71 replies to this topic

[captsteve]

So, i am looking for a new set of regulators. my lds has recommended a set, but i am not an easy sell. i realize that a good reg doesnt have to be mega expensive, but they should be easy to maintain and reliable. i like the ajustable regs.....
forget glitter and fancy boxes...what is your favorite? din or yoke? why?

[Twinklez]

I like my Mares Abyss - alot! It's not adjustable, but it breaths really smooth. The only downside (aside from people saying it looks like a shower head in my mouth) is that it's heavier than some of the other regs I tried. If I relax my mouth too much it sometimes feels like it might slip out; tough it never has. Haven't found another I'd trade it for. :-)

[Dive_Girl]

ScubaPro MK25 or MK17 (environmentally sealed) DIN!!!!

[nydiver]

I have had several regs, most have worked well

Tusa 400, nice reg, adjustable, never had an issue and its works as a backup primary reg currently

Apeks TX100, great reg, adjustable, Just like a timex, takes a licking, keeps on tickin, breathes really dry though, would be nicer if it had more metal surfaces in the 2nd to hold back moisture

Sherwood Blizzard, OK reg, none-adj, another tank reg, breathes OK, would get a maximus if I went Sherwood, good for the money

US Diver artic, serves as a octo, nuff said, oh and when it free flows a good whack fixes it.

Apollo bio-filter whatever, Looked cool in the mag, and in person, works like crap, the 2nds swivel is cool though, dove once and since has been religated to hanging in the closet.

Posiedon Cyclon, 50 years, few changes, ugly but effective, works and works well, works so good someone snaked it out of my gear bag last summer while I was in the water. Will be replaced by a Xstream this summer.

Scubapro mk25/g600, I think that was what it was, the ultra light with the top end round reg, Paid alot and yet my $200 tusa breathed better, even after 2 attempts to have it "adjusted" at the dealer to the tune of 35 each adjustment. It lasted about 2 months and down the road it went. Hope the next owner could figure out what its issue was, cause the LDS and Scupapro couldn't.

Hope my little observations help in some small way for ya

[Capn Jack]

So, i am looking for a new set of regulators. my lds has recommended a set, but i am not an easy sell. i realize that a good reg doesnt have to be mega expensive, but they should be easy to maintain and reliable. i like the ajustable regs.....
forget glitter and fancy boxes...what is your favorite? din or yoke? why?

Like so many things in diving - my answer is - "It depends"

The most expensive reg you buy is the one you end up leaving behind because you didn't get the right one. If you're moving toward some more serious diving, I'd recommend going for the ice capable, environmentally sealed etc. and of course DIN. DIN is the connection of choice since the o-ring is captured and your overall connection is much more solid, but will be a PITA if you just go on resort dives where all the tanks are yoke, and then you're shlepping an adapter everywhere, plus now you have the potential yoke o-ring failure problem anyway, plus the extra bulk behind your head.

If you're just an ordinary diver, and want to stay like that for awhile - start asking basic questions:

First, what kind of a diver are you? Unless you're into extreme (deep and/or cold) you can make do quite nicely with a wide range of regs.

Second, do you travel worldwide? Some brands are better supported should you need a fix in a 3rd world nation.

Third, how's your budget? My bet is you could post here and get several offers for serviceable regs, that perform well, for a reasonable price. I'm guessing budget is important, otherwise you'd pay the "luxury tax" and buy top of the line from Apeks, Atomic or Scubapro. I'm an SP fan, but I've had them a long time, and only recently thought maybe I'd think about a Mk 25 rather than my old piston.

There are performance evaluations done on machines that show a long list of regs to choose from that will provide all the volume you could possible need - and then it comes to breathing comfort. Try these links:
Scuba Diver magazine reg reviews
Diver Net reviews

Ask your LDS to rent a couple to you after you've narrowed your choices, and take them diving. My personal opinion is it's mostly in the second stage that you can feel differences in breathing characteristics - does it breathe "wet" - in any position? Is it heavy in the water? Do you like or need adjustability? You'll definitely feel the difference in an unbalanced pistonwhen your tank pressure gets low - but I like that warning - a balanced reg will deliver constant LP down to the bottom of your tank, and probably should be your choice.

ok - make a recommendation already (and I like SP) - First stage - Mk 25 (I'm a piston fan), Mk 17 if you need environmentally sealed. Second stage - S600. Or, make me an offer on my old piston when I buy my Mk 25.

