Posted by kelphead on August 29, 2001 at 15:47:40:
In Reply to: Re: Regulator posted by BadFish on August 29, 2001 at 14:16:34:
i'm not a regulator technician and i don't play one
on t.v. it's best to check out any info that is
provided to you on any dive bbs.
w/that being said, i'll let you know what i
was told (by those who work on regs).
i have always been happy w/my 'sherwood oasis'
but decided that for the same price (a very
good deal that i got), why not get a
'scubapro' reg which everyone raves about.
so, i did.
the main difference i could gather btwn the
'sherwood' 1st stage and the 'scubapro' 1st
stage is that the "sherwood's" have a max
rating of 100psi, while the "scubapro's" have
a max rating of 140psi (usually btwn 120-140psi).
the way i understood this info is that the
'scubapro' 1st stage can be tuned so that it
can deliver up to a max of 140psi, while the
'sherwood' could only deliver a max of 100psi.
obviously, this means that the 'scubpro' 1st stage
can deliver more air than the 'sherwood' 1st stage.
[[ANYONE OUT THERE, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG!!]]
as for the 2nd stage, the 'scubapro 200' reg
is a big round one, which can also deliver more
air just by its design; whereas the much smaller
'sherwood' 2nd stage is more comfy, but b/c
of its size is said by some to not deliver as
much as air, again, by its design.
as for what to look for, obviously reliability:
the reg should never fail on you at any part of the
dive; comfort; performance = how much air can
it deliver and is it consistent at ALL depths--this
is not the case w/all regs, some regs are just as
good at delivering air at 100ft as they are at 20ft,
but some other regs fall short after a certain
depth; ease of breathing = how difficult or
easy is it to breathe out of the reg, etc.
some divers also require that the reg can be easily
taken apart at depth and fixed if there is a problem
w/it.
in my case, 'sherwood' has the reputation of
being "bullet proof" and i know of one rescue
team that uses the 'sherwood' reg. after diving
w/the 'scubapro 250' 2nd stage, i've come to
learn that it actually makes me cough severely at depth
(don't ask for details, the best i can figure
is that it causes me to have a very very dry
mouth/throat). i am thinking of either going
back to the 'sherwood' 1st and 2nd stage -OR-
putting my beloved 'sherwood oasis' 2nd stage
onto the 'scubapro mk14' 1st stage and ditching the
'scubapro 250' 2nd stage.
$$ is a major factor for me, and that's why
i can't own an 'atomics' reg--which is reportedly
the best reg on the market.
if $$ is no obstacle, do your research and get
the best; otherwise, i would suggest you get
the best for your $$.
don't know anything about 'mares' regs, but
'scubapro' is such a standard. however,
EVERYONE has their own favorite reg. you
can't go wrong w/any reg that has a STRONG
reputation and is tried and true.
do your research, do it well, and see if you
can rent/borrow different regs for your own
testing.
best wishes.
kelphead.