Still very happy with my 20 years old tx50/ds4 combo. Simple, works under all circumstances & easy to maintain. Never felt need for swiveling turrets, fake chrome rings, grippy rubberized parts or reusable tie-wraps. Edit: Apeks is used by a high percentage of technical divers for a reason. 2nd Edit: My kids both use ATX40s, my wife XTX50s.
XTX200 is one of the most stable regulators (maybe the best) in the market. I tried both SP and Apeks and the airflow advantage of Apeks is quite remarkable under 30mt.. XTX200 has 0.41 joule per litre in the breathing (inhale/exhale) cycle, not 0.70 and it can provide this comfort even in the colder/deeper water.
I've already chosen the xtx200 and I stick by that: Properly sealed against filth, lighter flexible sun resistant hoses, parallel LP ports keep the 4 hoses tidy in single-tank setup rather than going out in every wrong direction like the back of my head or out away from me altogether. Service is £100 but it's supposed to be every two years, with the in-between years being mere inspections. But good luck finding a dive shop that will do an inspection instead of always replacing everything regardless of condition to keep their asses covered.
I have the XTX200 with the XTX40 octopus as simply scuba had a good deal on this regulator when I started diving. £450ish if memory serves me right. I like the comfort mouth piece and the wide exhaust. Found when doing the open water skills I exhaled heavily when taking my mask off and with the reg I had at the time forced water up my nose and down my throat. Wide exhaust will hopefully remove this problem.
To who it May help in deciding what reg to buy. I own the A700 carbon black set-up with the MK25. Yes it was expensive but I've been in some situations that I was labored breathing due to strong currents and different work I was doing during the dive. I'm happy to say that the A700 delivered all the air I needed to come thru the heavy breathing situations. I will not dive anything but A700 ( Both primary and alternate ) but hey it's what you like that matters.
Great review. I own both (XTX Tungsten) and love them both. One thing with which I disagree; in two parts. I’m pretty sure the Apeks is also a two-year service interval. They just want it “checked” on alternate years. And since Apeks is Aqua Lung, you get free parts for life as long as you stick to the service interval. Scubapro only gives free parts if you buy reg, octo, BC, and computer at the same time. So, the Apeks would still have the edge on cost of service. Thanks!
i dive ( most of them 70 m + ) with Scubapro MK 25 / S620 Ti ( Two 1 st stage and Three 2sd stage ) on a Twin 10 Carbon 300 bar . Recommend Scubapro MK 25 / S620Ti
I went with the Apeks MTX. It's got the 5 ports and swivel turret, the environmental seals, is ambidextrous (though I'm gonna keep it as is), comes with a braided hose (which I'm switching over to rubber), and it comes with the PVD coating of the XTX Tungsten. It doesn't have the cracking resistance or venturi switch, as I never use them. Also, it's all black, and as a diver I'm supposed to like black over chrome. I got an Apeks MTX-V (with the Venturi switch) for my secondary second stage, to keep it from freeflowing as it's just dangling about.
@@elmo319 Certain materials can degrade over time, used or not, so annual inspections can help head off trouble before it happens. It also evens out the cash flow for service technicians. ;-)
@@cheaplaffsarefree I was just down this road, except looking at the MK17/G260 (only 1 from SP thats environmentally sealed) vs the XTX50. That parts for life from SP sounded pretty sweet, until I learned that to qualify for it, you had to buy everything else (BC, Reg & Octo, AND computer from SP). BL: I prefer shearwater computers...and the Tec guys at my LDS all swore by Apeks. Good luck in your search!
I use Apeks Tek3s on my twinset and an Apeks DST first stage on singles, all with XTX50 second stages. All configurations are therefore over-balanced and fully environmentally sealed, which are essential requirements for me. Oddly, although the DST does have a rotating turret, the Tek3s, which are specifically designed for twins, do not and the port orientations are not all ideal - strange. Getting to the point, you talk about having some flutter on the XTX200. All my second stages do the same if they haven't been used for a while. It disappears after a few breaths and never happens in the water. It's maybe just a diaphragm drying out and getting a bit sticky? All my regs are really smooth in the water and have never failed to deliver, even in the cold with 2 of us breathing from the DST. Also, I definately prefer the lever control on the venturi.
My xtx200 flutters on the surface too, but do you use a reg on the surface? NO. underwater it's perfect, so that isn't a valid comparison to me breathing through them on the surface.
I am on Regulator search as a Commercial Diver for specific scuba dives. Could We have a comparison between: APEKS MTX-R vs SCUBAPRO G260 BLACK TECH / MK25?
I would appreciate seeing a comparison between ScubaPro MK17 Evo with S600 vs Apeks MTX-R Sidemount Set. I have been using MK17 for years without a problem and now moving to the Apeks MTX-R.
You mean the spring tension adjusters? They increase breathing resistance. Which sounds counterintuitive until you are swimming fast or facing into a current and the moving water presses your purge button. Then a bit more spring tension can be convenient.
