Regulators

[Jack45]

My son (16) and I are currently looking at getting certified and we want to buy the basic personal gear and the reg. We don't like the thought of putting in a mouthpiece that someone else has used so we want to at least purchase our regulator as well. We've gone to 4 different dive shops and everyone has a different opinion and carry different gear. I was certified (guess I still am) 32 years ago but haven't been in the water for the last 29 years. Boy have things changed! Back in the day ScubaPro was pretty much the king on most gear (at least that was my dads opinion), is that still true?

Looking for a quality regulator at a price I can afford. Considering our lives may depend on them I don't want to scrimp on quality but I'm poor so I have to consider cost for sure. We'll be diving in Texas and the Carribean. If you had to choose between 3 regs, which would they be?

I couldn't find the JetFin at any of the shops, though they told me I could order them. I loved that fin, but they tell me the "new technology" has made them obsolete. Is the split fins really that much better? They all looked the same to me. The ScubaPro "split" JetFin was recommended by two shops, but another told me there are other fins that are just as good, but not as pricey. Any thoughts?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I only recently (last 3 yrs) stopped using my Scubapro super jet fins. I like both the Mares Power Plana Avanti fins and Quattro fins. They are what you would consider a power fin and are quite fast if you have the legs for it. They also respond well to a frog kick which seems to have become my favored form of locomotion for cruising.

$189 is a lot for a pair of Scubapro's split fins and they are not the answer to everything. I have minimal experience in them but based on this I'll keep what I have. Genesis makes a copy of the Power Plana Avanti and the price is close to $50 most places.

I still dive Scubapro regs and like them. Mostly I like their history of providing parts support long after they discontinue a model - not many companies do that. And they still stand behind products with good warranty support and do still (more or less) stick with evolutionary development with the option of upgrading older models.

There are a lot of quality regulators out there though so I would recommend talking to your local dive shop and see what he has and what he can service and then read a few reviews before deciding what to buy.

 

[MISFIT DIVER]

I have to agree with Jack. You can not go wrong with scubapro. One of the best regs there are. I personally dive with the sherwood magnum and blizzard. Primarily because I dive in cold water and want something that will not freeze. Any one of the sherwood regs will work fine in warm water as well as any scubapro. Ican not vouch for any other brand since I have ot used them. As for fins, I have only dove with blades. I have three pairs of them and think they are great. My buddy dives with split fins. I have tried them and can't say that I like them. Maybe did not give them enough chance. Rodales always has test on equipment and you may get some good ideas from them. Good luck.

 

[ElectricZombie]

Jack45 once bubbled...
Back in the day ScubaPro was pretty much the king on most gear (at least that was my dads opinion), is that still true?

ScubaPro makes outstanding regulators...the best around in my opinion. The also make great fins and masks. Their BCs are horrible IMHO

Looking for a quality regulator at a price I can afford. Considering our lives may depend on them I don't want to scrimp on quality but I'm poor so I have to consider cost for sure. We'll be diving in Texas and the Carribean. If you had to choose between 3 regs, which would they be?

If you are on a budget, take a look at a ScubaPro Mk16 1st stage with an S550 primary and R190 backup reg. If you are on an extremely tight budget, look into a ScubaPro Mk2/R190 setup. The Mk16/S550 combo will perform a bit better and does not really cost all that more. An R380 or a R190 makes an outstanding backup reg.

I couldn't find the JetFin at any of the shops, though they told me I could order them. I loved that fin, but they tell me the "new technology" has made them obsolete. Is the split fins really that much better? They all looked the same to me. The ScubaPro "split" JetFin was recommended by two shops, but another told me there are other fins that are just as good, but not as pricey. Any thoughts?

The shop is trying to trick you into spending more money. JetFins are still the BEST fin around. They offer a lot of power and can do any kick required. Split fins are a gimmick. They don't work and cost 2x as much as a proper fin. There is no "new technology", ScubaPro got it right 40 years ago. I had a pair of ScubaPro split fins and got rid of them ASAP. I personally own 2 pair of JetFins. Trust me, go with the JetFins!!

 

[washow88]

Search online and you will be able to buy the fins for $119.99 not $189.
Be careful with the regulator and BC, my advice is to buy them from authorized dealers only to keep the warranty.

 

[Jack45]

Thanks for all the great advice I really appreciate it.

 

[chrpai]

MISFIT DIVER once bubbled...
the sherwood magnum and blizzard. Primarily because I dive in cold water and want something that will not freeze. Any one of the sherwood regs will work fine in warm water as well as any scubapro.[/B]

The el cheapo Sherwood Brute works just fine in cold water also. Its not environmentally sealed, but it uses the positive pressure bleed that accomplishes the same thing.

It might not have all the bells and whistles, but I dove one about 20+ times in Jamaica and it works just fine all the way down to 130 feet for me.

$350 will get you the whole kit and a Console on LeisurePro.

For that matter I also reccomend the Mares MR12 Axis setup. Its $30 cheaper. I've done about 40 quarry dives ( almost all of them in the 40's-50's temp wise and depths down to 95' and its yet to freeze on me.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Scubapro just had a sale on the Mk2 R190 with a dealer cost of $68.00. Scubapro limits the mark down that is allowed BUT dive shops will be able to pass on the significant savings on this regulator through package deals, particularly dive shops that have dealerships for several companies where larger markdowns are allowed.

Be careful buying from a mailorder company. You need to be sure that you will be able to get the make and model regulator you buy serviced locally and that any warranty will be honored.

Leisure pro often sells items with a Leisure pro warranty - not the manufacturer warranty and there is a huge difference. A leisure pro warranty covers problems for X number of days, a Scubapro warranty essentially covers things for life. With Scubapro regs if you buy them from a dealer, you get free parts for life and over the life of the regulator that more than makes up for extra purchase cost as the annual service will be less expensive.

Per their US dealer agreements, Scubapro does not authorize mail order sales in order to support their local dealers and ensure they stay in business to provide service for Scubapro products.
However this no longer netirely true as offshore Scubapro dealers will sell to US mailorder companies with the result that Scubapro regs and other items can be purchased via mailorder. BUT beware as these products will not be covered under warranty by Scubapro. You get what you pay for.

You may want to reconsider buying a brand of regulator that is widely available mailorder as the odds are the dealership will not be profitable for an LDS who has to compete with unregulated huge volume mailorder sales with the result that the LDS will not carry the brand long, and it may become very hard for you to find service for it.

I agree with all the comments on Scubapro regs, just make sure you can get it serviced and warrantied locally before you buy one. If there is no local dealer, you do have other viable regulator options. Not that I own any of the others