Long lasting Regs...

[ArmyDiver]

Hello again,
Yes, I know, another gear question. I've almost got it all sorted out, I promise. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a reg (1st and 2nd stage) that would take the beating of being used on a daily basis for 2-3 dives a day for months on end. I was thinking about getting the Oceanic EOS because I liked its small size and the swivel to help with jaw fatigue. I've also never heard a bad thing about it. It seems like it would hold up nicely. The 1st stage looks like it might not take the heavy use. I'm not sure, but it looks like it might even have plastic on it. Any suggestions as to a good setup, including backup reg, for a decent price? Prefferably something that could be found on ST because I want to get a big order together and bring it to them for some substantial savings. Thanks as always.

[fire diver]

I know that Sherwood regs are built like tanks. Many dive ops use them for thier rental fleet becuase they can take a lot of abuse and keep on working. I don't know if ST sells them or not, becuase I don't feel like waiting 10 minutes for the hajinet to download the pages. I have owned one and liked it alot. Of course, then same can be said for my ScubaPro regs, but I know they stopped being an authorized dealer for them.

[DMWiz]

Didn't you print our original chat?

Zeagle - then pick your price point!

This DR RG2500 is bullet proof and at a great price too.

I'm not a Mares fan, but this looks like a great bargain!

[ArmyDiver]

Haha, Ya got me DMwiz. I tried to remember what the suggestions were but couldn't. I'll check these out. Thanks!

[CompuDude]

Any good reg should hold up well. I've certainly heard Sherwood's rep for durable regs, unfortunately they're not really considered to be among the best performing regs, just regs that'll take a serious amount of abuse.

I'm inclined towards ScubaPro and Atomics, personally. Atomics have a two-year service cycle that is longer than many others (usually 1 year), which is indicative of how long they expect to keep going. That said, most regs are rated for service annually, or every 100 dives or so, so if you're doing more dives per year than that, you may want to consider having them serviced more frequently. Many instructors I know who wrack up several hundred dives per year have their regs serviced every 6 months.

[BSea]

I really can't think of a reg that is known to be delicate. If you want something that can take a beating, you might look into a metal 2nd stage as opposed to plastic. If you want something bullet proof, I'd suggest a new conshelf 14. The problem is finding one. I think Aqualung has finally discontinued them after almost 30 years of service. But there will be service kits, or parts for many years to come as they have almost the same guts as the Titans in the 1st stage. The 2nd stage is just some O-rings & a seat with a lock nut. Nothing exotic that can't be found easily. I have one I bought in 80 or 81, that is still going strong. I also bought a new one off ebay about a year ago.

Of course if you want something with some "REAL" longevity, the reg in my avitar is 50 years old either this year or last, and it still dives great.

[rawalker]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

Any good reg should hold up well. I've certainly heard Sherwood's rep for durable regs, unfortunately they're not really considered to be among the best performing regs, just regs that'll take a serious amount of abuse.

I'm inclined towards ScubaPro and Atomics, personally. Atomics have a two-year service cycle that is longer than many others (usually 1 year), which is indicative of how long they expect to keep going. That said, most regs are rated for service annually, or every 100 dives or so, so if you're doing more dives per year than that, you may want to consider having them serviced more frequently. Many instructors I know who wrack up several hundred dives per year have their regs serviced every 6 months.

Granted if you say "among the best performing" Sherwood hasn't been known for that. Maybe the SR-1 will be considered there after it becomes more mainstream and the price adjusts to it not being their newest reg offering. But I'd have to say that they can and do perform as well as the majority of mid to lower higher end regs available. Not only this but the Blizzard and Maximus are renouned for cold water performance.
I have an Oasis I started diving with that breaths very well yet it isn't near the performance of my current reg a Oceanic Delta 4 FDX10.
I'd make the statement that the Sherwood line may be a best value at each price point because of the lines documented durabilty and above average performance. Certainly when they are on sale they are worth serious consideration unless high end performance becomes your only consideration.

[JCAT]

Originally Posted by BSea

I really can't think of a reg that is known to be delicate. If you want something that can take a beating, you might look into a metal 2nd stage as opposed to plastic. If you want something bullet proof, I'd suggest a new conshelf 14. The problem is finding one. I think Aqualung has finally discontinued them after almost 30 years of service. But there will be service kits, or parts for many years to come as they have almost the same guts as the Titans in the 1st stage. The 2nd stage is just some O-rings & a seat with a lock nut. Nothing exotic that can't be found easily. I have one I bought in 80 or 81, that is still going strong. I also bought a new one off ebay about a year ago.

Of course if you want something with some "REAL" longevity, the reg in my avitar is 50 years old either this year or last, and it still dives great.

Just bought a beat-up, abused Conshelf IV the other day. Hoping to bring it back to working order. I like metal regs!

[CODMAN]

If you do not abuse it (bang it around, drag it in sand, etc...), pretty much any decent reg on the market today will last you a long long time, even with daily use! This said, if you use it as often as you said, you are going to have to service it a bit more regularly. But that goes for all of them!

Cheers!

[BSea]

Originally Posted by JCAT

Just bought a beat-up, abused Conshelf IV the other day. Hoping to bring it back to working order. I like metal regs!

A IV? or a VI, or a XIV? I've never heard of a IV. I have a VI. I serviced it, but mostly just for fun, and to make it work. But I don't use it. I do use a Scuba Pro 109 2nd stage as an oct for my Phoenix. You have a Phoenix too, don't you?