What makes one regulator better than another?

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I'd lay money on not being able to tell which reg I'm breathing from (cheap crap excepted).

I would venture to say, though, that if you worked on your own regulators, as many of us do, you'd definitely notice qualitative differences -- breathing efforts. etc -- between brands; so too, one would also notice variances, should you find yourself, set in an unusual position, say, working upside-down, for any period of time.

For that very reason, I still prefer regulators which possess no particular right-side-up or upside-down orientation . . .
 
parts availability has to factor in with self service and since the OP is from the US, if they want to go DIY, deep 6 should be considered
 
I would also venture to say, that, if you worked on your own regulators, as many of us do, you'd definitely notice qualitative differences -- breathing efforts. etc -- between brands . . .

I would be interested in the results of a double-blind test of subjective differences in WOB. Was it Scuba Diving magazine that published annual dive gear reviews using their "Scuba Lab" tests? Part of the reviews was an objective WOB test on a machine, and for sure there were measured differences. But part of the test was also subjective, and it was never clear to me whether those were done scientifically--double-blind, etc. What I wanted to know was whether the measured differences really were perceptible to an ordinary diver under ordinary circumstances.
 
I would be interested in the results of a double-blind test of subjective differences in WOB. Was it Scuba Diving magazine that published annual dive gear reviews using their "Scuba Lab" tests?

I had often wondered about that as well -- and was also curious about whether the "Scuba Lab" regulators were always tested, right out of the box; or, whether any adjustments were made, say, to the specified IP or cracking effort, should that have been necessary?

In an unrelated thread, I had mentioned that, at the shop where I had worked, years ago, we would measure and note the IP of all new inventory. As often as not, it was off or way-off -- regardless of brand -- of the manufacturer's specs; and we'd have to ensure that that new gear was always properly tuned, before it ever left the door . . .
 
Newbie to SCUBA. Looking to purchase my own gear.

Looking at all the regulators on the market, there is a very wide price differential between them.

What do you get when you spend the extra money?

My wife doesn't really like the rental regulator we are using for our classes. She says it's hard work to breathe in and out of. Will an expensive regulator provide for easier breathing?
You definitely don’t need to break the bank when getting a regulator. Buying a top of the line titanium regulator from Atomic or Scuba Pro will separate you from more of your money, but most likely won’t breathe any better than their less expensive models. There are a few differences in regulators that are worth considering, but for the most part, they are pretty much available in every brand apart form 1st stage design.

First stage:
Piston or diaphragm. Technically, the piston style is capable of delivering more gas than diaphragm, but in the real world, it doesn’t make much difference. Both styles are capable of delivering much more gas than a diver or two can use.

Sealed or unsealed. If diving cold or extremely murky water, a sealed reg is highly recommended, if not required. For ease of cleaning a sealed 1st stage is recommended, as it keeps whatever water you dive in out of the internals. If going for sealed, a diaphragm makes sense as it doesn’t require expensive lube at service.

Second Stage:
Breathing resistance adjustability. This is a little knob that you can turn to adjust breathing resistance, more accurately cracking effort. Probably not required, but you’ll often see it on the higher end regs. I generally keep mine set at least resistance.

Venturi adjustment. This is pretty useful, as it can prevent free flows at the surface, but in dive mode allows the flow of air to help keep the valve open. On Atomic regs you won’t see this as they have and automatic adjustment.

Heat sink. Usually see this on 2nd stages that come with sealed 1st stages. Prevents freezing if diving in cold water.

General:
Balanced or unbalanced. This is in both 1st and 2nd stages. Generally want balanced regs. I can’t really think of a reason why you would want unbalanced, at least for primaries.

Availability. Both brand and parts. How is the local dealer? I live in FL, so there are dive shops everywhere. Some good, some bad. But generally, I can find a shop that is a dealer in just about every brand. Also ask about service kits. Specifically, ask the shop about commonality across models. Some brands have a single kit that works for all, or many models. That’s a good indication that service will be available for a while.
 
I'd suggest there is more difference in WOB due to the exact tuning / servicing (or lack of) than due to any significant design or specification differences between most normal (mid range) 2nd stage regs these days!

There are times when you might want to trade off a little higher WOB for greater free flow resistance (on a pony cyl for example that isn't regularily used) and vis-versa (on a hanging deco cylinder that isn't going with you, but just hangs at one depth on a line waiting for your to come back to it)

In extremis, there is definately a trade off between WOB and complexity however. I have an old, extremely battered SP R390 on my pony, because it is NOT pneumatically balanced and therefore is super simple, and hence, super robust, and hence is extremely easy to field service/repair. I'd not think twice of whipping the lid off that reg on a boat bobbing around in a rough sea, but i'd be much more cautious about opening up my super shiny Apeks MTX-R's in the same circumstances........
 
Which was exactly my point!
Prices vary a lot worldwide, which is strange, in this globalised world. Of course, nothing forbids to buy on Ebay from another country: in some cases customs will charge you import duties, but in most cases this simply does not happen, as international sellers usually ship the items as "no value sample", or declare ridiculously low value.
I purchased many times from USA to Italy, so I do not see any reason for not doing the opposite. If something costs less here, purchase it here, even if you are in the US or in Japan or in any other country of the world.
"No value sample" or declare.......!!! You approved "economy with the truth" in business transaction?
This kind of suggestion should not be allowed to mention in open public forum!!!

I do NOT do that myself. Period.
 
Yes we do. Usually just a bit more total than our local sales tax (13% in Ontario for example). Exchange rate aside, scuba products are generally better priced in the States compared to Canada. Even a Canadian product like Shearwater sells for less in the States. A Peregrine is now $619 Canadian in Canada vs $553.60 Canadian in the US at the current exchange rate. I can order one from DGX and with free shipping + duty have it delivered to my door from Florida in 2 days for less than buying it locally (unless the LDS is willing to discount). Pretty sad really.

I got 10% off before tax on mine at my LDS, the original price was $615. We definitely get the shaft price wise for a lot of stuff.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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