Looking at Regulators

[Nwcid]

Of course more new guy questions. The GF and I were recently certified and now looking at gear. One of the things I am trying to do is keep the gear that we can very similar so it is easy to maintain.

I have been checking local CL ads for gear.

I found a Scuba Pro MK 25 with S555 reg that was "bought last year and only used a couple of times". They are asking $300 for it which seems like a decent deal compared to what I have seen online. I will also need an octo pushing this up to just over $400. Then I would still need to wait for a deal on another or get something different for our other set up.

I see HOG comes highly recommended too and was looking at this, HOG Single Tank Regulator Package [HOGsingleregpkg] - $449.95 : Cave Adventurers!, We will NOT be undersold!!! which give you all for about $450 and we would have the same set ups.

So far we used Scuba Pro in our OW class and I see they come highly recommended. Not sure what 2nd stage we were using but it looked very similar to the S555. We rented gear this weekend and got Aries A2 regulators and I did not care for them as much.

So any thoughts or suggestions on what to do?

Forgot to add that most of our diving will be in under 60* F water.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

There are many available opinions about which regulator to use. I'll mention a few things you should consider.

1. ScubaPro are highly recommended, and I don't think they could be poor choice. An expensive choice, but a reputable product.

2. ScubaPro typically has a good parts warranty (sounds like your local shop is a dealer.) However, if you buy used they likely will not honor the warranty. If you want scubaPro, then I would buy a new set for this reason. Sets of parts each year can add up to big dollars over the years.

3. HOG are highly recommended by some (I dive them myself). However, you are less likely to find any local shops that do maintenance as the brand is new and growing.

4. HOG are easy to maintain and, if you progress in your diving career, a user level maintenance course is available. This way you can learn to service you own HOGs, if you so choose. If I were to guess ScubaPro would be the least likely company in diving to allow such a course.

5. CL is a dangerous place to look for gear unless you know what you're looking for. If you buy used it should be serviced before you use it, so consider an extra $50-100 added to the price depending on how much parts are. I'd recommend new items for new divers.

6. Before buying online, at least read up a bit about the pros and cons of online gear purchases.

7. No idea if it will happen this year, but HOG has had "Black Friday" specials several times. There may be a discount later in the month.

 

[Nwcid]

Thanks for the info. I am a bit leery of buying used gear at this point since it is all new to me. I buy and make great deals on firearms stuff but I know a lot about that.

LDS is a relative term since it is 3hr round trip. I would like to get into being proficient at maintaining my own gear. I am handy and many other mechanical skills, I can build my own firearms for example.

I am just trying to get as much good information as I can so I dont make bad choices. Not in a hurry to buy since I doubt we will be using it again till spring.

 

[markmantei]

Don't get too scared of buying used gear, although I would agree with the previous poster regarding budgeting for the servicing of the gear. Sometimes you can get a smoking deal on good equipment, but as always buyer beware. Even without specialized training should be able to tell how the gear was likely looked after. Is there any visible rust in the first stage inlet? Do seals o-rings, etc. look cracked. And you know that you are going to have a professional look over any used gear, especially life support equipment, before using it anyway. Just need to be careful, as sometimes people will try to sell 10 year old gear at prices that are at or near retail price for new gear, it was only used once or twice you know

I would be more leary buying gear off ebay where you can't personally inspect it first.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

... I would like to get into being proficient at maintaining my own gear. ...

I'm not sure how proficient one can get doing something once or twice a year, but I hear you.

Just a note about the HOG class. I was told a while back that the "technical diver certification" requirement for the class is not meant to keep people out. More to make sure students are serious. Moreover, an "Intro to Tech" or TDI Nitrox course should suffice, but I would imagine the final call is up to the instructor or TDI.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Actually the final call is up to the instructor. A tech cert held by someone who is not willing to purchase all the recommended tools, read and study the required text, and who demonstrates a too relaxed attitude towards the seriousness of the course and what it actually allows the student to do may find it difficult to enroll in it. I sell and service HOG regs and have dived ScubaPro, Aqualung, Oceanic, Sherwood, etc. IMO the HOGs breath as well as if not better than all of them. In some cases for half the price. Not only in initial cost but in service as the kits are less expensive and rebuilds are every two years versus one.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

... someone who is not willing to purchase all the recommended tools, read and study the required text, and who demonstrates a too relaxed attitude towards the seriousness of the course and what it actually allows the student to do may find it difficult to enroll in it...

I would agree. Moreover, I feel this should apply to any diving course and I suspect you would agree, Jim.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I sell and service HOG regs and have dived ScubaPro, Aqualung, Oceanic, Sherwood, etc. IMO the HOGs breath as well as if not better than all of them. In some cases for half the price. Not only in initial cost but in service as the kits are less expensive and rebuilds are every two years versus one.

To elaborate a little on Jim's comments...
Scubapro requires annual reg overhauls to maintain the free-overhaul-parts-for-life policy.
Aqualung/Apeks requires one reg overhaul every 2 years (with an inspection on in-between years) to maintain the free-overhaul-parts-for-life policy.
Atomic Aquatics requires one reg overhaul every 2 years. Not sure whether Atomic has the "free-overhaul-parts-for-life" policy.
As far as I know, the above free-overhaul-parts-for-life policies require that the reg be purchased from an "authorized" dealer and the policy isn't transferable from the original owner to the person who buys used gear.

Regardless of whether you can access the free-overhaul-parts-for-life policy, you will have to pay for the labor costs of the reg servicing. For a typical recreational reg setup (1 first stage + 2 second stages + SPG), labor costs range from $50-$125. Turnaround time on a typical overhaul can be a half day to several weeks. YMMV.

I purchased my Apeks regs used but in very good condition. I overhaul the Apeks setup as needed -- typically once every 3 - 3.5 years -- and pay for the parts through various unofficial sources. However, I monitor the "health" of my regs quite frequently. In the end, I will pay less to dive/maintain my regs than if I had kept up the manufacturer-recommended service interval. I'll admit that the DIY route is not for everyone (it takes time, effort, motivation), but I prefer it because I'm 100% certain that the reg tech cares how well the reg is serviced.

 

[rhwestfall]

(I Love ScubaPro regs) but......Talk to Jim....