View Full Version : advice on regs !
Hi All,
could use some help and advice on what make and type of 1st and 2nd stage regs a novice like me should be buying ! would like to get really good stuff not budget. Been told by some to get Apeks and others tell me Scubapro etc. ...... what do you think. your input would help no end ..cheers Andy :confused:
Always had scubapro regs, simple design that works, very robust, and if your going to dive all year round, then great in cold water. I use MK17 with R395 2nd and R395 Octo with a Mk16 and R390 on my pony. Nice big purge that's easy to use with 7mm gloves. Oh and cheaper than most for spares and servicing.
Apecks for me dive with TX50 main TX40 pony never had a problem in cold fresh water dived all year round. Servicing not to bad either simple easy design can be striped by your self at the water,s side.
Would agree on the Apeks regs as well, perfect for UK diving.
thanks Shog, what do you think of the mk25 ?
atx 50 main and atx 40 as back up for me
Loudy recons Apexs as well, but you can get the mk 25 and an S series for les than the apeks xtx50
MK25 and S Series are a good package.
Loudy recons Apexs as well, but you can get the mk 25 and an S series for les than the apeks xtx50
I wonder why,scubaflow anyone :D
I'd go with either, but get DIN fittings whatever you end up with.
alexmaclennan
27-08-07, 23:11
Whichever one your local dive shop can service well. Apex TX40, I believe, if you want to start servicing your own regs (ask Lizardland).
I use a Mares Abyss regset on single tank with an old (?12 to 15 year old) Apex TX40 on a DS4 first stage on my pony. Twin Apex XTX40s on DST first stages on my twin 7s. They all seem to work the same to me.
My regular buddy always uses Scubapro regs (don't know which ones).
alex
thanks for your reply and imput Alex, all advice and guidance is helpful for me thanks .... its good to know what you all think on the subject !
Dont be tempted to waist yr cash on anything over than the atx50's if you decide on apeks as they are essentially the same internals throughout the rest of the range. try underwater explorers in portland they do deals on reg sets.
Have a look at Oceanic anf the lifetime warrant that comes with them
the build quality is second to none
George
Airmonster
28-08-07, 07:48
I'll add my vote to the Apex range. Been using 2 x TX40 and a TX50 all with DST first stages for over 5 years now and never had any problem with them.
Still a good bit of kit if you can get hold of them as they are now been replaced with the ATX range. Essentially the same, just a bit smaller I think. If you can get hold of the TX range, then they should be a bit cheaper than the ATX.
/Colin. :D
Lizardland
28-08-07, 09:57
Another vote for Apeks. They are really simple, very reliable and probably the cheapest decent reg you can find (if you shop around). I don't buy anything other than the 40's anymore, the more expensive regs' "extras" aren't worth it. I also never buy O2 clean either. My primary reg is one of the first run T40's from about 15yrs ago, never been serviced (just kept clean) and it's never let me down. Scubapro is a good second choice but I think they are over-priced and not as reliable but maybe a slightly better breathe.
Whichever one your local dive shop can service well. Apex TX40, I believe, if you want to start servicing your own regs (ask Lizardland).
Anyone who is part of the Aqualung network should be able to service an Apeks reg (or at least get parts and have the skill to follow the manual).
Yep, they are extremely easy to service yourself if that's what you want to do but it is a leap of faith. You need a few specialized tools but at least you'll never be caught out or held to ransom by a shop.
Cheers,
Stuart
Apeks for me as well. I've got ATX200 primary and octo. Just ordered a XTX40 for my pony.
Gareth has a good point. about not going higher than the 40's. I inherated on ATX200 and ordered a 2nd for my twins (mainly cause I wanted them to be the same and secondly because I didn't know better at the time. I did get a not bad price though).
The addition of the breathing resistance adjustment knob isn't worth it for the money. I never use it. Most times I don't even take the venturi lever off -ve.
Nice regs though.
Lizardland
28-08-07, 12:29
The addition of the breathing resistance adjustment knob isn't worth it for the money. I never use it. Most times I don't even take the venturi lever off -ve.
Even if you decide at a later date you want the X/ATX40 upgraded to a 50 then you can buy an aftermarket kit to modify the 2nd stage. Or just buy a suitably sized allen key :D
Cheers,
Stuart
Even if you decide at a later date you want the X/ATX40 upgraded to a 50 then you can buy an aftermarket kit to modify the 2nd stage. Or just buy a suitably sized allen key :D
Cheers,
Stuart
Allen keys 'R' us :D
It's for the pony. Keeping it simple and reliable ;)
Even if you decide at a later date you want the X/ATX40 upgraded to a 50 then you can buy an aftermarket kit to modify the 2nd stage.
knob to upgrade ATX, XTX, TX40 to 50 is available here (http://www.dustcap.halcyon-hk.com/regknobs.html) (I've just bought one) :rolleyes:
looks like this the Thread sponsored by Apex!!
I use Posieden and cant see past them, have tried some others, including apex and I love the breathe you get from a posieden and they are a proper workhorse...you dont need to service them very often either as they are a simple construction, although you should still service them every year!
I use the Jetstream but if ever upgrading I am going for the x-stream
http://www.poseidon.se/images/dealer.jpg
Lizardland
29-08-07, 01:18
I've got a pair of Poseidon Cyklones which I keep for caving because they are the only reg I've found that can stand up to being dragged through mud and kak. They are very robust, fantastic regs but if you use them in salt water then you need to be really anal about maintenance to keep them working.
I had a set of Jetstreams but never really got on with them. One particularly annoying "feature" I found with them was that when the cylinder pressure got too low to keep the pilot valve closed then they went into freeflow and dumped the last of your gas, not ideal. I also had problems finding someone who could service them properly... as we're not allowed to criticise shops all I'll say was that for £140 servicing costs I got a pair of Jetstreams back from a west end shop that worked worse than when I put them in :rolleyes:
Cheers,
Stuart
TheMacallan
29-08-07, 07:03
I still own (and use in on a bailout tank) one of the early Jetstreams.
