Very happy with my new reg... should I be???

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sonofzell

Registered
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Location
Philadelphia, PA
# of dives
25 - 49
I suppose this is really just new diver curiosity, as I'm still feeling out the reasonable thresholds of being "thrifty" when it comes to life-supporting gear...

My daughter & I certified together a few years ago, and since then we've been slowly assembling our own gear collections. With my latest purchase, we've got everything except tanks (and wetsuits, depending on conditions). The majority of our gear, both new and pre-owned, has been purchased through our LDS.

A few weeks back, I stumbled upon a "too good to be true" price on a basic reg package on Amazon. Despite the obvious reservations about such an important component being so cheap, I just couldn't pass up taking a crack at a full, new setup for under $150!

We're booked on a charter out of Nags Head in a few weeks, and I sure as hell was not up for a "test run" in the mid-Atlantic, so we spent the last two weekends at our local quarry to make sure everything is operable. To my relief, this bare-bones reg lived up to its claims. It arrived well-packaged, all threads & rings were pristine, and assembly was effortless. The primary second stage does offer the occasional "fart" on exhalation when out of the water, but beneath the surface, I have to say - it's smooth and comfortable!

While I'm still lacking in diving experience, I can parallel the gear equation with ice hockey - a sport that I've been playing since around 1980. As a lifelong rink rat, I spent a good chunk of my 20's working in pro shops, guiding buyers on selecting the proper equipment for their needs. I presume there are a lot of caveats that can be applied to either... "necessary features" vs. "bells & whistles", selecting appropriate items vs. the most popular name brands, which items you can afford to "skimp" on vs. vital ones that warrant paying premium prices for, etc....

So, now that I've broken my own rule of thumb and paid the lowest price for arguably my most important piece of equipment, I welcome advice from those with experience as to what I should be doing (if anything) to make sure this "cheap" gear is up to task? It now has 4 dives on it with no trouble whatsoever, and I honestly don't see any windows for any other test runs before our OBX dive in June.

I guess I just recall too many times in which I couldn't convince people to shell out a couple extra bucks for proper skates and watched them walk out thinking "if they only knew what I know". Now that I'm on the opposite end of the experience spectrum, I'm curious about the collective thoughts on this - especially since the risk factors are so much more than a sprained ankle!!!

As always, thanks in advance for any guidance!!!!

Kirk

IMG_3407.JPG IMG_3412.JPG IMG_3408.JPG UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_341.jpg
 
basic regulators are very simple piece of gear and a handy person could probably assemble one from scrap metal in garage using just basic metal machining tools.
that said, the quality control and quality of the materials and the actual design may still vary a lot. And there will still be significant differences in how reliably it will behave in different environments and how durable it is and how easy/difficult it is to get it serviced and how much it would cost.

never seen that reg in use before so can't comment anything on the quality or reliability but most likely it works well at least to a point. Personally I don't like to have any piece of gear which I'm not absolutely sure is the best I can possibly afford and the most reliable I have possibility to get but I do mostly cold water dives where the differences are more prominent
 
You spent more time investigating wetsuits than regulators. Any reason why?
 
all regs provide enough air
thermal comfort is more important
without a mask you may as well do croquet

and if you pay more for the same stuff then you've been blinged


I've been blinged, for a hundred bucks

full.jpg


but these regs are on a par with the best out there
 
Can't tell if the reg is sealed? 2nd stages balanced? or quality of parts/fit, so I can't really accurately comment on it. Does it have CE certification for cold water diving (if that is a concern for you)?
 
You spent more time investigating wetsuits than regulators. Any reason why?
Very astute observation lol :D

1. I wasn't actively in the process of "shopping" regulators when I happened upon this kit. I guess you can call it an impulse buy. I should also note that I purchased it in mid-April (prior to my wetsuit inquiry).

2. Considering what I was *expecting* a shiny new reg to cost, it didn't quite fit into the current budget as nicely as neoprene.

3. The real question with wetsuit selection (for me) was not really regarding the quality or model, but rather which type would be best for the various climates we dive. If I thought there was one single suit that would meet our needs, it would've been an easy search, but since we (more specifically, my daughter) will likely end up with multiple variations, I wanted to make sure to get something that would be logical in the long run.
 
I suppose this is really just new diver curiosity, as I'm still feeling out the reasonable thresholds of being "thrifty" when it comes to life-supporting gear...

My daughter & I certified together a few years ago, and since then we've been slowly assembling our own gear collections. With my latest purchase, we've got everything except tanks (and wetsuits, depending on conditions). The majority of our gear, both new and pre-owned, has been purchased through our LDS.

A few weeks back, I stumbled upon a "too good to be true" price on a basic reg package on Amazon. Despite the obvious reservations about such an important component being so cheap, I just couldn't pass up taking a crack at a full, new setup for under $150!

We're booked on a charter out of Nags Head in a few weeks, and I sure as hell was not up for a "test run" in the mid-Atlantic, so we spent the last two weekends at our local quarry to make sure everything is operable. To my relief, this bare-bones reg lived up to its claims. It arrived well-packaged, all threads & rings were pristine, and assembly was effortless. The primary second stage does offer the occasional "fart" on exhalation when out of the water, but beneath the surface, I have to say - it's smooth and comfortable!

While I'm still lacking in diving experience, I can parallel the gear equation with ice hockey - a sport that I've been playing since around 1980. As a lifelong rink rat, I spent a good chunk of my 20's working in pro shops, guiding buyers on selecting the proper equipment for their needs. I presume there are a lot of caveats that can be applied to either... "necessary features" vs. "bells & whistles", selecting appropriate items vs. the most popular name brands, which items you can afford to "skimp" on vs. vital ones that warrant paying premium prices for, etc....

So, now that I've broken my own rule of thumb and paid the lowest price for arguably my most important piece of equipment, I welcome advice from those with experience as to what I should be doing (if anything) to make sure this "cheap" gear is up to task? It now has 4 dives on it with no trouble whatsoever, and I honestly don't see any windows for any other test runs before our OBX dive in June.

I guess I just recall too many times in which I couldn't convince people to shell out a couple extra bucks for proper skates and watched them walk out thinking "if they only knew what I know". Now that I'm on the opposite end of the experience spectrum, I'm curious about the collective thoughts on this - especially since the risk factors are so much more than a sprained ankle!!!

As always, thanks in advance for any guidance!!!!

Kirk

View attachment 520579 View attachment 520580 View attachment 520581 View attachment 520582

S.

Palantic...is a generic branded Taiwan product manufactured by Duton Industry Co.

Palantic is just another brand name for an ever increasing list of Western World house brands of the same product...with little else changed but colour...and purge cover design...

The only thing that may be problematic for you is getting them serviced...although parts are exactly the same as the above mentioned house brands of the same product...there may be a reluctance due to ''brand''...not carried...

Good quality...inexpensive...is not uncommon in the established dive industry...you could have bought the same thing...for the same price...from a local dive shop or large on-line supplier like Dive Gear Express or Dive Right In Scuba...branded differently...that you could easily get serviced...

Your reg choice was fine...where you bought it from and Palantic brand...not so much...

Warren...
 
Who services them? These are made in China, nothing wrong with that, but a good chance no local dive shops will have parts for them. And I am never big on the "these parts should work..." when dealing with life support equipment.
 
Who services them? These are made in China, nothing wrong with that, but a good chance no local dive shops will have parts for them. And I am never big on the "these parts should work..." when dealing with life support equipment.

Well, scuba-choice services them (I believe Palantic is their house brand afaik), but at this price point it's probably more cost effective to replace them every couple years than to bother with servicing them.
 

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