Views on USD Arctic

[AquaBob]

I'm looking to get a set of regs to use primarily in local lakes, and several times a year on the BC Coast.

The only local dive shop is based in a guys house who does it on the side. He's not in it to make any big bucks ... he has a very good 'real' job pays well enough. I suspect he does it just to support his 'habit' and to get good deals for him and his buddies. Anyway...

To the local divers, including the local fire and police depts. he ususally sells U.S. Divers Arctics. His reasoning (justification) is this...

They are what the Canadian Navy use,
They are simple and easy to work on,
USD has been around for a long time and you can still get parts for 30 year old regs,
They work great in cold and warm water.

This reasoning seems sounds. I'd like to hear your thoughts about these regs.

I've searched all over scubaboard and have found very few hits that actually discuss the Arctic.

Thanks.

 

[OceanTech]

I can give my two cents worth and you can go from there. I service USD arctic's for a couple of guys here and they love them. They mainly use them for pony bottle regs for tech diving but they also use them as primary's for urchin diving. They don't seem to have problems with them so to me they seem reliable.

I will address some of your LDS comments though IMO

-The canadian navy uses who came in with the cheapest quote when it went for tender, it just so happens that because they have so many now they just keep ordering from USD.

-I find them a royal pain in the a## to repair. The oil filled environmental kit is a nusance, but once past that they are the same as most other USD first stages. As for setting up the second stage, a few too many adjustments for my liking.

-USD parts are easy to get and they have been around forever

-for a regulator that is sold as a cold water reg they are not bad, although I can think of a few others that I would pick before an arctic.

That being said if he's your local guy and he specializes in arctics it may not be a bad choice, since it sounds like parts and service is close to home. This is only my opinion and my observations from servicing these regs.

Dennis

 

[etype]

Just my opinion: About 6/7 years ago i worked for Canadian Hydrographic and went out with the Coast Guard HMSC Malahat ...my primary wasn’t working satisfactorily in the cold...a coastguard diver issued me two usd artic’s and other equip. as a informal tax rebate.

My opinion is that it is one of the best allround regs i’ve used...solid, reliable and once set up for your preferences, hard to beat...and i will keep using them as long as i can. Even in warm water, the heat exchanger condenses on exhalation and lessens carpet mouth syndrome.

I am inclined to disagree, with respect with OceanTech assessment that the Can Navy buys lowest tender. I know officers in both the navy and the erswhile 1st airborne combat diving unit...and they most certainly do not buy lowest tender. The initial testing and recommendation is done by a firm that evaluates equip for military and commercial purposes and is referenced by military/commercial interests all over the world. Then they take the top recommended equipment and test it theirselves through very rigourous procedure and trial...then they make their choice. The types of demands made by commercial and military diving are levels beyond sport scuba there is no possiblitity in this world they would simply put it out to the lowest bidder. Also, the divers in the navy and military are intelligent human biengs who have excellent training at the top of the field.... and the attention to detail is minute. The idea that they would countenance any such thing is little short of fantastic.
That the artic was chosen by both the navy and airborne dive combat units because it is a workhorse reg that is solid, dependable and meets the demands of divers who face challenges and workloads beyond any sport diving of any type.

Also, on your question, i would suggest you buy those regs for prim and octo and be glad you got a chance to get these.

 

[SubMariner]

Pearce got his Arctic in 1988. Although we both bought Mares Abyss about 3 years ago, it is still a totally viable/useable reg. We frequently take it on dive trips for our relatives to use with no 2nd thoughts at all!

It:
-breathes well
- handles cold well (been down to about 37F)
- he used it down to 140' once (don't tell anyone, ok?)

~SubMariner~

 

[KrisB]

Where abouts do you live Aquabob? The LDS description you give sounds an awful lot like PG.

 

[etype]

SubMariner once bubbled...

- he used it down to 140' once (don't tell anyone, ok?)

~SubMariner~

do you mean he went past his rec limits? This is not a reg that is limited to rec limits. IMHO this is a superb primary reg that will stand up with any for demanding diving. I'm not limited by a rec card and i dive deeper in cold water and have found the artic to be the best reg i've owned and as good or better than any i've tried. Perhaps you mean because yours is 1988 and frayed. If i needed another set of regs and walked into a store and saw a set of artics... i would buy them without hesitation...the balance is excellent and they breathe easy in any temp water at any depth. They are less inclined to freeflow than any reg i have used that has been tuned to my preference. And they are tough and once tuned, they stay that way.
Since i've had one i've never had a reason to consider another reg.