first timer which regulator?

[aristoff]

Hello everyone, I am just getting into this sport and love it, I am still purchasing equipment and looking for advise on regulators to purchase. I like Scubapro, only because that is what was used for the pool training.

Thanks

???

[LKunze]

I'd recommend the Apeks ATX50/ATX40 reg set or the Zeagle ZX50 DS4 regs. Both are excellent regs and great for coldwater and have environmentally sealed diaphram first stages. They are both priced very close to the same. I know several divers on the board here dive the Apeks and the Zeagles. I dive the Apeks ATX50/ATX40 and am very happy with them. There are several shops in the twin cities that carry both the Apeks and Zeagle lines.

[jasondbaker]

Buy first and second stages which are designed for cold water use if you plan to dive in Minnesota. Lonnie provided some excellent recommendations for cold water regs.

You may want to consider holding off on a gear purchase right away. You can rent gear from diveshops and try different brands. Some shops let you rent gear for an entire season and then buy it at the end of the year. Try to get a couple dozen dives under your belt. Check out the gear that more experienced divers are using. You will save money and end up with better equipment.

[tim]

I'll second on the apeks. I have been very happy with mine.

Tim

[beeger]

Jason has a good point. Rent some different gear at different shops and see what you like. But keep this in mind: the performance of a first or second stage can be *drastically* altered by how it is tuned by the service technician. Cranking a reg way up for high air flow can make it seem to breathe better, but can lead to freeflows (especially in cold water), positive pressure breathing (which some people seem to like) and a frequent need for some servicing/tuning. Tuning it down can help prevent freeflows and make the reg more cold water compatible, deliver more stable performance, but also make it seem to not breathe as well. While the manufacturers publish specs to use when servicing a reg, these are not always followed because the technician will usually alter the tuning based on experience (this can be a good or bad thing depending on the technician).

Now that being said I've had very good luck with some of the current Apeks and Aqua Lung models. I know others who speak well of the Zeagles.

When you look to buy a reg consider not only the manufacturer but who will be your technician/shop. The relationship is an important one and you should feel comfortable not only with the brand/model but who will be standing behind it.

[aristoff]

Thanks for the great information provided by everyone, that makes sense to buy from a good shop that will back and service the equipment. being new, is there a lot of dive group that go out during the summer??

[Dirk Diggler]

I've been diving a Scubapro now for 10 yrs locally and tropical, its never let me down. Been diving since '84 and had some others before, and very happy I switched. Just logged my 1251st dive during an ice dive with it and once again performed like a champ.

Purchased a new one last year for my wife, did my research and havent found anything that breathes so good. Keeping her comfortable was a big key. I also like the warranty and free parts, I believe in servicing my gear regularly. I'm really sold on the Scubapro, though a good quality service technician is key. Cost of service is cheap, maybe equilivant to the cost of a dive in the Carribbean. To me its worth keeping my gear up and not taking chances. I dive a lot in every imaginable condition, the last thing I want is to worry about my gear. I would also check with the shop you are going to purchase from and have them detail everything they will do when servicing it. Any regulator can become a poor performer and it may come down to its service work being substandard. Lots of forums complain on this, and finding a good tech is golden.

How do you know a good tech? Ask to speak with them. But if you see a someone who talks on and on about how they've serviced gear for decades and decades and knows everything in the world - all the while he's sitting over the repair desk with a lit cigarette in his mouth, you better know its time to look elsewhere.

"Like" is purely subjective, there are many good regulators and you have to find one with better than average performance, support, service, and local expertise. You'll only go wrong if you overlook those things.

For groups diving, if you find affiliation with a shop you like, they may have lots of times they offer to buddy up with them at the lake. There are members here on mnscuba who try to get together throughout the summer, and there's also another group, twin cities dive club that has outings also. This sport has really become special for a lot of us, make time to get active with those you find a good fit with. There is no 'try', just 'do'! Get a set of gear and you will dive more.

Have fun and be a safe diver.

[LRRP02]

You should look at what is available in your area as far as service goes and how up dated the technition is. If they aren't current on their training I would be a little skeptical than. In the past ten years of the 30 year I've been diving I have had SubaPro, Posiden, US Divers, I have a Sherwood Maximus now you can adjust the breathing from free flow to harder breathing in the event of a freeze up. I did try a Genesis OZ it was awesome and adjustable to but the price just for the 1st stage and primary was almost a $1000.00 but it is titanimum and both it and the sherwood are dry first stages. I'd rate the best so far as the OZ (to spendy) Sherwood Max, Posiden, Scuba Pro But look at what you can afford and the service you are going to get when needed Over all they are all tops when you have good service support

LT

[willadams67]

I just bought a new reg this year so have spent some time looking at them. I bought a Zeagle DS-5, it was between that or an Apex can't remember the model. I picked these because they had environmentaly sealed first stages. I guess I trusted that better then adding a cold water kit. and they both seemed to rate high with people who use them.

[willadams67]

leisurepro.com has many regs to choose from. I am not saying you should buy from them but they have a nice little program where you can pick some common features that you want on your reg and it selects the regs with those features. It will help you start to toss out choices. I think they offer something like 75 diffrent regs. including OMS, apex, zeagle, dacore, mares, ect..