regulator

[cubano2480]

Hi!!!

I`m new on this hobby scuba diving and I don't know much so need helppppp I already have some equipment..I got the BC,mask,fins ext ext what I need now is the regulator and computer what can u guys recommend me I don`t want to buy top off the line but I want something good ....

is ok to buy the equipment online or is better to buy in the locals stores???

my english sucks I now.


THANKS A LOT FOR U HELP

 

[starsbravo]

I just (yesterday) bought myself a Scubapro MK25 S600. Supposed to be a very good reg. I wont know til next month when Ill actually get to use it.

 

[cubano2480]

cool!! how much u pay for it??? du u buy u equipment online or at the locals store???

thanks buddy

 

[starsbravo]

Well I bought it from a local dive shop in a package deal along with a MK17 setup for my girlfriend. Total was around 900 for both regs, gauges and octo. So I really dont know how much it was by itself. I do know that leisure pro has some really good deals. I looked up the same reg (MK25) on their site and it was around 450 for just the 1st and 2nd stage. I dont think thats a bad deal since it retails for around 600. Good luck finding one. When I use mine next month, ill let you know how it is.

 

[fishome25]

i like my titan regulator and suunto gekko computer, buy local

 

[Zephrant]

I spent weeks checking out specs online. I used a Scubapro MK20 with a 550 for dive class and it was fine. I didn't have much else to compare it against. The LDS was willing to sell me a new MK17 with a used class regulator, but even then it was not cheap. The class regs may have been fine inside (and recently serviced), but were scuffed up big time. I was also leery of buying 2 year old class equipment.

When it came down to it, I could get a lot more for less, and get new equipment with a warrantee if I went with a different brand. So today I ordered a Zeagle DS V from Scubatoys, plus the DS V Octo. Sealed for cold-water use, good support, etc.

I also was in the market for a basic computer- They had an Aeris XR-2 that they gave me a deal on. Nitrox, back-light, PC downloadable, alarms, etc. Looks to be a nice little computer.

A lot of the tech. divers use the Suunto Vyper I understand- About $100 more than the XR-2 though, and I did not see any features on it that I had to have.

Buying regulators local is a very good idea, but I can't afford to pay list price. So every year I'll have to mail back my regs to Scubatoys to do the maintenance on. But since I live way out of town, it's faster to put stuff in a box and ship it than to drive down town. The money I saved on Regs and hoses, paid for the computer.

Zeph

 

[Zephrant]

BTW- I've been told by several people that some regs and computers from LeisurePro are grey-market, meaning no US factory warrantee. A Scubapro QA guy just confirmed that in another thread too.

 

[starsbravo]

Well thats good to know. I bought local for the warranty purpose. In order for the warranty to be good, I have to have the maintenance done annually.

 

[billsreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9713877#post9713877 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zephrant
BTW- I've been told by several people that some regs and computers from LeisurePro are grey-market, meaning no US factory warrantee. A Scubapro QA guy just confirmed that in another thread too.

Indeed, all sold online is "grey market". Simply put, no manufacture of life support equipment warranties items brought online. While some online shops will provide in house warranties, it's only good at that shop and only good for as long as that shop is in business. So you have to decide how much its worth to you to have a manufacturers warranty that will be valid at any dealer anyplace in the world.

 

[JokerGirl]

I've had my Dacor Eagle Pro regulator for several years now and it's been great. I used it all through my rescue diver training and for some dives out in Hawaii. I havn't had a single problem with it yet so far. I think I paid around $400 for it when I got it but can't remember. I think it's discontinued now though?

 

[mattboy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9718590#post9718590 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by billsreef
Indeed, all sold online is "grey market". Simply put, no manufacture of life support equipment warranties items brought online. While some online shops will provide in house warranties, it's only good at that shop and only good for as long as that shop is in business. So you have to decide how much its worth to you to have a manufacturers warranty that will be valid at any dealer anyplace in the world.

That's simply not true. Some manufacturers, notably scubapro and aqualung, do not permit online sales but many others, including mares, oceanic, zeagle, do. Scubatoys only sells products that they are a registered dealer for. Leisurepro in NY is the grey market store that fits your description. However, they do provide in store warranty that they say is equal to the manufacturer's warranty, and from the posts I've read, they do stand by it.

Lifetime warranty on regulators is a double edge sword; you have to get the reg serviced annually in order to keep the warranty valid. Free parts, which are part of most reg warranties, cuts down a little on the annual service cost but not much. After a few years, it's not uncommon to have almost in service costs as the original cost of the reg. Unless you dive ALOT and/or don't take care of the reg, annual service is probably not necessary. At least one company, Atomic, has now extended the required service interval to two years, and I bet every other manufacturer will follow at some point, because this really does lower the cost of the reg to the buyer without costing the manufacturer anything. No doubt, this extended service interval will be accompanied by claims of "better quality means less necessary service" when the truth all along has been that most regs don't need annual service. There are thousands of 20-30 year old SP MK10s and aqualung conshelfs that routinely go several years without service and work fine.

 

[tedr]

I agree with regard to ScubaToys and the fact they are a registered dealer for the products they handle. While they may be considered an online dealer to most of you, I do have to rub it in a little in that they are about 45 minutes from where I live. While my Son and I do try to split purchases between our dive shop and scuba toys, all of the high ticket items came from scuba toys because of the cost factor. ENJOY !!!! At my age, I only wish I had started scuba much, much earlier, like when I was watching SEA HUNT on b&w TV.

 

[cubano2480]

ScubaToys sound like a very good online store I will cheque that up now......sorry that I take so long to thanks all u guys was a problem here I din`t have internet service but I just got back...

THANK U ALL FOR U HELP

 

[divedog99]

if you feel comfortable taking your own life in your hands by buying something online go for it as for me i want to be able to touch it and work with it before i buy it and you can only do that at a local dive shop.
as for the money aspect your in the wrong hobby if ya wanna go on a limited budget cause you really do get what you pay for.
many local dive shop operators dont really like to work on equipment they dont sell, not for the sales aspect but for the product aspect, when you buy a reg from a local store they already have the parts to service it and the training to do it properly. i just cant get past the trust issue when my dive and life depend on it.

 

[David P]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9713873#post9713873 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zephrant

A lot of the tech. divers use the Suunto Vyper I understand- About $100 more than the XR-2 though, and I did not see any features on it that I had to have.

Zeph

umm none that I know of... The Suunto computers are VERY conservative, sometimes so you would be allowed more bottom time by using dive tables and a watch... All the tech divers I know use a simple bottom timer or else their old computers set in gauge mode, and some tables cut from Vplanner or the like...

Im guessing whoever told you that the cool tech divers like that computer was trying to sell it to you...