Edited by Capn Jack, 28 February 2006 - 11:28 PM.

[6Gill]

Well go DIN and then for regs I things I consider is parts avalibility(I service my own).I run run primarly ScubaPro(Mk 10&20s,G200,G250,G500s) also have Atomic 2nds(same guys from ScubaPro)and have picked up a couple Apexs 1st.
THese have all worked well for me and primarly dive PNW.

Eric

[Diverbrian]

All my regs are DIN for the more positive connection point when I am diving.

My personal favorites are the Aqualung Legend LX. I have two of them that I use for my backgas. I am diving Great Lakes with light gas mixures and they haven't failed me yet.

[Lubold8431]

You cant go wrong with any of the mainstream regs. There are people that have their favorites, and everyone pushes what they like. Apeks, Scubapro, Mares, Oceanic all make good regs. So do sherwood, Genesis, Poseidon and Dacor (although Mares now makes all Dacor regs). I think Capn Jack summed it up pretty well.

I currently dive Apeks regs for backgas and deco bottles, and Scubapro for fun single tank dives.

[Desert_Diver]

Apeks DIN, for high end. I love 'em, haven't had any problems at all. However, they're harder to get parts & repairs for, as they're based in England. In a lot of cities around the US, you can't get authorized service at all. The ScubaPro (better) and Sherwoods (low end) seem to be pretty common.

I started off with a cheaper set of regs, and gave 'em away when I found that they didn't work for s#!+ 100' down. Afterwards, I bought the Apeks DS4 DIN and TX50 2nd stage. Per my note elsewhere, I'm frequently swapping the connector back to yoke 'cos most operators can't seem to handle DIN, yet. I don't like their DIN > yoke adapter, as I banged my head on it on one dive. With no hair for protection, that *hurt*. I'd much rather call in advance to see which flavor I need to take on a trip, then set it up before the trip.

The trouble I had at depth was the first time I'd hit 100'. I started checking my gear for pressure issues, and the Sherwood Minimus octo wouldn't breathe hardly at all. That was scary, 'cos it'd probably be the one I was stuck with in the event of someone grabbing my primary out of my mouth. After that, I made a regular habit of occasionally diving the octo just to make sure it's all good at depth. Hopefully, it's comforting for my partner (if they even notice). In fact, that's my octo in the profile photo.

Edited by Desert_Diver, 01 March 2006 - 12:36 PM.

[matts1w]

I admit I am a bit biased, but visit a Scubapro dealer and look at an MK25 and S600. No matter what your level of diving, you will find it a strong option.

[PerroneFord]

No, all regs are NOT created equally. Given your diving environment, I would strongly encourage you to look for an environmentally sealed unit.

The suggestions for ScubaPro and Apeks mirror my own. I dive with Dive Rite regs (you've used them) because of cost, proximity to service, and quality. I would be equaly happy with Apeks regs, if not more so. I would not purchase ScubaPro regs, but that is a personal choice and has nothing to do with their quality.

I also have an Oceanic Delta that I use on my single tank setup, and it works fine for my recreational needs.

[Dive_Girl]

I admit I am a bit biased, but visit a Scubapro dealer and look at an MK25 and S600. No matter what your level of diving, you will find it a strong option.

Keep in mind the MK25 is not environmentally sealed, but the MK17 is, if that is an important feature in making your regulator selection.

[finGrabber]

my favorite regs are my ScubaPro MK10's with G250

I can and have breathed a tank down to 50psi and the reg breathed the same...I wouldn't have been able to tell except by my gauges; I'm perfectly happy with my regs and so I really don't want to try others

[Vessper]

I have the aqua lung legend LX and love it. I tried a few different types before my purchase.

[ddierolf]

Apeks 200, 50 & 40. I dive cold water and warm water, clear and very mucky. I been scoulded by my LDS for having them so full of gunk a few times, but never had an issue with them not working properly or having them serviced.