Maybe they are more popular in Europe than in the US? These threads from YD might help you:
Views on Poseidon XStream Deep MK3
Poseidon Xstream regs
Need help - new regs
Tech help down to 3
- Thread starter Twilodiver
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Maybe they are more popular in Europe than in the US? These threads from YD might help you:
Views on Poseidon XStream Deep MK3
Poseidon Xstream regs
Need help - new regs
ucfdiver
Contributor
Don't they fail CLOSED? I thought that was the main downside to them...No? Then that's a real improvement. Howabout the higher IP and the upstream valve design that requires an OPV on the 1st stage? Those are big issues to me, but might have been resolved (any Poseidon guys out there know for sure?). Can you take the 2nd stage cover off? I heard that sometimes they breath wet in higher flow or on the scooter (but I don't know for sure). Things to think about.
I haven't been in the water here yet, but my gear should be arriving within a month's time. I've made some friends down in HongKong and I hope to dive with them soonBe careful, traveling to China can be addictive, this is my 4th time here in 4 years!
OP
Twilodiver
Registered
I have a buddy diving a pair of Extremes, he loves them. Although on our dive he did complain about some breathing wet at about 40'. We weren't going real deep, just doing some skills practice. I checked out Hog when I was putting my doubles together, after researching(though I do take Internet opinions with a grain of salt). Most telling to me was that my favorite tec instructor working for a store that sold Hog, chose to dive Apeks, swung my opinion, and I ordered a tek 3 kit. I liked these regulators so much that I ordered the Apeks sidemount kit for my sidemount rig.
Of the regulators that you've selected, I'd pick the Poseidon. The Xstream Deep Mk3 uses a poppet with a pilot valve mechanism to control the gas flow and is less susceptible to free flow due to ice buildup in cold water. It was tested by the Navy Experimental Diving Unit where it led the pack of the units tested (only it and one other reg were recommended for use in water temp as low as 29 degrees F). The Poseidon is also designed with an upstream servo-valve. In the event of a first stage failure (however unlikely) the excess intermediate pressure will be bleed off and provide breathable air (without free flow to the second stage). Although I used Poseidon for years, I still prefer to depend upon Apeks.
Aqualung are diaphragm regulators. The Legend LX for the longest time had the easiest work of breathing to 300', you are right definitely not worth the money.
I'm curious how you came to settle on these 3 regs?
I gotta admit that I did consider them too initially however, cus my buddy who services my regs works for a company that supplies dive equipment to the Singapore military was able to get me a great deal on several aqualung legend lx regs.
The irony is that I consider the legends lx to be some of the best regs I have ever used. They breath easier, are more robust then all of these regs that I had owned too.
1. Apeks DS4/ATX50
2. Apeks FST/XTX100
3. Apeks FSR/XTX200
4. Scubapro Mk25/S600
I would however, say that all of the regs you have mentioned are suitable for tech diving as they are all very high performance regs and can easily supply gas comfortably at depths.
Please allow me to yak a bit lol.
1. Poseidon XStream Deep MK3. All the Poseidons that I know of are notorious for being expensive to buy, expensive to maintain and difficult to adjust properly. Those less then skilled technicians will send you back a regulator that will breath like a nightmare.
The other issues I know of are the weird delay breath, the tonsil blasting down your throat purge and you might need more expensive hoses for the 7' tech primary hose as it uses higher pressures for their regs, I think the XStream Deep MK3 isn't high pressure like the cyclons but I'm not sure.
2. Atomics are also great regs, the former reg designers of scubapro banded together to form Atomics. Again another rather expensive regulator and difficult or in this case, messy to serivce as these piston regs are packed with christolube and need to be thoroughly cleaned before being serviced.
3. Mk25/a700, is another excellent reg. In fact the MK25/G250 was recommend and used by the DIR crowd. Nothing wrong with the Mk25/a700 except you need special tools to remove the face of the the A700 in case debris get in it. The Mk25 is also a non sealed piston reg which isn't suitable in silty enviroments.
Since, you are in Florida you could contact caveadventurers and speak to Edd Sorenson 850-482-6016 or Frank. Edd is a very experienced tech/cave diver who has used tons of gear before, he'll be able to give you great advice on the most regs and dive gear.
http://caveadventurers.com/store/
If however, you are set on the 3 you mentioned I would settle on the Scubapro but, with some alterations.
Cold or silty tech dives, I'll get the MK17/G250V combo.
Warm water tech dives Mk25/G250V
Cheers
I would go with the Mk25/A700. Between the guys I usually dive with and myself there are at least 8 A700 2nd stages connected to MK25 and MK17 1st stage regulators, and NEVER has anyone said anything about wanting to or needing to remove the face plate. The slots in the face plate are quite small, and IMO it'd be hard to get anything in there, probably not impossible, but not likely.
PfcAJ
Contributor
Being able to remove the faceplate is a real thing. Debris (sticks, rocks, shells, whatever) can get lodged inside the reg and render it pretty much useless.
I've been on a few dives where this feature has come in handy (saving the dive), and at least 1 dive where a reg on an o2 bottle was fouled by a stick inside the reg. The cover was on too tight, and we couldn't remove it to get the stupid stick out. Ended up swapping the 2nd stage with one from a deeper deco bottle. Not enjoyable.
I've been on a few dives where this feature has come in handy (saving the dive), and at least 1 dive where a reg on an o2 bottle was fouled by a stick inside the reg. The cover was on too tight, and we couldn't remove it to get the stupid stick out. Ended up swapping the 2nd stage with one from a deeper deco bottle. Not enjoyable.
I've heard (read) this a lot from people online (never in person), but I don't live anywhere near cave country and am not a cave diver. Seems like most of the people that have this experience are in caves, or at least that's my perception. I can see where it could be a lot more likely to get stuff in your 2nd stages while cave diving.
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