Mares Abyss ?? Cold Water Reg?

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Aardal

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Is the Mares Abyss a cold water regulator? I hear good things about it and that its a good breather. I'm looking for a good cold water regulator thats not gonna freeze up on me. Here are the ones that I am looking at now. Apeks tx50 and Sherwood Blizzard. Is there any other recomendations?

Aaron
 
Yes, it is...and I hear it is pretty good. My preference is the US Divers Arctic. I have been in 34 degree water with an air temp below zero and haven't had any difficulty with it. You do need to be loyal to having it serviced. It needs to be serviced at least once a year or every 50 dives. ages
 
Mares vs Apeks

This is working on UK prices.

In the UK the mares regs are upto twice the price of the Apeks 's. In terms of performance they are roughly equal. If anything the Apeks TX 100 is better than the top of the range Mares, despite the Mares costing the equivalent of $1200 compared with $450 or so for the Apeks.

I don't quite know where the Abyss fits into their product line, but I think it is aproximately equivalent to the Apeks TX40, although poorer in performance. There is an interesting review advertised for the next issue if 'Diver' magasine where they are comparing the $1200 Mares top of the range, with the top of the range Poseidon (techies favourite) costing less than $350. I think (at UK prices) Mares are significantly overpriced.

From the general opinion of people here, you can't go wrong with an Apeks reg. certainly with Apeks you get excellent performance, for a price below some of their main competitors.

I have used Sherwood Blizards in the past, but I (purely personal reasons) don't like them. I have no objective test results, just a feeling from having tried one. Also, their 'dry bleed' system, although it works quite well, has always apeared as a 'bodge' rather than a genuine solution to sealing.

Appologies if my FRF to £ to $ conversions have screwed up, or prices etc.. are different in the US,

Jon T
 
Aardal.

I looked at the abyss as a replacement for my older mares reg. I was told that although it isn't their fully loaded, expensive, flagship reg (ruby at the time....Ti-planet now???), it is one of their high performance regs. (sounds like I'm talking about a car) One gear review I was looking at rated the abyss above the ruby in preformance at depth.

Bottom line...will the dive shop let you try out the 3 different regs in the "real world", in the conditions you are concerned about? I know before I picked up my Poseidon, one the people at the dive shop offered his to me to take it out and put it through the conditions I was concerned about it preforming in. That was an important test.
 
I have 2 Mares Abyss regulators and in my opinion are great regulators. I believe there is a cold water kit that covers the top of the first stage. I dont have much need for that conversion since I live in Florida and our definition of cold water diving is anything below 80 degrees ;-)

 
I don't dive "that" cold. Let's say "cool" water about 50,52 degree. My abyss works great. I even feel breathing air is warmer the other regulator. I don't have the Cold Water Diving kit, but you may need one if you dive below 50 degree.
 
I bought the Abyss last year (my wife has one too) and we've never had any problems.

Breathes well at 35 metres and had no problems last we in the chilly waters of the UK. My Mares Axis octo however, spent all weekend leaking air and will now be retired Blade Runner style...

Washy.
 
I bought a Mares MR22 Abyss for $300 from an authorized dealer. The reason the price was so low is that it's a 2000 model that's been sitting around until recently. Do I need to get it serviced, or should I just open it and make sure that the rubber components haven't been corroded, as a friend suggested?
 
So it's about 3 to 3.5 years old. I would at least have it inspected. If you bought it from an authorized dealer they should have done that.
:snorkel:ScubaRon
 

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