How many of you don't use a "standard" octo?

[Peter_C]

I am another one that uses two primary regs that are both Scubapro S600 regs. My primary (On a 7ft hose) gets donated to the OOA diver, and my back up, bungeed around my neck, goes in my mouth. At that point I need to open up the valve to make the reg breathe easier for me. The stressed out of air diver has an excellent breathing reg already in their mouth. By having both of them adjustable I can keep free flows to an absolute minimum.

The facts point to a panicked diver taking the reg blowing bubbles from your mouth, so might as well donate it in the first place. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...ed/242396-mouthpiece-detached-video-clip.html

 

[ifukuda]

Breathability (or unbreathability) of the octopus is more otfen a result it is tuned, rather than the quality of the second stage. Manufacters and shops tend to detune the octopus to minimize freeflows.

 

[Gombessa]

I also use the same model reg for primary and backup. Another benefit to this is that it lets me swap the regs once a year or so, so I can balance the usage between them. I do set the backup to be lower-performance than the primary.

 

[mikerault]

My BP/W setup uses the same Oceanic primary and backup.

Mike

 

[MattC007]

I use a standard I guess, it's a little harder to breath out of, but it works fine, I test it to make sure it works before every single dive.

 

[XXXL]

I use only Apex Black pearl for primary & back up. I also swap them around so that I know they all work & are all serviced at the same time.

The only regs that I have different are the deco regs & they use the same 1st stage, but green/ yellow front covers to identify them as deco.
They also have content labels on them so I can clearly see which is the correct reg to be breathing from.

 

[sheck33]

I don't know if it is generally true, but both of my backup regs are the same make as my primaries. But then, I donate the primary, so that backup reg is what I get to breathe!

Same here.

 

[BKP]

I have an Atomic B2 primary, and Apeks XTX50 octo (with an Atomic 1st stage). They have similar IPs, so no problem mixing them... They both breathe equally well at depth. I chose the Apeks because it has both a Venturi and detune control (to prevent octo free-flows), and is of similar quality to the Atomic (but I got a great deal on it!).

I dove a combination octo/inflator (Atomic SS1) for years, without any problems, and it breathed almost as well as my B2 primary. However, in an actual situation, with an OOA buddy breathing off my primary, I decided I didn't like my inflator stuck in my mouth...

Oh... I test breathe my octo EVERY dive at depth...

 

[Nemrod]

Nemrod,
I know that you know that there is nothing "lowly" about a Titan LX. I own two Titan LX's, a regular Titan, a Zeagle, and an Apeks. Because of the number of dives I do (150-200 a year), and the depth (these days I limit myself to 150', and very seldom go that deep) I could probably justify the purchase of any regulator made. I have tried all the "big guns" (Legend, Scubapro, etc) and I see no reason to progress beyond the Titan LX, which I use on about 90% of my dives.

Oh, I use only standard octos. Most of the "low profile" octos are fine, as long as one does not actually have to use them.

You and me are in agreement then, as far as I am concerned of current regulators, the Titan LX is a killer combination of simplicity, robust proven design, serviceability anywhere and top notch performance.

N

 

[Flightlead]

I don't know if it is generally true, but both of my backup regs are the same make as my primaries. But then, I donate the primary, so that backup reg is what I get to breathe!

on my technical rig they are essentially the same, Atomic B2 primary, Z1 on backup with Z2, Z2 first stages. The backup is dialed down but I still get some free flowing doing valve drills. On my "tecreational rig" (which is still long hose, bungeed backup) the primary is a Z1 and the backup is a lower performance Oceanic second stage.

I hate "octo" regulators. they don't breath well, tend to be wet breathers, and cost at least as much as a regular 2nd stage. don't get me started on the octo-inflators