive without needing to be serviced.

Buy new low end regulators. Even the cheapest new regulators are adequate for recreational diving, and after a year, you will probably know which regulators you want to buy that will satisfy you for the future. Compare prices for low end regulators at your local shops and online retailers like Divers Supply, Piranha, Dive Gear Express and Scuba.com. Then, after a year, sell your cheap regulators before you need to spend the money to get them serviced or keep them on hand as backups.

 

[Lorenzoid]

It is risky to buy used regs from private individuals, as @GJC said, but on the other hand, there is a lot of lightly used gear out there. It's not uncommon for someone to dive into the sport, buy all the gear, and then give up diving soon thereafter. Even if you are lucky and find a great deal on lightly used regs, the first thing you will need to do is take them to a shop to have them serviced/tuned-up. That can cost something like $100 per set of regs.

 

[lexvil]

How much do you feel you want to spend, there are a lot of options.

 

[jadairiii]

Older Apeks regulators are a pretty good option, the same parts that are in 20 year old Apeks TX50/DST are the same as the new regulators by Apeks.

You can pickup TX50/DST or DS4 at a pretty good price and they are rock solid, You can also get the ATX second stages too, a bit newer model

 

[NDonahue]

I want to offer an alternative view to the people who are advising against buying used gear. One thing you’ll soon discover is that there are always a range of opinions on every diving topic.

There is a lot of used gear sold here and I have yet to hear of someone being stuck with gear that was misrepresented.

Alternatively, FB Marketplace (local) with an agreement to have it serviced before payment, or perhaps just inspected (for a fee), can help you avoid scammers. Agree to meet at your LDS.

Lastly, cost conscious buyers can buy brand new gear shipped from Europe for ~50-60% of US prices. I’ve purchased half a dozen reg sets, multiple BCDs, and a dry suit, and I’ve never had a challenge with excessive US duties or import fees.

You might hear that so-called “gray market” (European import) buyers can’t access the free parts programs of some manufacturers, but that’s almost immaterial these days; manufacturers now tend to now require that you buy a full kit to access the program, and Mfc’s are making it increasingly easy to accidentally lose the benefit. in any case, those programs are more designed to create a continuing revenue stream for dealers than they are designed to save you money.

welcome to diving, it’s addictive.

 

[Bigbella]

I agree with much of what you say -- but that also comes from a voice of experience.

Off-brands, for example, can be a hard sell, when it comes to repair; and many local shops now carry longer and longer lists of even big-name regulators that they will no longer service; but expecting a seller, clearing out his garage, to fork over -- what? -- US 150.00, plus, for servicing, nowadays, before a potential sale, strikes me as a fantasy, worthy of Tolkien -- and I have yet to see that.

The lion’s share of listings have always been “as is” with admonitions to have everything serviced before use, to avoid obvious liability; and the most-often repeated phrase in regulator repair manuals is "make sure that the sealing surfaces are not damaged."

Care to venture a guess as to why?

Buying from Europe is a good alternative and, true, prices can occasionally be fantastic, almost too good, provided that you have at least some working knowledge of the equipment involved and risks; cons do exist and some credit cards -- check yours -- may even balk at guaranteeing some of those "iffy" foreign purchases, even from so-called dealers); and I've bought plenty from overseas, though would not recommend that for a beginner, seeking gear for the first time.

I would still stress that the purchases should be made new (since the cost of servicing scuba gear is on the rise along with everything else and can easily double some "bargain basement" used price); only recognized brands should even be considered -- those that have full representation in the US and abroad; those that can readily be serviced . . .

 

[CD24]

Bigbella makes a good point on buying off-brand and your LDS likely unwilling to service the regs in the future. However, if you're open to shipping the regs for service, I've had great luck with Deep6 Signature series regulators (currently own six). DGX and Divers Supply also have some decent options. Personally, I'd steer away from purchasing them from Piranha as I haven't found they stand behind their products if there is an issue.

I agree with others that you should purchase new if you can unless you know the history of the used regs and they've been recently serviced.

 

[davehicks]

My wife and I are new to diving. We would like to get our own equipment. Being brand new to the sport I don’t have the experience to know what older equipment is the best.

We can upgrade down the road but would like to have some equipment to get started with. What are some older regulators, all stages, that I should be watching for to pickup when they are available?

I have read some on the g250. Are there competitors that are regarded as highly?

How about 1st stages?

Thanks.

Please read this article for starters. It's a good overview of your options, pros, cons, etc.

Info - How to Choose a Regulator

How to Choose a Regulator (an overview of features and their value) One of the first pieces of equipment that every diver will acquire is a set of Regulators. This is one of the most critical pieces of your gear as it enables you to breathe underwater and are considered to be life safety...

scubaboard.com

The deal with buying used is that as a New Diver, you don't know what you don't know. If you have a very experienced friend, they may be able to help. Some users here on the board might be able to point you to a good deal. The suggestion of buying a Rental Reg from a local shop is very good.

 

[lowwall]

Another option for serviced used gear is Used Gear - Used Regulators - Northeast Scuba Supply Store . Give them a call and see what they recommend. You want to talk to John if possible.

I would suggest a wrist mounted dive computer, so you'll also need an octo, spg and LPI hose to complete your reg set. He can figure out the whole package.

If you want new, it's tough to beat the $450 DGX Gears D6 package (either single tank or streamlined). Again these come with SPG and LPI hose. DGX Gears D6 Regulator