At Wits End (New and Overeager Diver)

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grabby

Registered
Messages
16
Reaction score
2
Location
Kwajalein Atoll, RMI
# of dives
100 - 199
Hey SB,

Fist and foremost, I wanted to say a hearty "thanks" for the wealth of information this board has provided. That said, I've read so much on this site (especially regarding regulators) that I'm starting to chase my tail. Long story short, I am a new diver, got hooked instantly, and wanted to purchase my own gear. I ended up going with a bp/w setup, am happy with my fins/mask, protection, etc. But the damned regulator game has got me pulling my hair out (and I don't have too much left). I know the hose setup I will have, and that if I want my 1st stage to be a balanced diaphragm (more for silty water locally). That said, here is my dilemma:

I live somewhere fairly rural at the moment, and there are no dive shops within two hours or so. I lack the ability to try out regs, and will be buying blind. Furthermore, I don't plan to live in this area too much longer, but am unsure where my travels will take me, so I won't have a dedicated LDS. I realize that all the main manufacturers offer viable regs that I would be more than happy with, but I'm a jackass and can't just take a pick. I've gone back and forth regarding the pros/cons of Hogs, Apeks XTX50, SP G260/A700, the entire AL line, Atomics, Zeagle, etc. I felt that I had decided on the Zeagle F8 line (reg set from DGX is only somewhat-painfully expensive) due to their reputation, ability to eventually service them myself, and based off the premise of possibly working myself into more technical diving down the road. I figured that a good set should last a very long time, and called it a day.

Because I'm an idiot, last night I got bored and put a low bid ($400) on a brand new MK17/A700 on Ebay, and won the auction. So now I have to make a decision: do I scrap the plans of buying the complete Zeagle set (1st, 2 seconds, spg, etc at ~$799), or build up a SP reg set with with either another A700 (used), any other new SP second as an octo, or throw on a 109/156 BA octo for nostalgia/awesomeness/frugality? The more I thought about a 109/156, the more I thought WTH, why not just use two 109's or BA's, a MK10 (not diaphragm), and laugh my way to the bank?

Anyway, I bought the MK17/A700 set for $400, so I figure I can recoup the cost either way, but I'm just going deeper down the rabbit hole (for reference, I've never been below 50ffw, yet I'm concerned about the fact that should I go the GUE route one day, the A700 faceplate doesn't screw off.)

I would love a bit of advice from anyone of sound mind, as I no longer am due to this forum. I need to either sell the Mk17/A700 and stick with my original plan, keep it and build my set, or sell it and go old school. I can no longer think about metal cases, venturi effect, or anything else at this point. I just want reasonable people to tell me what to do so I can stop thinking about this mess.

Thanks, and sorry for the absurd first post.
 
First of all welcome to the board.
You're actually lucky so far from what it sounds like. You should have tried this before the internet when we used to go to our dive shops and let them sell us the store. Years later we find out how big of gullible jackasses we were to let them swing us around like they did. Many times people didn't catch on until buying gear 3 or 4 times to "upgrade" to more advanced gear when we got better. Yeah, those were the days.

So you're having regulator dilemma eh? Just stick with what you picked on ebay. There's nothing wrong with Scubapro. You can put 109's on it if you want or anything really. I have several 109's, but I also like the older G200B's or G250's, those are good breathers too.
If you want a good backup for a second reg look at getting an old Aqualung Conshelf like a 14 or a 21. I have a SP G200B on a Conshelf 21 as my beach diving and work reg and to be honest it breathes as good as anything else I've ever used.
The other thing you could get would be a Scubapro MK2/R190 as a bullet proof simple unbalanced recreational reg which will do any recreational profile. Later if you get into tech diving use it for your stage or deco bottles, it certainly won't go to waste. You could even use it on a pony later for a slung back up for recreational diving.
But it sounds like you did your homework and are on the right track with the BP/W and other choices, congratulations.

One thing about 109/156's and DIR, they don't have a removable faceplate without tools, so keep that in mind.
If you want something that you can use for tech and DIR and is cost effective, Hog seems to be the one that comes up frequently. They will also sell you parts.
I have a Hog set and they are good all around regs, well made solid gear, no complaints so far.
 
SP makes good stuff, and the Mk17/A700 is an excellent modern set. Keep it and dive it. Mk5/R109 is more vintage, while the Mk10/BA is an updated version of the Mk5/R109.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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