Left Handed HOG 2nd stage

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JahJahwarrior

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ScubaBoard Supporter
Messages
3,877
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Location
West Palm Beach, Fl
# of dives
500 - 999
I think it was at least a year and a half ago I was begging Chris to please flip the design of the HOG 2nd stage so it could occupy both sides of my sidemount rig, and when I walked into his booth this year at DEMA, I couldn't ignore the beautiful new HOG 2nd stage!

I know there are a million and one ways to rig your regs for sidemount, but several of them call for a left handed 2nd stage. There aren't that many out there, especially once you knock out the Posiedon, which is a great regulator but can be more difficult to find a good service compared to the more "common" designs. There's an Apeks reg or two, if you got a raise this year, and a few unbalanced designs, including one sold by Scubapro, Tusa, and Halcyon, which require a few minutes work to flip them around.

But I like HOG. The regulator designs are simple, but well built. Easy to work on with the proper training, and very robust. Sure, I repair my gear properly and all, but I can be rough on it. When you do a dive that rips a Nomad wing, there is potential for other gear failure, and the HOG stuff has stood up as well, if not better than, the Scubapro, Oceanic and Dive Rite stuff. In other words, a lot of people view HOG as a "value line" and don't realize that the lower price is not due to cheaper components or bad design.

The customer service is great as well. I sent Scubapro an email months ago about something and still no reply. Chris has answered several emails or PM's within a day, sometimes within hours, and always offered a reasonably priced repair or then some! And when I've asked a dive shop to contact him, he's replied to them quickly as well.

The new HOG 2nd stage appears to be reversible to either side with only a minute or two of work, for those of you who want the ultimate in cost savings or versatility: only have one set of regs and need it for sidemount, backmount, or stage bottles? Flip one HOG 2nd to left handed for SM, then back to right handed for other stuff. Or, are you out at a dive site for a double stage dive when a second stage fails? This 2nd stage can work on any of your rigs, so just eliminate one stage from your dive plan and keep going. The Scubapro I've currently flipped left handed for SM use? I need more time and tools to flip it, not to mention the fact that it is not adjustable, or balanced, and doesn't breathe nearly as well as this HOG. Then there is the fact that I can't really buy parts for the Scubapro, and can't get certified to repair it myself without shop sponsorship.

The plastic of the body looks and feels more durable than the current plastic, which is already pretty strong. All in all, the left handed HOG was one of the best things to come out at DEMA, and it is definitely on my wishlist for Christmas! I think it will be a little while until stores have these in stock, but it's something a SM'er who is currently running their regs like BM, wrapped around the back of the head, should take a hard look at!
 
It wont be long before we have them to ship. And it was great meeting you yesterday. nice to be able to put faces to names. The new second is really cool and indeed can be switched in no time at all.
Sent frm my D ROID X2 using Tapatalk
 
already have mine on pre-order. Switching is done a la Apeks XTX for anyone who is familiar with those. I was excited about it. Even on the few times I have to dive backmount doubles I run both of my second stages up under my shoulders on either side. Keeps it the same as sidemount and means I don't have to change any of my gear except the HP hoses which is nice.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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