Your favourite second stage and *why?

[USdiver1]

Second stage wassdat??

I love my single stage double hose reglators.

Voit 50 Fathom

Voit Polaris

US Divers Jet-Air / Mistral / Stream-Aiir/ Over Pressure


Ok, I've got a ton of single hose regs with second stages, My favorites are as follows.


ScubaPro Pilot

US Divers Conshelf XIV

AMF/Voit MR-12 [bullseye purge valve version]

Poseidon Cyklon 300

GSD Spinnaker [only for its good looks].

 

[buddhasummer]

Which one was European only? The C350?

 

[rhwestfall]

Okay, not really "European only." The C300 was available, but never caught on in the US. As I understand it, the European cavers like the simplicity and robustness of it.

read here: Scubapro C300 - The good / The bad ?

 

[lexvil]

D420…

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

G550 followed by the new version of the G250.

 

[scubapeter]

1) Atomic B2 - breathes great!
2) Apeks ATX50 - ease of service
3) Kirby Morgan superflow/abyss explorer reg - built like a tank.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I still have my G200B that I bought new in 1999. It’s just a G250 without the tuning knob.
I have a collection of R109’s, one is converted into a balanced reg with the same innards as the G200B.
I have a handful of US Divers metal seconds with screw on exhaust T’s and one if them has a push on T.
I also have an R095 that came with a MK2 that I still have and use. That’s the newest reg I own, I bought the set new in 2001.
So I’m a ghetto diver myself and proud of it. I have no reason to upgrade to anything newer since these breath fine. I don’t know any different.

I’ve looked at some of the current prices of just a single SP second stage, holy crap!
I think I payed about the same for a whole set up back in the day. Put it back in the vault!

 

[scubadada]

Hi @buddhasummer

Interesting question.

I have only purchased five 2nd stage regulators for myself over many years of diving, 1970-1980, 1997-today. I still own and dive all 5. They are all Scubapro, all perform well. I know much less about regulators than all of you.

109 1972
G250HP 2002
S600 2013
S600 2017
C370 2021

I currently dive the newer S600 as primary, the C370 as backup, and the G250HP on my pony. I breathe the backup and pony pretty frequently, to make sure they are operating well. At recreational depths and moderate or less exertion, I'm not at all sure I can tell a difference between the 3. Both of my first stages in use are MK25s.

 

[2stroketony]

As per title, to those who have a problem and feel the need to keep trying different second stages, what are your top 3 favourites? Reasons would be helpful.

Mine:

1) G250/V ease of servicing and benchmark performance (G250 once you get updated parts to play nice)

2) G260/C370 love the smoothness

3) Conshelf 14 simple and robust

1. Tekna 2100
2. Poseidon Jetstream
3. Oceanic Omegas

 

[2stroketony]

1) Sea Hornet Command Air/Commander
Designed to crack at 0.5” which it will do all day long with excellent delivery to 45m, adjust knob is o-ring sealed against raw saltwater ingress (unlike my G250 which keeps locking up with corrosion when used in the tropics despite careful rinsing and generous amounts of Dow Corning III on the threads!) Very rugged thick PC/ABS case walls, dead simple to service with standard o-rings and punched LP seat, if only the barrel was Ti…
2) Atomic Aquatics T2 clever design and Ti material means not having to worry about corrosion, AFC works seamlessly, breathes pretty well but cracks around 1.1”. Egg shell thin case walls in comparison to the Command Air, service parts can be difficult to source and I don’t like the messy and expensive Christolube filled Environmental Sealed versions.
3) Tekna 2100 a top breathing reg back in the day, very light weight, side exhaust efffortless performance at depth (52m on the Coolidge) Hampered by parts availability and poor dealer support at least here in Australia. Ahead of its time.

I’m currently enamoured with the Poseidon MK3 second stage, some very clever design features and top notch materials.
Stellar performance on paper but I haven’t tested it properly yet so will abstain from voting

Hey brother
I have all the parts you need for your 2100s. I have new pilot lever gaskets, main valves, lever gaskets seats.....
I have u cracked NOS housings, modules whatever you need.
Let me know
Tony