regulator review

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Octos
regulators
Octos
ALTERNATE
AIR SOURCES ➭
APEKS XTX200
One of Apeks’ topperforming regs comes
into 2013 with an improved first stage with
fifth-port availability
and a large progressive
second-stage purge.
Diver-changeable exhaust
tees, reversible valve spindles and flexi-hoses are all
part of the package.
Contact: aqualung.com
MSRP: $745
SUBMERSIBLE
SYSTEMS SPARE
AIR 300
APEKS XTX40
The XTX40 brings you all
of the quality and breathing performance, and
many of the features, of
Apeks’ top-rung regs at
a more affordable price.
Features include an environmental dry-sealed first
stage, a reversible second
stage and Venturi control.
Contact: aqualung​.com
MSRP: $535
AQUA LUNG LEGEND
LX TWILIGHT
Offered with the twilight
color accents of Aqua
Lung’s women’s line of
dive gear, this is the same
high-performance breather (except for a smaller
mouthpiece) that has
been earning praise since
its introduction in 2012.
Contact: aqualung.com
MSRP: $745
For added safety
at depth, you can’t
beat a redundant air
system. Spare Air
has proved itself over
decades of use. It
comes with a holster
and leash, and can be
refilled from a standard tank.
Contact: spareair​.com
MSRP: $299
LIFE SUPPORT
First
Know
This
12.20.2012 17:40
AdID: 10565 SPD0313
A regulator converts high-pressure
air from your cylinder to ambient
pressure air so you can breathe. It
also supplies this stepped-down air
to your BC’s power inflator. Modern
regs are easy to use and reliable, and
deliver superb performance. Available with either piston or diaphragm
first stages, a variety of models
come in a range of price points —
basic models with unbalanced first
stages and no-frills second stages;
midrange models with balanced
and environmentally sealed first
stages and balanced second stages;
and top-end models that are fully
balanced. You can find more than a
few models in each of these categories that will deliver from good to
outstanding breathing performance
for recreational diving, and in some
cases, well beyond that. It all comes
down to your style of diving and
what’s in your wallet.
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regulators
Octos
Gear Buyers Guide
MARES INSTINCT 52
2013
It’s the partnering of
Mares’ flagship balanceddiaphragm first stage
with the unique Instinct
second stage in a new
eye-catching color. The
Instinct has an efficient
purge and side exhaust
that deflects bubbles
away from the eyes.
Contact: mares.com
MSRP: $500
SHERWOOD SCUBA BLIZZARD
SCUBAPRO MK11/R195
Scubapro’s time-proven
MK11 first stage has been
paired with a brand-new
second stage. The reversible hose-attachment
feature enables you to use
the R195 as a primary second stage or an octo reg.
Contact: scubapro.com
MSRP: $475
SCUBAPRO
MK25/S600
This best-selling reg is
available in three new
styles — Anniversary,
Titanium and Black Tech
— to commemorate
SCUBAPRO’s 50th
anniversary. Each model
— including the Classic
(pictured) — has its own
unique features, but
what all models share is
time-proven performance.
Contact: scubapro.com
MSRP: $729, Classic
46
Designed for cold-water diving, the new version of the
Blizzard has a larger diaphragm and adjustable Venturi
control. A second-stage heat-retention vane captures
warmth from exhaled air to enhance cold-water use.
Contact: sherwoodscuba.com MSRP: $460
Subgear SG100
The SG100 comes with a
downstream-piston first
stage for reliable breathing
and easy maintenance.
The second stage offers a
choice of left- or righthand hose attachment to
increase your options.
Contact: subgear.com
MSRP: $254
Subgear SG500
The SG500’s balanced-­
diaphragm first stage is
fitted with a dry chamber,
and two of its four LP
ports are high-flow. The
second stage comes
with a diver-adjustable
Venturi lever.
Contact: subgear.com
MSRP: $386
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regulators
Octos
regulators
TOBAGO
PHOTO SAFARI
Octos
1
SUBGEAR SG1000
Subgear’s top reg features
a balanced-diaphragm first
stage with a dry chamber
for all-temperature diving.
The pneumatically balanced second stage has
a diver-adjustable Venturi
lever and breathing resistance knob so you can
easily regulate airflow.
Contact: subgear.com
MSRP: $539
2
JOIN
SPORT DIVER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
DAVI D ESPI N OSA
AND
3
SHERWOOD
­SCUBA SR2
• Drift dive some of the
healthiest reefs in the world
• Get up close and personal
with sharks, turtles and rays
• Explore lush tropical rainforests
• …and capture the week using
a SeaLife DC1400 camera
WHERE: TOBAGO
WHEN: JUNE 15-22, 2013
WHO: You, Sport Diver Editor-in1
The balanced-piston
R-800 first stage offers
two HP and four LP ports.
The S-60 second stage
features a diver-adjustable
air-delivery control knob
and a choice of left- or
right-hose layout.
Contact: tusa.com
MSRP: $489
IN TOBAGO.
KERI WILK
• See the world’s
largest brain coral
Built on the platform of
the SR1, the SR2 features
an environmentally sealed
dry-chamber first stage
and single-touch secondstage controls. Subtle
changes to the secondstage geometry make this
high performer an even
better breather.
Contact: sherwoodscuba​
.com MSRP: N/A
TUSA RS-860
renowned professional
underwater photographer
APEKS XTX50
Modeled on the pneumatically balanced XTX50 second stage,
this octo offers left/right reversibility and diver-adjustable airflow controls. It comes with a 36-inch yellow hose. An efficient
heat exchanger produces reliable cold-water performance.
Contact: aqualung.com MSRP: $265
2
Chief David Espinosa, professional
underwater photographer Keri Wilk
WHAT: Up to four dives a
day + photo seminars at night.
Participants will be given a SeaLife
DC1400 camera to try for the week,
and three lucky photographers
will win one camera each.
TUSA SS-60
The SS-60 shares the same features as the S-60 primary, but
it has a high-visibility yellow purge cover and a 39-inch yellow
hose. A dive/predive lever lets you detune it when not in use.
Contact: tusa.com MSRP: $159
3
APEKS XTX20 OCTO
Apeks’ entry-level octo is designed for water temps above 50
degrees F. It includes left/right reversibility and a diver-adjustable Venturi lever to control free-flows. It’s also pneumatically
balanced and comes with a high-visibility yellow hose.
Contact: aqualung.com MSRP: $195
For more information, visit
sportdiver.com/TobagoReaderTrip
Or call
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