Apeks is, in this moment, absolutely best option for a diving regulator on the market for easy in use and sevice. Recreational BCD, Scubapro, absolutely Scubapro especially cheaper models. About breathing, and problem with Apeks xtx200, it looks to me, that you had Venturi closed (I am aware that you know, how to use Venturi), so air was kicking in a membrane, is not about brand and preferences... is about objectivity. Also, you can't expirience breathing efort and performnces on a dry, becouse you are missing influence of a water on a membrane, water is acting like a vibration damper... Scubapro have more rigid membrane, so mambrane is somehow doing that vibration damping efect, not needed in the water, rigid membrane, especially in a cold water can be problematic. Scubapro have biger resistance of breathing out... Scubapro in reality don't have Venturi 2nd stages. You can have Apeks xtx200 (first stage FSR) with 5th port and you can buy it with a 5th LP port. Scubapro don't have real Venturi and is much harder to use it and not so reliable, mechanism of "Venturi" is not really robustly made, in reality scubapro really do not have robust balanced 2nd stages, too much plastics. A700 is made from metal, but is a joke of 2nd stage. Scubapro piston 1st stages have problem with a springs material, balanced 1st stages, have problems with plastic below pressure adjusting springs... Really old Apeks first stages(15 + years) have problem with vibrations from pressure adjusting spring and they sometimes "sings". Don't take me wrong, I absolutely love scubapro mk2 and r 190/195... for what they are..., and now mk2 evo with extra futures (really good for diving bases). Scubapro have only one good 2nd stage, G250v (not in production anymore) and I adore that 2nd stage, but everything else, speaking of balanced 2nd stages, is not real deal! Scubapro have best rubber LP hoses of all brands, really pitty for that stupid special tool which you need for taking LP hose of a 2nd stage, or you are risking to damage chrome... Miflex or Apeks version of braided hoses are not happiness in a real life, exception are HP braided hoses (not for SideMount). Aqualung regulators (Apeks and Aqualung have a same owner, Airliquid) please don't spend your money on a Aqualung regulators, except if you have a diving base and need regulators for a renting and schools, then Aqualung Calipso with a piston 1st stage is really good choice. It's about objectivity! For a recreational and technical diving, Apeks regulators are best choice and stay with a classic line, no new super duper MTX... travel Flihgt... BR
Horses for courses with them. The Jetfin will get you further per kick if you have the strength to power them. The RK3 is a lot more comfortable (jet fin foot pocket is quite square and much harder than the ergonomic foot pocket of the RK3s) . Mares Power Plana fins are between the two.
@@andretambajong4696 I've not tried them so couldn't say for sure but would still expect the jet fins to propel you further per kick. However each diver needs to assess the fins on their own, some divers wont be able to drive the jet fins and therefore RK3s etc would be a better choice, others may find the jet fins too uncomfortable and therefore the RK3s would be a better choice despite the reduced performance. Others might not experience discomfort or enough discomfort to justify the performance reduction and therefore the RK3s would be a better choice. Best thing to do is try then out.
Over balanced is just marketing BS. Because balanced piston regulators delivery a higher volume of air than balanced diaphragm regulators. In this example the Scubapro is a balanced piston and Apex is a balanced diaphragm. In reality they are both going to delivery more than enough air for you and your buddy.
Just buy the black plate system. The scuba pro isn’t configurable, so if you want to advance further into tech diving your stuck with a basic back inflate bcd rather than a modular backplate system.
Santi is known for drysuits, Mares isn't. Should be an easy choice between the two (although I've not considered prices as I don't know what they go for). Otter should be another consideration, especially if you're in the UK.
yes i have both try the suits on tech 1 course i liked both of them but what i liked with mares drysuit is that it is very light and you feel that you are not wearing dry suit but with santi is a bit heavier it was the only difference in those two. I bought santi since everyone says that they are best on drysuit but I go rather get kevlar dry suit. oh i have used santi drysuit for 8 years and still but santi is very top to i do not disagree with you on that
The xtx200 and xtx50 second stages are essentially the same. The 200 is a "luxury", more glitzy version. The main set difference is in the first stage. The xtx200 comes with the FSR 1st stage, the xtx50 with a DST.
you should add that the apeks regulator use all the same service kit in all theri regulators, is a pian in the ass looking for some service kits for an specific model from scubapro, apeks would be better always!!!
From the Apeks FAQ's page: Q. What is the purpose of the venturi lever on the 2nd stage of the regulator? A. Many Apeks 2nd stages are equipped with a diver controllable venturi system. This switch allows the diver to control the venturi assist to reduce the sensitivity to free-flow and provide the maximum airflow at depth. Whilst diving the switch should be set to the plus (+) position to achieve maximum assistance for easier breathing. To prevent the 2nd stage from free-flowing this should be set to the minus (-) setting during entry or while swimming at the surface.
