Scubapro Mk2 + R290 - why spend more?

Neo Mini <krisavon2001@cutthisout.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in
news:1109110399.1c68f450df3729c1aba0a8f7f00cd738@t eranews:

> Tony Howard wrote:
>> That's always assuming that your are in the UK )
>>
>>
>> "Tony Howard" <tony@samesamediving.com> wrote in message
>> news:421b9cf1.0@entanet...
>>
>>>Why not wait until the LIDS show at the end of next week ?
>>>
>>>Many of the exhibitors will have special discounts and even those shops
>>>not exhibiting will have 'Show Offers'.
>>>
>>>You could pick up an Apeks ATX40 or ATX509 at a good discount.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
> Sorry to let the buy British side down folks. After a fair old session
> in the dive shop with a really helpful shop owner (the first one to ever
> take a couple of regs to bits in front of me and give me some clues on
> what to look for)I now own an Oceanics GT reg with a CDX5 1st stage.
> Hopefully I won't be disappointed!

Now why did you do that?

--
Michael Wolf
------------

Cthulhu for President! Why settle for the lesser evil?

remove stopspam to reply

Michael Wolf wrote:
> Neo Mini <krisavon2001@cutthisout.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in
> news:1109110399.1c68f450df3729c1aba0a8f7f00cd738@t eranews:
>
>
>>Tony Howard wrote:
>>
>>>That's always assuming that your are in the UK )
>>>
>>>
>>>"Tony Howard" <tony@samesamediving.com> wrote in message
>>>news:421b9cf1.0@entanet...
>>>
>>>
>>>>Why not wait until the LIDS show at the end of next week ?
>>>>
>>>>Many of the exhibitors will have special discounts and even those shops
>>>>not exhibiting will have 'Show Offers'.
>>>>
>>>>You could pick up an Apeks ATX40 or ATX509 at a good discount.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>Sorry to let the buy British side down folks. After a fair old session
>>in the dive shop with a really helpful shop owner (the first one to ever
>>take a couple of regs to bits in front of me and give me some clues on
>>what to look for)I now own an Oceanics GT reg with a CDX5 1st stage.
>>Hopefully I won't be disappointed!
>
>
> Now why did you do that?
>
I gathered my purchase might be controversial as there seem to be a lot
of Apeks fans in this group. I did consider LIDS but by the time I'd
paid for the car / train journey I figured that it might be more
economical to spend the travel money on improving my reg beyond the
Scubapro Mk2 / R290 set up I originally looked at. The Oceanics GT reg
with Alpha 7 octopus, CDX 5 1st stage and console all came to £275 as a
package. An Apeks set was going to cost me £330. I'm happy and the
reviews I found on the net (including Divernet) suggest I didn't make a
bad purchase. I'm off to test my new kit out next week and I hope I
won't be disappointed.

In article <1109280946.7398b0f4cc1c7f1b5f7f5864b19b46e9@teran ews>,
krisavon2001@cutthisout.yahoo.co.uk says...
> I gathered my purchase might be controversial as there seem to be a lot
> of Apeks fans in this group. I did consider LIDS but by the time I'd
> paid for the car / train journey I figured that it might be more
> economical to spend the travel money on improving my reg beyond the
> Scubapro Mk2 / R290 set up I originally looked at. The Oceanics GT reg
> with Alpha 7 octopus, CDX 5 1st stage and console all came to £275 as a
> package. An Apeks set was going to cost me £330. I'm happy and the
> reviews I found on the net (including Divernet) suggest I didn't make a
> bad purchase. I'm off to test my new kit out next week and I hope I
> won't be disappointed.

My GF and I own about 20 regulators between us. Our main regs are Apeks
and Beuchat, but there are some Oceanics among the ones we use
regularly. They are rock solid good performers, very simple and easy to
work on. I think you will be happy.

The Oceanics do have some mechanical stupidity around the ports, which
require a specific but not uncommon hose fitting design. It is a
standard 3/8-24 thread, but there has to be a longer round section
between the thread and the hex, or it will not seal. Be careful of this
if you change hoses.

