Decent cold water regulators...

[narked]

Now that I am about to start working (money, woooo) I'm about to upgrade my regulator. Currently I'm using a cheap Oceanic Alpha 7, which although it works, has it's problems. If you don't take it out of your mouth in the right way, or too quickly, it freeflows, which is a bit of a pain when doing reg retrieval exercises and so on. It's also not the best performer in cold water. I'm looking to upgrade to something a bit more substantial and reliable, for use mainly in British waters, in temperatures ranging from around 4 degrees celsius and upwards, though possibly occasionally slightly colder. Depth isn't likely to be any more than 40m. Currently using normal air, though I'm thinking about getting nitrox qualified early next year, so a reg that can be 02 cleaned would be a bonus.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[Amphibious]

O2 cleaned?? For nitrox?? Save some of that new found money! if your mix is not richer then 40%, don't bother getting it cleaned!

Have a look at the Apeks line of regs. I use the DS4/ATX50 and am VERY happy with it. I use it for Northcoast Canadian waters and have never had a problem.

Willer

 

[narked]

Cheers, was considering Apeks as one of the options. They seem more than up to the job!

Any thoughts on Poseidon regs, they seem like they'd be quite handy if I ever manage to save some pennies for a twinset. Failing that does anyone know of more "standard" style regs that can be setup so that the hose connects on the left rather than the right?

Cheers!
Matt

 

[Amphibious]

forget the poseidons, the Apeks regs are MUCH BETTER, and use standard fittings. I'll try to dig up an article I have on "Why Poseiden regs are Garbage" and PM it to you.

Willer

 

[narked]

Cheers dude, would be much appreciated!

 

[Jon]

Posieden regs are garbage for cold water compared to Apeks.

I used to have a Poseiden reg and got rid of it after it started to freeze up on me and SPIT ICE down my throat while I was doing a salvage job under 4' of pack ice and no viz!

A friend of mine was using one and it froze up on him. That isn't a big deal on a "normal" regulator, but on the Posieden it means that they STOP giving you air- since they're an upstream reg.

They also have funky, read expensive, second-stage hose and you can't rip them apart as easy as a normal reg.

A DS4/TX50 tuned down to around 120 psi (I.P.) will do the trick for cold water diving. IF your going deep put some helium in your mix, then you can use any kid of regulator and won't have to worry much about it freezing up on you- even "Scubaflows".

There are a bunch of other reasons not to get a Posieden, but I just gave you my personal problems with the reg. They used to be top of the line, in 1987, but other regs have really overshadowed them in the past decade.

Jon

 

[jeadiver]

Willer:

I currently use a Posieden reg and am on the verge of buying another. I had always used use Sherwood before that (found them very reliable), but was talked into the Posieden by a some folks who sang thier praises. Can you send a copy of the Why Posiedens are trash" aticle to me also?

Thanks.

Joe.

 

[eios]

Hi narked
I have used a aqua lung Titan Glacia -perfect for cold conditions
here in norway - 2 today brrrrrrrrrrrrr.

eios

 

[newerdiver]

Has anyone else used the Aqualung Glacia for cold water diving?
And has anyone used a
ScubaPro MK16 (diaphram),
Zeagel DS4 or
Sherwood Blizzard for cold water/ice diving?

How do they stack up?

 

[Jon]

We haven't had the best luck with the Glacia.

DS-4's are very good.

Scubapro's will work if you avoid the piston models and lower the I.P. to less than 120psi.

Blizzards will work, but they breath like crap compared to the other models you mentioned.

Jon

 

[newerdiver]

Ahh, I'm considering the Zeagle, too.

For the ScubaPro reg, would the (less expensive) R390 second stage work (it's a downstream valve, so does it risk freezing up??), or do you need the S550 second stage, an 'air-balanced linear flow' valve.
(The SP website doesn't have much useful info for cold diving...)

When the Blizzards breathe like crap, does this apply to heavy breathers, or to everyone. Will they show problems during deep dives?

Do other AquaLung regs work better than the Glacia?
Also, I've head AL's are expensive to service (more parts/expensive parts).
Has anyone experienced this?

 

[feign]

I agree with the Apeks recommendations. I use Atx200 first and seconds in 4 Celsius water numerous times and never have had a freeze up, while my buddies other regs have frozen many times. These regs breathe flawlessly and will perform the same for you at 300 feet as they will at 50ft. Bennett used Tx100s at 1000ft+. Also, Narked you may be able to get a better price on them over there as they are made in England.

 

[feign]

Jon,

I just noticed your picture. Is that a Gates drysuit? A dive buddy of mine has that same one I think. He says it is awesome suit.

 

[John A]

Cant help with cold water issues but overall performance, go with the TX50/DS4. I have owned Poseidons (odins), Scubapro (G-250/MK20) and the Apex. Got rid of all of the Poseidons, only use the SP's as stage regs. The TX50 breaths as good or better than the Odin (Jetstream) and smoother.

 

[Jon]

Feign, that is my father-in-law in his Gates suit. They are very tough and we sell a number of them. I prefer a DUI for the comfort featuers, but have used Gates suits in the past and can vuage for their toughness.

John A., I had the same expericences and got rid of my Posiedens after they started spitting ice chunks down my throat while doing a slavage job under the ice one winter. I've seen a number of Scubapro's freeze around here- thus, earning the nickname "scubaflows", but if tuned down, and using enough helium in your mix, they will work.

Apeks have been the best regulators I have used to date.

Jon

 

[londonsean69]

I use Apeks DST4 with ATX40, you don't really need that little knob on the side of the ATX50, it just changes the cracking resistance, and can be changed on the ATX40 using an allen key (on the surface obviously) I have used them in the muddy puddle called Wraysbury, in 3c water and silt everywhere, and they were fine.
Haven't been seviced in nearly 2 years and still perform flawlessly.

P.S. Feign, I think that the regs would actually perform BETTER at 300ft than at 50ft, because at 300ft you would be using trimix, and as helium is a much lighter and smaller molecule than nitrogen, any reg performs better when used with trimix.

 

[feign]

londonsean,
yes your point about trimix is true. My point was just that they perform excellent under any conditions. As some regulators I have breathed are like sucking through a straw once you get down a few atmospheres.

 

[Bobco]

Apex 200's the best regs money can buy, well untill you are talking silly money, and I still think I would buy them then.

Bobco.

 

[londonsean69]

Feign

I have breathed from some regulators that are like a McDonalds milkshake on the surface, you do an impression of Private Pile from Full Metal Jacket "Trying to suck a golf ball up a hosepipe"!!

ATX200 probably are the best that (sensible) money can buy, but I like my ATX40's, they have served me admirably, and would rather spend the extra cash on something else, like an argon inflation setup (getting cold round here again)

 

[JaC]

Aqualung Glacia

What was the point with Aqualung Glacia ?
And you mean IInd stage Glacia attached to Cousteau D or rather Titan Supreme Ist stage ?
JaC


> We haven't had the best luck with the Glacia.