Hey SCUBA gear heads - best regulator for under $1,000 = ?

[oldschoolto]

I always laugh at the fact that there are very few companies that really make there own stuff... 4 different washing machine brands... All made in the same factory with the same parts, except the knobs and stickers and they're hundreds of dollars different in retail price.. 90% of the time you're paying for the name...Snap-on tools comes to mind as paying 3x the price for nothing more then a name...

Jim...

 

[george_austin]

Halcyon and Scubapro developed an agreement several years ago where Scuabpro would sell rebranded Halcyon back plates (and wings, but Scubapro made some not so great changes to them) while Halcyon would sell the Mk 17 and Mk 25 first stages and the G250V and R390 second stages with some minor cosmetic changes.

Scubapro designs it's own regulators and holds the patents on them, but farms out the manufacturing of the actual parts to Tabata. That makes sense as Tabata has state of the art manufacturing facilities that would not be economical for Scubapro to acquire and maintain with the just the volume of Scubapro regulators that are produced.

There are in fact just a few companies that actually make scuba regulators. Tibet, Sherwood, Beuchat and Poseidon are three companies that come to mind that actually make their own regulators. Most of the rest of the brands either contract out the manufacture of their own designs, or sell someone else's design under license.

Tabata has made Scubapro regulators for 3 or 4 decades now. They were made by Beuchat in the early years of the company, and the Jet Fin was first made by Beuchat and sold under the Beuchat brand). As part of this arrangement, Tabata has from time to time produced Scubapro designed regulators with some cosmetic changes for marketing as TUSA regulators (TUSA stands for Tabata USA). The Tusa Duo Air is a great example as it was an Air 2 with a TUSA label and some re-stying - the internal parts were identical. The Mk 5 was sold by Tusa for years (and in fact the Mk 5 was sold by a number of companies and was one of the most prevalent first stages on the market in the 1970s and 1989s. More recently TUSA sold a rebadged version of the the Mk 16 R390.

Currently Tusa sells the RS-790 which is a rebadged MK 17, and the RS-700 which is a rebadged S-360. The R-1000 is a rebadged Mk 11, and the S001 is a rebadged R-390. The RS-812S second stage is a rebadged S-600, and the SS-11 is a rebadged C-200.

The arrangement between Halcyon and Scuabpro essentially means that Halcyon has Tabata make Scubapro regulators with some cosmetic alterations to market them as Halcyon regulators.

The H-75P is a Mk 25 (pre EVO) and the H-50D is a pre EVO Mk 17. The Halo second stage is a G-250V and the Aura second Stage is an R-390. The differences are minor cosmetic changes. The internal parts and servicing are identical, and the rest of the parts are fully interchangeable. That's good news also if you want a G250V as you can still get it through Halcyon even though it's been discontinued by Scubapro.

Every once in a while this site has someone that posts OUTSTANDING information.
Thanks!

 

[Joneill]

There are in fact just a few companies that actually make scuba regulators. Tibet, Sherwood, Beuchat and Poseidon are three companies that come to mind that actually make their own regulators. Most of the rest of the brands either contract out the manufacture of their own designs, or sell someone else's design under license.

You forgot a big one - Atomic Aquatics designs, manufactures (via their Atomica R&D subsidiary) and assembles their own regulators.

 

[RayfromTX]

The same factory does not mean the same quality. I build houses. I can build you various levels of durability, efficiency, perfection or fancy. Same builder, same workers and same lumber yard. It doesn't mean its the same product. We start with a design and make the desired compromises to achieve the product. The factory doesn't define the product, the specifier does.

 

[KeithG]

The same factory does not mean the same quality. I build houses. I can build you various levels of durability, efficiency, perfection or fancy. Same builder, same workers and same lumber yard. It doesn't mean its the same product. We start with a design and make the desired compromises to achieve the product. The factory doesn't define the product, the specifier does.

True, but I think the point made above was that the regs were using the same parts. The only changes were in cosmetic labelling.

So the cosmetics could be of different quality. The rest comes from the same inventory stock bin.

 

[Bob DBF]

The factory doesn't define the product, the specifier does.

And it is up to the specifier to insure the product comes out to his satisfaction.


Bob

 

[RayfromTX]

True, but I think the point made above was that the regs were using the same parts. The only changes were in cosmetic labelling.

So the cosmetics could be of different quality. The rest comes from the same inventory stock bin.

To continue my analogy, I can use the same windows and the same plywood etc but that doesn't mean it will be the same finished product. To an outside observer, it may look like the same house with a different paint color but that doesn't mean that it is. @cerich can you share your opinion on this?

 

[KeithG]

To continue my analogy, I can use the same windows and the same plywood etc but that doesn't mean it will be the same finished product. To an outside observer, it may look like the same house with a different paint color but that doesn't mean that it is. @cerich can you share your opinion on this?

Your talking about making 2 different things in the same factory. The reality is they are putting 2 different labels on the same thing.

Just like many Dodge & Plymouth cars in the good old days. The exact same vehicle, just 2 different labels.

 

[RayfromTX]

The reference was to 4 different washing machines with different knobs and labels with pricing that is hundreds of dollars different. I believe that that is an uninformed opinion. It would be difficult to know that from the outside looking in.

It certainly hasn't been my experience with, for instance air conditioning equipment. There are a few major manufacturing plants that crank out machines for different brand names and many of the parts are the same but the machines are not.

Same goes for the bikes I ride. Giant makes the lion's share but they are not the same product even if the tubing is the same and the factory is under the same roof. You are not usually paying more for the same product with a different sticker on it even though it is a humorous claim.

I will let it go at that though. I'd like to know Chris's opinion though since he has a much more inside view of the matter.

 

[BoltSnap]

I was under the very strong impression that SP's regulators and BC's are all made in Italy now.