Mismatched 1st/2nd stages?

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Flot

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Ft Lauderdale
I seem to get conflicting opinions on this one...

Is it reasonable to keep my regulators, and upgrade only my 1st stage now?

While I see 1st stages for sale on their own occasionally, it seems that I rarely see bare primary regs offered?
 
Regulators are matched according to their intermediate pressure. The first stage sends the intermediate pressure to the second stage, which it's breathing performance must be matched to that pressure. So although some can be interchanged, you have to have the right tools to double check it and make sure they're compatible.

So, in general, we recommend you buy your first and second stages in a matched set, or have your LDS's technician service your old second stage and balance it to the new first stage, which will probably void most manufacturer's warranties.


Britt :fish:
:fish:
 
CrazyScuba:
So, in general, we recommend you buy your first and second stages in a matched set, or have your LDS's technician service your old second stage and balance it to the new first stage, which will probably void most manufacturer's warranties.

:fish:

It's hard for me to see how tuning the second stage could void the warranties. Since tuning the second stage is a typical part of annual service would you claim that performing recommend service would void your warranty? Besides the IP for many regulators is essentially the same and if the second stage is balanced the user can tune the regulator on the fly.
 
It's simple liability. The manufacturer does not want to be responsible for another manufacturers second stage attached to their first stage. So it's not as much about performance as it is about liability.

Britt :fish:
:fish:
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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