New tech diver - deco regulators questions

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Barmaglot

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Location
Israel
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I got tech certified last week, and now I'm building my first tech kit. Doing sidemount only - hated BM doubles during the course. The configuration that I was diving during training consisted of an 11L tank with a reg on short hose on my left (right-hand reg, hose going behind my neck, necklaced), 11L tank with a reg on long hose on my right (right-hand reg, hose looping through retainer bands and coming up straight, clipped off to shoulder D-ring when not in use) and either an 11L or a 5.5L deco tank clipped underneath my left-side primary tank with a right-hand regulator and the hose going behind my neck when I deployed it. We did not practice using two deco tanks, but my instructor mentioned that if I were to carry one, it should go on the right side, with a left-hand regulator and the hose running behind my neck, in a mirror image of my left deco tank.
I'm currently in USA (New York) and therefore have an opportunity to purchase stuff for considerably less than it would cost back home in Israel. Got a sidemount BCD (Dive Rite Nomad LS), four tank rigging kits (Dive Rite travel stage/sidemount strap) tech computer (Perdix AI), set of primary regulators (Scubapro MK20/G250/S550 plus hoses) and a deco reg set (Dive Rite RG5400 kit). However, I'm coming up blank in my search for left-handed deco reg kits. How important is it to have behind-the-neck routing for a deco stage regulator on a tank? Can I get another one of those RG5400 kits and just run the hose straight, similar to how I run the long hose on my right side? Or is the XT2 second stage in that kit reversible so that I can swap its hose to the left side myself? I have also noticed the following statement on Dive Rite's site: 'Note: The Oxygen Deco Regulator is not intended for use deeper than 50 ft (15m) on appropriate gas mix.' - does this make it unsuitable for using EAN50 at 21M/70'?
 
Or is the XT2 second stage in that kit reversible so that I can swap its hose to the left side myself?

I contacted Dive Rite and they're saying that the RG5400 kit can be reversed to a left-handed config, but it requires a different venturi lever. There is no separate SKU, but it can be ordered in this config through a dealer. Checking with Leisure Pro in New York to see if they can do it.
 
For an O2 regulator I would use a scuba pro MK2 first stage and a 109 2nd stage. This removes as much plastic as possible from the air path and is super reliable and reasonably priced. It is possible to find a left hand 109, but they’re rare and can be expensive. Keep in mind the 109 is a vintage reg so you would be buying used. There’s a SB member couv who rebuilds and sells these regs. For new, you could try the G260 because they are reversible if you need left hand.
 
Thing is, I'm in US for at most two more weeks, possibly just one week if I wrap the work project faster than expected. Looking for rare vintage stuff is not really an option. Scubapro G260... ouch that is expensive, $439 for just the second stage - the RG5400 costs $235 for the whole kit. Leisure Pro can get me a left-handed version, but it will take them 10-15 business days to get one in, and I will be back home in Israel by then. Maybe I should just give up on a left-handed version and run the hose straight... is this really a big deal as far as safety goes?
 
So far my April 4th flight home hasn't been cancelled... I'll have to self-isolate for 14 days once I get there, but that's no big deal, I'll just work from home.
With the US just issuing a level 4 travel warning telling all people abroad to either get home or be prepared to stay abroad indefinitely, I think we are going to see the borders close in a few days.

Global Level 4 Health Advisory – Do Not Travel
 
The need for a left handed deco reg on the other bottle is total faff. Get another identical RG5400 and be done with it.
 
With the US just issuing a level 4 travel warning telling all people abroad to either get home or be prepared to stay abroad indefinitely, I think we are going to see the borders close in a few days.

Global Level 4 Health Advisory – Do Not Travel

Ouch, that does look nasty. Well, if I do get stuck here for an indefinite period, I will know that I can safely order a left-handed RG5400 :)
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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