Benno, this is very simple. Germany has consumer protection laws that forbid companies like Aqualung from doing what they do in the US, which is not selling parts to anyone except authorized service technicians working for an authorized service center. If you are not one of those people, you are not allowed to purchase Apeks parts kits, same applies to Scubapro, Hollis, and most others. These rules are put in place to bring in more revenue to the dive shops, plain and simple. It's antiquated and idiotic, but it is what it is. I am an authorized Apeks service tech, but because I don't work for an authorized service center, I can't purchase parts. Same for a buddy of mine with Scubapro. There have been dive shops in Europe, Denmark I know of at least two that have had their Aqualung dealerships pulled when they got caught shipping parts kits to consumers in the US. So, no, mail doesn't work, at least in this country.
This is a very simple fact, and is the real reason that Apeks and Scubapro are not the primary regs you see in technical diving in this country anymore. When Dive Rite brought their regs out and sold parts to divers, then Hog jumped on board and now has a class that basically any diver can take.
ODS makes regulators for Dive Rite, Hollis, Hog, and many others. The machining specs are sometimes different, Dive Rite uses their own diaphragm material etc, but if you take out a set of calipers, most all of the o-rings are the same, and the HP seats are the same dimensions, so yes, in a pinch or if you so choose you can use other parts kits in them, this is applicable to Apeks as well where many of us used Dive Rite or Apeks parts kits in the early run of Hog regs when they had issues with the HP seat material. Same thing that happened when Apeks had HP seat issues years ago, many divers were using HP seats out of other regulators where the seats where the same dimensions. Is it recommended? Of course not, but your argument about Deep 6 or Hog or whoever else not being around as long as Apeks is irrelevant because you can make it work if you have to. Same way that guys are making parts for the vintage regulators that haven't been made for 50 years.
I understand you'd rather use the originals, but you can't buy them in the US, plain and simple. Apeks parts kits are also about the same price as Hogs right now, the Hogs might be another $5/stage right now, but it's still cheaper than paying for service, which you have to do with all Aqualung regulators in the US. Apeks DST/XTX50 is $595 plus $50 for the fifth port upgrade. Dive Rite XT is $440. I can buy a lot of damn parts kits for the $200 I just saved by not buying Apeks, and I can go to any Dive Rite dealer and walk out with the parts, can't do that with Apeks.
---------- Post added December 16th, 2015 at 04:07 PM ----------
I will stick with my local made Hog regs. Love em and I am kicking myself in the butt that I did not buy a whole other set when they had their black Friday sales. Dang $75 for reg, that is crazy...
not local made, made in Taiwan at ODS with most of the rest of the regs on the market, just sold out of Divers Supply. Deep 6 will be distributed from the Atlanta area as well