I took the liberty of asking instructors and commercial divers (with at lease 1,000 dives or more) a question about regulators to be used on doubles (twins) since I am going to diving with doubles next season and may be doing deeper dives. I originally solicited answers privately from these divers but decided to make a blog out of it since this question may rest in someone elses mind and may prove helpful. **NOTE** I eliminated there names and email addresses for their own privacy.


Question I asked:


I got a question for you. Since you have alot of experience, what brand of regulator do you think is the best for deep diving for wrecks but you are still able to breath quite comfortably at shallow depths? I am going to do doubles next season and am doing some research before I go and spend my hard earned money. I want an unbiased opinion. Which brand and what model and why?


Thanks,


Mike


IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD TO THIS, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT AND WELCOME THE ANSWERS.


Answers I Got:


1.You may think about a MARES RUBY, or Black Diamond.They`re about $500 each.I use poseidons in my AGA but look at the work load I have and the conditions! And get the same quality reg for your Octo, because that is YOUR life support source!Don`t go for a cheap octo!!If you get a ruby get 2, one for primary and one for octo.Never skimp when YOUR LIFE is on the line.I tell all my student`s that,and I don`t sell gear!!Poseidon`s are great but realistacly how often are you going to dive ice conditions, or tri-mix to 300`??From your photos I can see you`re a warm water guy!! :) I go with Mares or Sherwood.They are quality company`s and I haven`t drowned yet!! LOL SCUBAPRO is also primo.More to tell you but out of space and letters. New Training blogs on my site!


2.Sure, I have some unbridled advice for you... Regulators are built to work. If they aren`t built to work, people die. Most every brand name regulator out there will deliver air for you at sport diving depths. If you are diving deep and doing wrecks, you should be fully redundant, but you don`t have to get two $1,000 regulators to do the job. I like Sherwood regulators. I have a 20 year old magnum that I put on my pony bottle and I have a Maximus that I use as my primary. I have a shadow alternate second stage and if I going deeper than sixty, I add a 19` pony configured like a stage bottle. The Sherwoods work well and they are downright cheap compared to ScubaPro and some of the other designer products. I like the exhaust tee - which is wider than most, less bubbles in my face - and the I like the under arm configuration (search the Sherwood site to see what I am talking about.) I have also used just about every reg out there and came up with the conclusion that almost none of them suck and the marketing about how fantastic one is over another is 99% nonsense. No one regulator has ever stood out in my memory as being clearly superior. If you are going deeper than 130 fsw or going to do wreck or cave penetrations - forget my advice. I only sport dive any more and if you want to put yourself into tech diving environments, talk to tech divers about what to get.


3.My only experience in 27 years of diving both as a open water diver and instructor is with SCUBA Pro, and US Divers. Of those two I personally would go with a SCUBA Pro MK25 - S600 Reg. for your deep diving, or the MK10-G250 as an overall very good unit. I know you might pay a little more for the name. But in the long run I think you just can`t beat it. In my opinion they have the best quality, and by far the best warranty. Case in point, I have been diving with my MK10-G250 for about 20 years, and it`s more than likely it will go another 20. And thats using in swimming pools, Lake Erie, Quarries, and salt water. That`s year round with only it`s annual maintenance, and I beat the c**p out of it. No ice diving though, I may be crazy, but not stupid. Well I hope this helps you out. One note, remember this stuff is nothing less than LIFE SUPPORT equipment, don`t skimp, just to try and save a few bucks.