Hi L Smallman,
Here's what the Jan/Feb '00 iss of "Rodale's" had to say about it:
"Beuchat VXT-8
Strengths
Low work of breathing
Minimal loss of performance with increasing depth
Excellent adjustment switch
Ease of clearing
Dry breathing
From an ergonomic point of view, the VXT-8 was outstanding. In addition to the strengths listed here, lack of bubble interference and performance in different positions were also above average. In fact, the VXT-8 had the best ocean test score of any regulator in this group, making it a clear Tester's Choice.
Our breathing simulator tests show the VXT-8 performs almost 10 percent better than Beuchat claims in its catalog, and well within the U.S. Navy criteria. In shallow water, it uses a good deal of positive pressure breathing to help get these results, thus causing a slight tendency to leak.
One oddity is that the features listed in the owner's manual do not exactly match the VXT-8 as tested. This may be due to translation difficulties (French to English) or to the fact that manual revisions have not caught up with the engineering changes."
Happy shopping.
DocVikingo