Al Wells wrote:
> In article <1109280946.7398b0f4cc1c7f1b5f7f5864b19b46e9@teran ews>,
> krisavon2001@cutthisout.yahoo.co.uk says...
>
>>I gathered my purchase might be controversial as there seem to be a lot
>>of Apeks fans in this group. I did consider LIDS but by the time I'd
>>paid for the car / train journey I figured that it might be more
>>economical to spend the travel money on improving my reg beyond the
>>Scubapro Mk2 / R290 set up I originally looked at. The Oceanics GT reg
>>with Alpha 7 octopus, CDX 5 1st stage and console all came to £275 as a
>>package. An Apeks set was going to cost me £330. I'm happy and the
>>reviews I found on the net (including Divernet) suggest I didn't make a
>>bad purchase. I'm off to test my new kit out next week and I hope I
>>won't be disappointed.
>
>
> My GF and I own about 20 regulators between us. Our main regs are Apeks
> and Beuchat, but there are some Oceanics among the ones we use
> regularly. They are rock solid good performers, very simple and easy to
> work on. I think you will be happy.
>
> The Oceanics do have some mechanical stupidity around the ports, which
> require a specific but not uncommon hose fitting design. It is a
> standard 3/8-24 thread, but there has to be a longer round section
> between the thread and the hex, or it will not seal. Be careful of this
> if you change hoses.
Thanks Al. I'll remember that.

Al Wells <al.wells@gmail.com> pounded away at his keyboard resulting
in:
:My GF and I own about 20 regulators between us.

Why? What do you do with them all?

Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

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In article <khls115n6htpe09pb01qkeoege1jb9293q@4ax.com>,
NOTbracuk@pathcom.com says...
> Al Wells <al.wells@gmail.com> pounded away at his keyboard resulting
> in:
> :My GF and I own about 20 regulators between us.
>
> Why? What do you do with them all?

Back gas regs, stage bottle regs, deco regs, and some extras

>> The truth, however, is that there is exactly one piece in that kit which
>> is
>> actually "special" - the seat - and that the seat often does not need
>> replacing.
>
> Mine's been replaced every time my regulator has been serviced.
>
> Lee
The question is rather did it actually need replacing or is it simply
replaced because its part of the kit.

I've been servicing my 9 Apeks regs for a few years now and only once has a
seat actually failed and the part NEEDING replacement. In fact sometimes
the original nylon surface becomes 'paired' to the seat edge and a new seat
needs time to 'bed in'.

O rings needs regular replacement simply because they have a limited life,
become deformed, dry & perished (especially when used with O2 and Nitrox).
That and the cleaning & re-lubrication are the main benefits of the overhaul
/ service.

> The question is rather did it actually need replacing or is it simply
> replaced because its part of the kit.

Not a bad question, but since all parts are paid for by Scuba Pro and the
service is for a fixed price, who cares?

> I've been servicing my 9 Apeks regs for a few years now and only once has
> a seat actually failed and the part NEEDING replacement.

The idea of annual service is to fix things before they fail, not push them
to the point where they do.

Apex is the only regulator company I know of that I've heard will provide
parts to the public. Nice if true everywhere.

Lee

I'm a recreational AOW diver with fairly limited experience and no
Nitrox ticket (as yet). I'm managing to take two dive trips abroad each
year (e.g. Red Sea, Malta, Maldives whenever I can get a last minute
cheap deal) and a couple of local dives in at home off the UK south
coast, just to stop my knowledge levels deteriorating too much. I've
decided to invest in a BCD and reg, but my budget is rather tight.

I've pretty much decided on a Cressi Aquapro 5 BCD (good price, good
fit, looks well made) but I'm stuck for advice on regs. A 'Black Pearl'
looks great but is out of the question because I can't justify that kind
of money for 20 dives a year. The Scubapro Mk2 / R290 set up seems to
have no pose value but I found it did the job just fine for me when I
hired one on my last trip and my old dive school swears by them. I can
also afford a standard (non-titanium) Cressi Sub Ellipse reg if it was
worth the extra £40 - £50. I'd be grateful for any views on whether
either of these regs are worthwhile buys or whether I should be
considering any other options.

I believe you should go with the scuba pro, of the two you looked at.
extra £40 - £50 not worth the it for the Cressi.

I do not usually recommend people buying regs on basses of price. That and I
do not approve of unbalanced 1st stages, No matter what the manufacture
says.
A suggestion would be to wait and save up a few more pounds and get a
Balanced 1st stage reg.

Thanks for reading and best of luck.