Apeks Flight

[gxtoast]

I think MarkUK's detailed posts have started a great information resource in this thread and it is good to see people adding to it.

I just recently ordered the Mares Mission 1 SPG. It's face is 42mm in diameter and it looks like a great product from what I have seen and read:
Scubastore. Online scuba-diving gear and scuba-diving equipment shop.

My other option of choice was the Highland 2" glass and brass SPG.

 

[MarkUK]

Hello,

I tried my new Apeks Flight regulator set last WE and LOVED IT ! Amazingly light, but not only, its very flexible hoses makes it super easy to carry, pack and unpack. I can't believe how light it is, it's a pure bliss

It performed flawlessly during the dives (hot water), even when I only had 10 bars left in my tank, I couldn't feel the difference when breathing.

I now need an SPG that would match its lightweight. My old SPG is waaaay too heavy for it.

Do you guys have any model in mind you could recommend for being lightweight and compact ? I only need the SPG, nothing more as my diving computer does the rest. I would need it in bars if possible, but I'm sure i can manage with imperial too.

I Googled it but online shops rarely mention the wieght of the gauges. Only that it's "compact" but that doesn't tell me much about the weight which is the issue here as I am hoping to find a mini SPG that would be really really light.

Many thanks in advance if you can help !

I have just got a dinky little Scubapro compact SPG on my rig - it was one of the smallest I could find on the market and it was only around the £40 mark here in the UK.

Mark

 

[eSBe]

Hello,

I tried my new Apeks Flight regulator set last WE and LOVED IT ! Amazingly light, but not only, its very flexible hoses makes it super easy to carry, pack and unpack. I can't believe how light it is, it's a pure bliss

It performed flawlessly during the dives (hot water), even when I only had 10 bars left in my tank, I couldn't feel the difference when breathing.

I now need an SPG that would match its lightweight. My old SPG is waaaay too heavy for it.

Do you guys have any model in mind you could recommend for being lightweight and compact ? I only need the SPG, nothing more as my diving computer does the rest. I would need it in bars if possible, but I'm sure i can manage with imperial too.

I Googled it but online shops rarely mention the wieght of the gauges. Only that it's "compact" but that doesn't tell me much about the weight which is the issue here as I am hoping to find a mini SPG that would be really really light.

Many thanks in advance if you can help !

The lightest SPG that I know of is the Italian-made Mega Sport Syntek - completely made of 'plastic' (case and glass). I don't know the exact weight thou...

 

[jaybob217]

This Apeks flight sounds great. Just saw a review of it on Sport Diver Mag. I'm looking to purchase my wife and I our first reg packages and want something light for travel and below $500 a peace for reg + octo. Found the apeks flight + octo for $461 at Scubastore.com. But now this thread got me worried about it not having a standard hose. Does the AL Mikron have a standard house? There's something to be said about being able to service it or replace the house while on a trip somewhere that's nice. Would probably sacrifice a little weight to be able to do that. Although

 

[O'Ren]

Honestly Jaybob, I wouldn't worry about the hose. I don't know if you had the chance to see the Apeks flight "in person", but its hoses are just not the kind that will fail you: they are light yet very resistant to torsion, because the second stage and octopus are so light, the hoses can flex easily if you pull or move them around.

Now, I am not an experienced diver. I'm just a baby diver with 20 dives or so. But this regulator has absolutely nothing to envy to any regulator the diving schools use around here. Now if the hose fails you while on a diving trip, I guess you can just rent a regulator to finish your dives and when back home order a compatible hose. But seriously, I don't see why this would happen. These hoses have been around for a few years now and they didn't get any bad reviews, as a matter of fact they are as resistant as any other hose on the market.

If you want something light for travel, and something that will be easy to handle AND maintain, the Apeks Flight is in my opinion a great choice. And it has a smaller mouth piece if you order the female version, if your wife thinks she's gonna be more comfortable using it.

I bought mine at scubastore: not only do they have excellent customer service, but they ship extra fast and follow up with you until you are 100% satisfied.

Be aware that if you buy the reg + octo, the octopus won't be attached to the reg, you'll have to do it yourself. I chose to go to my friendly neighborhood diving shop to ask them to set it up for me. In 2 min it was done, after everyone there being amazed at how light it was and trying to bribe me to try it

 

[O'Ren]

GXtoast, markUK and eSBe, many thanks for your suggestions, I'll look into them right away !

 

[buddhasummer]

This Apeks flight sounds great. Just saw a review of it on Sport Diver Mag. I'm looking to purchase my wife and I our first reg packages and want something light for travel and below $500 a peace for reg + octo. Found the apeks flight + octo for $461 at Scubastore.com. But now this thread got me worried about it not having a standard hose. Does the AL Mikron have a standard house? There's something to be said about being able to service it or replace the house while on a trip somewhere that's nice. Would probably sacrifice a little weight to be able to do that. Although

How are you buying it from Scubastore.com they advised that they are currently not allowed sales out of the EU, in fact unless you list your country as being from the EU Apeks plus Scubapro, Suunto, AL dont even show on their website?

I was very interested in the Flight when it first came out as im sure it is a great product, until I discovered the use of non standard hoses. JMO, I wouldnt buy a Flight soley due to the non standard hose, it seems a little odd to me that they would make a "travel" reg without standard or at least the option to fit a standard hose even in the unlikely event of failure. I generaly take 4-6 week diving holidays and obtaining a replacment hose I imagine in some instances/locations eg. on a live aboard would prove problematic if not impossible.

The idea of carrying an extra hose or two, again for me, negates the whole "travel reg" light weight thing, not to mention the number of additional items to be carried also. Just my opinion of course. If I was hell bent on a "travel reg" then I would probably look at the AL Mikron almost same weight?, AL have a very big network of distributors/stockists so imagine parts i.e. 1st or 2nd stage would be much easier to get certainly in SEA, and yes I know Apeks and AL are under same umbrella but in my experience I am still yet to see the same parts availability/distribution as with AL products.

I dive apeks, and carry 1st and 2nd stage parts kits with me when I travel for this very reason. If I was going on a 5 day dive trip then perhaps I wouldnt be so concerned about the non standard hose. Example an LDS near me sells the Flight but has no hoses in stock, not saying this is necessarily indicative of the whole world but is one example. YMMV. Cheers.

 

[O'Ren]

Are you sure you went to the right URL ? Sorry for the silly question but it works fine for me, I can see all the brands and I'm not in the EU. I had my order shipped to Singapore with no problems at all.

I think if you carry an extra hose for the Apeks Flights you will not feel it at all, trust me. It's light beyond light. It will not defeat the purpose of having a "travel" regulator as you won't even notice you have it with you. So I think it's a very small compromise to be able to enjoy a nice and light regulator. This compared to carrying around a normal regulator that weights so much more, for me, as a traveler that hates carrying heavy luggage around, well, there's no hesitation, I'll take the Apeks Flight anytime, with an extra hose if I have to. (But again, seriously, this stuff looks extra well made and Apeks is famous for the reliability of their products so i doubt you'd need an extra hose..)

The more I use the Apeks Flight, the more hooked to it I am

 

[MarkUK]

We've just done a mid-priced reg test and this included the Aqualung Titan Supreme, and interestingly enough, this has a tool-less fitting from the hose to the second stage, much the same as the Flight. It is a slightly different method - and I prefer the one on the Flight - but it still means you need a specific hose to connect it, so perhaps the entire Aqualung range will be going this way down the line.

Mark

 

[CCarter1]

i got mine a few weeks ago. super light and breaths great