Mares 22x abyss discontinued? should i buy

[Adam Jasiewicz]

Hi All,
New to forum and first time to post.
I am looking for my first set of dive gear and on the hunt for a regulator now. I will at the moment be mostly be doing warm water dives but I am the kind of guy that likes to future proof i.e. buy now and not for a long time and have some cold water dives planned for future.

I am currently down to two regs Mares 22x Abyss and the Aqualung Legend Lx Supreme. The Mares seems best bang-for-the-buck however i cannot see it on their website (Navy version yes but not 22x), so am asking what will servicing be like for this between asia and Europe (UK)?

Would the aqualung be better in the long term?

 

[USdiver1]

Both are regulators based upon tried and true classics, in the case of the Abyss, nothing short of the Voit/AMF/Mares MR-12, and in the case of the Legend, the USD Conshelf series. You can't go wrong with either one. I have both and consider either of them to be excellent regs. Servicing should not be an issue due to the huge number produced, the near universal world-wide distribution and their longevity, Most rebuild parts from earlier versions are interchangeable with the latest products.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I would go for the Mares MR22 Abyss. I have been diving my Abyss for about 16 years. I dive in the Great Lakes in temps down to 34 degrees F and it has never missed a beat. I like that it doesn't have any knobs or levers to fiddle around with.

 

[Spudlet]

Mares Abyss 22 Regulator

 

[Spudlet]

Mares Abyss 22X - Lucas Divestore

 

[TrimixToo]

They've been my back gas regs for well over a decade, and I use another for a deep bottom gas tank at need. I've had them pretty deep and they've breathed well. They just work. Two years between servicing seems to be a sweet spot for me. They pop up used now for incredibly cheap sometimes at Toms River too (I've gotten two of them for $50 each now)!

 

[Adam Jasiewicz]

Thanks everyone. Went with the Mares. Found a shop through ebay for incredible value. 295GBP ($400) for the 22x 1st, 2nd, Mares MV octo and mares mission 1 guage. Best value i have found in Europe.