Recommendations for DIR Regulators

[Olariuas]

Hello.

Interested into DIR setup (and GUE training) I highly consider Technical / Cave / Wreck diving in various tempered/cold waters (will also do yearly Liveaboard) and will finally switch to Doubles, Sidemount, and Solo diving. For now I am Advanced diver / in Single tank configuration. I still have quite a few dives to do before to attend GUE Fundies but I would like to be used to using my gear.

Also looking for easy repair / worldwide parts availability / cold water compatible / free-freezing-flowing protection/ Polyvalent and Performance who will follow me for several years, anytime, anywhere, anydeep.

I don't have particuliar brands in mind except Scubapro and Apeks where I was told a really good services worldwide / quality -- I am kinda open-minded to your suggestions.... Kinda interested into new regulators even if I believe not recent still do the job.

I will edit this first thread once I get answers to fillup those categories. What I was looking for.
Thanks.

• Single then Doubles configuration: Apeks DST / XTX50
• Sidemount configuration: Apeks DST / XTX50
• Deco/Stage configuration: O2 Deco Regulator | Dive Rite / Tecline R2 TEC O2

 

[divad]

Just don't get these.

[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)]
1890 × 1417 - sunderlandscubacentre.comhttps://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...KHbAhVL9IMKHTcIC1YQMwhYKAUwBQ&iact=mrc&uact=8[/COLOR]




Someone may fill them with salt and pepper.

 

[Olariuas]

Just don't get these.

[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)]
1890 × 1417 - sunderlandscubacentre.com[/COLOR]




Someone may fill them with salt and pepper.

What is wrong with them ? Could you explain please.

 

[divad]

They're gaudy.

 

[JohnnyC]

Sidemount and Solo aren't part of the GUE curriculum. If those are your intentions, you'll have to go outside of GUE to get that sort of training. Doesn't mean you can't take Fundies and higher, just that they are contradictory to the primary teachings of GUE.

That's not to say GUE divers will never dive sidemount, just that GUE currently doesn't have a curriculum, and their answer is that it's a specific tool for a specific set of circumstances, and if you need it, you'll know which instructors you should be going to in order to get trained.

Solo however, is NOT a GUE thing, and I doubt it will ever be a GUE thing. Their core principles involve team members all taking care of each other, and significantly rely on the team to accomplish their goals for exploration.

As for regs, I like DST's with the 5th port. They route really well, they can very easily be used as deco (or sidemount) regulators, they're really widespread, and they perform well. I don't dive SP's, but any swivel turret with a 5th port will work well for your stated goals.

Also agree avoid the MTX-R. They're just gimmicky, and super expensive for what they are. (At least they used to be. I wrote them off a while ago)

 

[halocline]

If you want to be ultra DIR-compliant you better find something with a big H on it.
Regulator Systems - Halcyon Dive Systems

They're basically MK25 or MK17/G250V. Personally, I would just get any high quality regulator, it doesn't really matter what brand it is. For the DIR/GUE classes, the set up, i.e, hose routing, etc is what matters. There used to be some discussion of 2nd stages that can be taken apart and cleaned in the water.

I use old SP regs in my cave set up, MK10s and D300/109 2nd stages. I haven't heard any complaints so far.

 

[Olariuas]

Sidemount and Solo aren't part of the GUE curriculum. If those are your intentions, you'll have to go outside of GUE to get that sort of training. Doesn't mean you can't take Fundies and higher, just that they are contradictory to the primary teachings of GUE.

That's not to say GUE divers will never dive sidemount, just that GUE currently doesn't have a curriculum, and their answer is that it's a specific tool for a specific set of circumstances, and if you need it, you'll know which instructors you should be going to in order to get trained.

Indeed I read that GUE strictly do not allow Solo diving but when I scrolled down all GUE instructors' courses I am quite sure I saw Sidemount course taught by few instructors only. Otherwise I would check SDI/TDI and IANTD agency BUT everyone saying focus and look into an instructor instead of an agency etc..

I'm thinking that way... Solo diving courses' skills/techniques/gas management/etc are interesting and complementary as an additionnal knowledges / training... This doesn't mean that I will prefer Solo diving over with team-mates. But at least I will be properly trained to go Solo when I feel ok to goahead or if there are no team-mates etc.

Now if I am wrong about this- could you please enlighten me ?
_________

This is what I wanted to avoid- I'm not into buying a specific brand (such as Samsung or Apple) just because I'm a big fan or fashion for something.
So except if there are specific reasons / features / higher quality than Apeks or Scubapro I will just choose others.

Scubapro G260 can be taken apart and cleaned in the water if I am not wrong - reading somewhere don't recall where.

 

[JohnnyC]

GUE does not have a sidemount program. Many GUE instructors hold teaching credentials from several agencies, some may teach sidemount. You will not get a GUE card with sidemount on it. Maybe in the future, but not right now.

As for solo diving, the skills you learn to dive solo are the same you would learn in any normal technical diving course. You'll learn proper gas planning and management, failure mitigation, etc. Recreational solo courses are not as rigorous as even a basic technical course. By taking Fundies and going into Tech1, you would learn all of those skills anyway, at a higher standard of training.

As for "cleaning underwater," they're talking about spinning the cover off and cleaning out whatever shmoo is in there. It's not like you're disassembling the reg and swapping out o-rings and seats. You can do that with virtually any second stage. Nothing special about the SP's. Shut down the post, spin the cover off, clean out the gunk, put it back together, turn the post on, purge, drive on. You're going to want to check them on the service bench after you take them apart underwater. This is true with any reg you disassemble in-situ.

 

[tbone1004]

@Olariuas you may have seen sidemount, but you'll have to get through Cave 2 to take it IIRC and that'll take a while, plus I don't know if it's an official course or not. You aren't learning sidemount early with them.

Take fundies sooner rather than later, practice makes permanent, so any practice you do before fundies that isn't compatible is just going to be a bad habit that they have to break.

As far as regs, anything with proper hose routing should work. Some won't allow Poseidon Xstream/Jetstreams, so avoid those, and 5 port turrets are better. Read through this forum on regulators. All the recommendations are applicable

 

[Olariuas]

Thanks much.

I will read more around that forum section. But Im not that experienced into regulators so I will need advices.

Which brands are technical and dir compliant and perform really really well?

Scubapro, Apeks what else?