Can a first stage "overpower" a cheaper octo?

I'm looking at upgrading to the Aqualung Lexend lx. When I was at my LDS the sales guy told me I would also need to spend $240 on the legend octo because my Mares Brigade was not good enough and would be overpowered by the legend 1st stage, causing a constant freeflow. Anyone heard of this before or is the lds just trying to take me for an extra 240?

That is total BS - that unfortunately I am sure many other diver's have heard from LDS's trying to maximize their sales. Personally, I feel that if a shop is willing to lie to me about something like this, or have staff who are so ignorant as to believe something like that, then I want to take my business elsewhere.

The second stage cannot tell how big and bad the first stage is and really only cares about the intermediate pressure created by the first stage. On a balanced first stage like the Legend the IP is very stable and will not cause a problem for any octo that is properly adjusted and tuned to the IP of the first stage.

Tuning the octo to the first stage is a good idea no matter how "good" or expensive the octo.

Apeks maintains that their first stages are "overbalanced" meaning by their own definition that the IP increases slightly faster than the ambient pressure as you go deeper. This menas that at dpeth the IP relative to ambient pressure is higher. personally, I have serious doubts about the accuracy fo this claim, and even if true ot creates all kinds of performance and tuning issue and acheives nothing of any value (the slightly greater denisty of air at even 200-300 feet has virtually no impact on flow rate and there is no need to further boost the IP to improve the flow rate unless the performance of the first stage really sucks to start with.)

But even in that case, a non balanced second stage octo could be adjusted and tuned to work reliably at the higher IP at depth in that situation.

PFD305:

I'm looking at upgrading to the Aqualung Lexend lx. When I was at my LDS the sales guy told me I would also need to spend $240 on the legend octo because my Mares Brigade was not good enough and would be overpowered by the legend 1st stage, causing a constant freeflow. Anyone heard of this before or is the lds just trying to take me for an extra 240?

Click to expand...

I agree completely with DA Aquamaster......that is the wildest thing I have ever heard. In all likelyhood, an octopus that isn't suitable for that Legend LX would have probably been ditched long ago.

But here is the real question????????? Do you CONTINUE to go through with the deal at a dealer that would tell you such rubbish?

Additional Note: When you go back to that dealer and tell him what you learned on ScubaBoard, he is going to start telling you all of the reasons why information from the internet about scuba is bad karma. IF he doesn't understand why what he told you is BS, tell him to call (800) 601-DIVE.....ask for Phil. I will explain it to him.

Phil Ellis

You have got to be kidding.....

The only 1st I know of that would over pressure an octo need to be serviced anyway...

oh but wait there were some of the older Posiden 1st that would cause octos to flow due to higher Line Pressure.

Iworked in a store for YEARS sometimes I would pop into store while on vacation and would be SHOCKED by what I would hear people being told... I think sometimes the sales person was just making stuff up (what does the customer know anyway) it was real bad before the internet... yea I've been sellin scuba stuff that long.

Beat me to it Scott, first thing I thought of when I read this was BS, EXCEPT maybe the posidens.

PhilEllis:

Additional Note: When you go back to that dealer and tell him what you learned on ScubaBoard, he is going to start telling you all of the reasons why information from the internet about scuba is bad karma. IF he doesn't understand why what he told you is BS, tell him to call (800) 601-DIVE.....ask for Phil. I will explain it to him.

Phil Ellis

Click to expand...

Can we have a copy of that phonecall

Did he tell you this with a straight face. I would go back and ask him to explain what he meant just to screw with him. I would ask him if one 1st stage produces great output pressure. This would be the only way to cause trouble. If he says yes he's full of crap.

Find a new shop that gives you correct info. No reason to shop someplace that feeds you such BS. Why go into a LDS if you can't trust what they tell you.

This is a good candidate for the "LDSs say the darndest things" thread a while back.

What's he setting the IP to, anyway? If he goes back and sets the IP to what it was before he messed with it, it should work fine.

(Actually, ask him if the Supreme version would work. The IP on that one is actually set lower, so see if he says it would "underpower" the octo. :biggrin

I look at this in one of two ways...First, the guy doesn't know a first stage from a second, so I would stay away from his shop. Secondly, the guy is a bold faced liar, which also means I would stay away from his shop.

A wise individual once said, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Greg Barlow:11: