Reg choices
- Thread starter Roger de Graaf
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
- Messages
- 26,281
- Reaction score
- 5,875
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
Everywhere I know of - which includes the US and Caribbean - Aqualung distributes Apeks so an Aqualung dealer can get parts/service them. I suspect it's probably world-wide but do not know for certain. Also the OP lives in the UK and most reg. service is done locally - at least in my experience.
I've used the same argument to recommend other brands over ones with a primarily U.S. presence. For me it's more about parts availability so I do think Deep6's model is a good plan - any reg tech has likely worked on a similar OEM model to theirs. Hopefully by next year Deep6 will have a repair manual online (hint..hint...) that can be accessed worldwide.to support the thousands of shops who won't ever be selling/stocking their gear. I'm fortunate to have a stocking point about 5miles away so may wander over there next time i need regs.
Last edited:
While you may be able to order the regs online and have them shipped to the UK , you cannot wall into a local shop and buy them. Which then could lead to a servicing issue as many places will not service regs they do not sell. I ran into that very issue with my hog regs, and eventually moved over to apeks for ease (I now service my own but that's a different story).
If I still lived in the states, or was headed there to visit family, and needed new regs I would give deep 6 a try. But for a diver, in the UK, who will only ever be a vacation diver, they are not the right choice of reg.
@stuartv - you need to live in Syracuse, NY or in Tennessee......
Uhh, no! I'm originally from Tallahassee, and that was too close to Gainesville...
I had a Calypso as well, before I gave it to my wife.
Been down to 42m / 138ft without any issues.
Sure, my Apeks XTX200 breathes nicer, but there is not an actual need to buy a new reg just for deeper dives.
On the other hand, I bought a lot of gear I don't really "need", just because I wanted it.
I am not sure that having a complete overhaul kits for my regulator on me when I travel to a dive destination would actually help me in any way should my regulator have an issue that would be unsafe or a deterrent to diving. I am not also sure that I want somebody, or even myself, to be overhauling my regulator while on a dive trip especially in a remote location. Issues with regulators in these circumstances will probably require parts that aren't available in the service kits or the actual service will require time and specialized tools to complete properly. I would not cherish the idea that I'd have to trust somebody I don't know and have no reason to trust (for and on various levels) in this destination to work on my regulator in a hurry to get back to diving in these circumstances other than a most simple adjustment or hose or hose oring replacement.
I do my best to avoid issues while on a dive trip/vacation by carrying a spare regulator AND always investing in top quality brand/model that is less likely to have issues than by carrying a parts kits or depending/expecting the destination dive center to be able to take care of major issues other than simple adjustments or simple part replacements (hose or hose o'ring). It has worked out great for me and my students/customers in the last few decades traveling all over the US and the world.
I do my best to avoid issues while on a dive trip/vacation by carrying a spare regulator AND always investing in top quality brand/model that is less likely to have issues than by carrying a parts kits or depending/expecting the destination dive center to be able to take care of major issues other than simple adjustments or simple part replacements (hose or hose o'ring). It has worked out great for me and my students/customers in the last few decades traveling all over the US and the world.
Last edited:
- Messages
- 20,562
- Reaction score
- 14,953
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
@stuartv you said any manufacturer that won't sell you a service kit. Hollis will not sell you a service kit. You can get Apeks and Scubapro on ebay, but that doesn't change the manufacturer policy.
Apeks is under Aqualung so all of their techs should be trained to do both. If you can't find an Aqualung dealer wherever you are going, you clearly didn't look. My recommendation for Apeks was to support local business, as well as have a regulator that is easily serviced worldwide. My concern with Deep6 is the same as it is with HOG and Dive Rite, sure there are techs that can, but will they for liability reasons?
the one chevron of orange is that offensive to you? I don't like orange either, but that's a little pedantic imho
@cerich not that naive, however it would be nice if they did. The shop that I used prior to servicing my own stocks parts kits for damn near all of the regs they service if they are in current production. I.e. probably not going to have a Poseidon 2305 service kit, but will have the 3960, mk3, xstream, jetstream, and cyklon kits. Apeks thankfully was smart enough to keep their parts kits the same across all of their regs so that helps, and they do keep all of the current Scubapro parts kits in stock. This shop has a dedicated service center that many other shops outsource to and they keep like 6 full time regulator techs on staff, so it's a bit different. It's unfortunate that the situation you describe is all too common though and I wish more shops were upfront about lead times if they don't have the service kits available.
holy crap I am about to agree with @BurhanMuntasser .... His comments are the reason that I recommend people that are travelling to buy a doubles set of regulators and carry the first stage with them.
Apeks is under Aqualung so all of their techs should be trained to do both. If you can't find an Aqualung dealer wherever you are going, you clearly didn't look. My recommendation for Apeks was to support local business, as well as have a regulator that is easily serviced worldwide. My concern with Deep6 is the same as it is with HOG and Dive Rite, sure there are techs that can, but will they for liability reasons?
the one chevron of orange is that offensive to you? I don't like orange either, but that's a little pedantic imho
@cerich not that naive, however it would be nice if they did. The shop that I used prior to servicing my own stocks parts kits for damn near all of the regs they service if they are in current production. I.e. probably not going to have a Poseidon 2305 service kit, but will have the 3960, mk3, xstream, jetstream, and cyklon kits. Apeks thankfully was smart enough to keep their parts kits the same across all of their regs so that helps, and they do keep all of the current Scubapro parts kits in stock. This shop has a dedicated service center that many other shops outsource to and they keep like 6 full time regulator techs on staff, so it's a bit different. It's unfortunate that the situation you describe is all too common though and I wish more shops were upfront about lead times if they don't have the service kits available.
holy crap I am about to agree with @BurhanMuntasser .... His comments are the reason that I recommend people that are travelling to buy a doubles set of regulators and carry the first stage with them.
OMG, This felt like somebody dropped a concrete block on my head when I read this, thank God I am sitting down.
One gets older and see/reads incredibly amazing stuff...
- Messages
- 20,562
- Reaction score
- 14,953
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
OMG, This felt like somebody dropped a concrete block on my head when I read this, thank God I am sitting down.
One gets older and see/reads incredibly amazing stuff...
right?
Now I do take some basic stuff with me. I will have o-ring picks, allen keys, most of the spare o-rings, etc etc but I'm not rebuilding a first stage when I'm travelling abroad. In cave country where I drive down there? I have everything with me and will absolutely rebuild a regulator at night, but not when flying around
Similar threads