I too enjoyed the way it breathed but buddies complained about the amount of noise it made at the cracking pressure.
Servicing costs are high and as Stuart has said the odds of your LDS doing it spot on first time is low.
It was my primary reg for many years and I had no problems with it apart from after servicing.
If I REALLY need to go OC these days I use an Apex TX50. Apex would be my recommendation.
I bought Apeks and have ATX50s for primary and octopus. They are fine, but they are very sensitive when new in the cold or after a service in the cold. I normally take them back a couple of times after each service until they settle down after being reset by the shop.
I can tinker with them to stop them freeflowing, but with a not very good solution!
I have replaced the ATX50 octopus with an egress, which has no fiddly bits and seems to work fine, although I now have the spare ATX50 on the pony cylinder I have just bought.
In comparison I have not seen Chris' Posidens free flowing in the same way - although they did bomb entirely on one dive this year and he needed to borrow a set of regs, which I haven't (yet) been forced to do. Now ready to de-assemble the pony set as an emergency backup on a shallower dive if necessary (please, no responses - I dived for the last 8 years without a pony!).
Equally the school we used originally, use Scubapros (I think) which were more basic and cheaper than the Apeks I've got and they seem to be pretty bombproof. However maybe that's only when I see them and they might be just as flightly after servicing than the (well maybe just my) Apeks.
Anyway I would have thought most of the better known brands should be okay (the others might be as well, I just wouldn't spend alot of money on them unless you can be sure) - someone said get DIN, which I would agree with as they might be theoretically safer (although previous posts here show no one actually having a problem with a-clamps), however they can be used with a converter on either cylinder format (although the cylinders can (all?) be converted back and forth too). DIN 300 bar also allows you to use 300 bar cylinders (is there a DIN 232?) - even if you're not planning on using 300 bar, my regs were the same price with 300 bar DIN as 232 A-clamp and gives you the option to use 300 bar in the future.
Having never had top of the range regs myself, I don't know if anyone feels there is huge benefit from the more expensive sets, but like one of the posts above I do not play with the various buttons anyway, just leaving it at -ve.
You will also want to get the cold water regs as well I assume.
In the end this is a bit like buying computers used to be and mobile phones are now - everyone has their own opinion and you'll need to make up your own mind on what you'v eheard, some of which will clearly be contradictory. Have fun!
Definately go for 300 Bar DIN fittings on your first stage.
These can be used directly with 300 and 232 bar DIN fitting tanks. You can also buy a DIN to A Clamp converter to allow you to use A Clamped cylinders (~£15)
You can't use 232 regs on a 300 cylinder. (The thread on 300 is longer than the 232, therefore the 232 reg can't reach the sealing face in a 300 pillar valve. Prevents you blowing up your regs)
This site (http://www.ukrecscuba.org.uk/ukdiver/dinyoke.htm) explains it in more detail.
Lizardland
29-08-07, 13:50
You can also buy a DIN to A Clamp converter to allow you to use A Clamped cylinders (~£15)
You get them free with some regs. Poseidons come with an a-clamp converter (and an allen key, got to justify the £270 somehow:D ). I'm sure someone else does as well.
Most new cylinders I've bought in the last few years have a removable insert which turns them into 200bar DIN valves.
Cheers,
Stuart
I've a set of Sherwood Oasis regs that brought in Kuwait, which are sold as warm water regs, However a quick call to Sherwood prior to using them at home confirmed they would perform just as well in cold water as warm. 4 degrees off burntisland and no problems at all, in fact my buddy at the time also used them and she said they breathed better than her Apeks regs.
Maybe this cold/hot is bit more of a marketing ploy than some are aware of.
I also had problems finding someone who could service them properly... as we're not allowed to criticise shops all I'll say was that for £140 servicing costs I got a pair of Jetstreams back from a west end shop that worked worse than when I put them in :rolleyes:
Cheers,
Stuart
Never had a problem with servicing, it is slightly more expensive for a service, but I personally think it is worth it.
The quote from Peter about my regs blowing completely was after 2 years of limited diving (working away from home) without a service, they immediately went in for a service and have been good since.
Scubapro MK16 R390 3 years and works perfectly without having a service !:D . Though i don't condone this but i do work off the if it ain't broke don't fix it mentality. Only reason i use Scubapro regs is that you can get a service in the Maldives, where they could not service Apeks as they had never heard of them:confused:
Also agree with the 300 bar din fittings,i used a tx50 for 100+ dives and it was great (now on my pony) after changing to the xtx 200 i know it's bling but it was cheap,it is a really smooth breathe and i do fiddle with the adjustment knob which really does make a difference.
Only reason i use Scubapro regs is that you can get a service in the Maldives, where they could not service Apeks as they had never heard of them:confused:
They might not have heard of apeks but they will have heard of aqua lung which is the same company,i'll find out soon enough when my apeks go to the maldives a week on monday :D
They use Aqualung BCD's on Summer Island so your probably right, so stay with Apex or Scubapro as they are the cheapest to service and you will have no problems seling them on again.I just like Scubapro due to there small size and breathing:D .
Also agree with the 300 bar din fittings,i used a tx50 for 100+ dives and it was great (now on my pony) after changing to the xtx 200 i know it's bling but it was cheap,it is a really smooth breathe and i do fiddle with the adjustment knob which really does make a difference.
I don't think you should talk about fiddling with knobs while still using that avatar :eek:
I agree with PeterM you should change that AVATAR you gay boy :D :D
I thought I was on the wrong forum at first!!