Regs for DIR/Tech Diver

[Venio]

What would be a good primary/safe second reg for a DIR/Tech diver also why?

Thanks.

[medic001918]

That's a very open ended question. It depends on where you're diving and the type of diving your doing. Technical diving is rather broad. Commonly, you'll see Apeks, ScubaPro & Atomic for regs. Apeks & ScubaPro probably have the largest following in the technical realms it seems though. Apeks offer's free parts for life during your rebuilds provided you obtain the regs through an authorized dealer. They breathe easy, and tend to be ultra reliable. This doesn't mean that there aren't other regs that can and do get the job done, but these ones tend to be most popular. I wish that ST carried Apeks, or could get them since the wife and I will be buying two doubles set ups this weekend.

Shane

[skdvr]

Originally Posted by medic001918

That's a very open ended question. It depends on where you're diving and the type of diving your doing. Technical diving is rather broad. Commonly, you'll see Apeks, ScubaPro & Atomic for regs. Apeks & ScubaPro probably have the largest following in the technical realms it seems though. Apeks offer's free parts for life during your rebuilds provided you obtain the regs through an authorized dealer. They breathe easy, and tend to be ultra reliable. This doesn't mean that there aren't other regs that can and do get the job done, but these ones tend to be most popular. I wish that ST carried Apeks, or could get them since the wife and I will be buying two doubles set ups this weekend.

Shane

I could be wrong but I think that ST does carry Apeks. They just have a strick policy about selling online. So if you happen to be in the dallas area you could stop in and pick one up. Like I said I am not sure on this but you could give them a call...

Phil

[Aussie]

I like both the Apeks and Zeagle regs. I have the Zeagle Flathead 6 and the Zeagle DSV. I prefer DSV as they have a small first stage and 5 LP ports for better hose configuration. In the Apeks lineup I like the DS4 which would be one of the most popular first stage used by alot of DIR/Tech divers. I would choose the reg in DIN which is the preferred connection with DIR. Buy the DIN reg and they normally give you the yoke adaptor also.

Aussie

[Texas_Aggie06]

Originally Posted by skdvr

I could be wrong but I think that ST does carry Apeks. They just have a strick policy about selling online. So if you happen to be in the dallas area you could stop in and pick one up. Like I said I am not sure on this but you could give them a call...

Phil

i wonder if they sell Apeks over the phone. looks like i'm going to need to give them a call.

[CompuDude]

Apeks, ScubaPro & Atomic are most commonly referenced, but individual models depend on individual needs (and budgets). Other brands can work just as well, but those are the big three you'll see most frequently mentioned.

[peteg]

I too am curious...instead of getting too focused on brand names, what are the characteristics/features good tec first and second stages? What should I be looking for? Obviously dependability and servicability, perhaps cold water features if that applies...

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by peteg

I too am curious...instead of getting too focused on brand names, what are the characteristics/features good tec first and second stages? What should I be looking for? Obviously dependability and servicability, perhaps cold water features if that applies...

All of the above, plus hose routing comes into play as well. An additional consideration can be matching regs to the team, for the sake of parts interchangeability in the field.

See http://www.costablancascuba.com/dir/ for some ideas on hose routing.

[Venio]

Originally Posted by peteg

I too am curious...instead of getting too focused on brand names, what are the characteristics/features good tec first and second stages? What should I be looking for? Obviously dependability and servicability, perhaps cold water features if that applies...

That is what I was asking, but I guess I didn't explained it quite well. For example, should I look for piston or diaphragm design on the first stage. Materials that the stage should be made of and other features important for that. I also make the assumption that such a reg should be practical for ANY kind of diving since one of the main principles of DIR is to have identical equipment for every dive.

Also I currently use a low end Mares R2 first stage with Mares XTR second, should I consider changing it?

Thanks.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by Venio

That is what I was asking, but I guess I didn't explained it quite well. For example, should I look for piston or diaphragm design on the first stage. Materials that the stage should be made of and other features important for that. I also make the assumption that such a reg should be practical for ANY kind of diving since one of the main principles of DIR is to have identical equipment for every dive.

Also I currently use a low end Mares R2 first stage with Mares XTR second, should I consider changing it?

Thanks.

Consistency is important, but not at the expense of having the right equipment for the right dive.

Piston vs. diaphragm is only a significant distinction if the diving you are doing dictates one or the other... ditto for environmentally sealed. If your technical diving is taking you to caves in Florida and Mexico, it's not really critical to have regs that are built specifically to handle cold waters if there are other features that are more important to you. Likewise, if you frequently dive waters that are seriously contaminated or full of sediment, such that having even a high-end piston-style reg could lead to problems, then diaphragm and sealed is going to be the way to go. Similarly, if you're going to be diving a lot of deep wrecks in 30-40 degree water, you'll have a real need for true cold water regs.

Absent such considerations, the field is considerably wider. The ScubaPro MK25/S600 is one of the more popular regs used in technical diving, and yet it's piston design is certainly not sealed, and it is known to have issues with freeze-ups in waters under 40 degrees.

Right tools for the dive. There is no need to use the same regs at all times, because frankly, from an operational standpoint, they all work the same. Insert mouthpiece and breathe. There's no difference in clipping off an Atomic Z1 vs. ScubaPro G250HP vs. Apeks XTX200.

The one thing I would recommend, however, is avoiding Titanium regs. Marketing BS aside, technical diving can lead to using higher percentages of o2 as deco gases, and that is one thing Titanium regs are not recommended for.