What regulators do you have and what made you buy them? Learn more about Nex Underwater Products: bit.ly/NexDive Use code AZUL to buy Nex products: bit.ly/NexRegulators ✅Join the Azul scuba community: www.patreon.com/azulunlimited Dive with me 🤿: azulunlimited.com/upcoming-diving-expeditions/

@x994910

4 ай бұрын

MTX-RC just because it's so good with cold water. However, recently I found that it's a struggle to inhale diving while inverted (180 degree?). I heard that Poseidon is designed to dive in all orientations. Have you used Poseidon before (e.g. xstream) and if it's true that the shape/ design means easy breathing while inverted? Any information would be really useful. Thank you so much.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

I haven't used Poseidon before, but I'm sure someone here in the comments has! @@x994910

I've used Apeks XTX50s and DST 1st stages since I first started diving ten yearsago, for comfort, performance at depth and in the cold, and because of the reputation for being bulletproof. With the turret they are perfect for sidemount and stages. And because they are still so popular there are never any worries about finding somewhere to service them. Oh and have a great New Year!

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Awesome! Thanks for sharing 🙏 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

@riskototh

4 ай бұрын

Same here... I can repair DST with closed eyes in the midnight... It takes 2 minutes to disassemble and 4 to reassemble it. :) Very simple, very reliable, bulletproof as you said. In my case in combination with Mares Proton Ice 2nd stage, because of the same properties - simple to maintain, simple construction, and what I like, it's small!

@darthknowl9222

13 күн бұрын

Know them for thier Fins. Didn’t know they made Regs as well. Thanks for letting me know

I'm rocking out on the HOG (Highly Optimized Gear) D3 first stage and Zenith 2nd stage. I honestly started using them because i got them used from a former instructor friend for a great price. But I've bought more for my tech setup because they breath easy, they are fairly tough, they work well in all water types/temps, and the parts are easy to get. It's also pretty easy to get certified to service them. During COVID, DRIS (Dive Right In SCUBA) even offered virtual service tech class for the HOG regs.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Amazing! That’s what Nex will be doing too. It’s so nice to have the technology to do these things remotely now🤓

My regs for years have been the Aqualiung Mikron and bought specifically because I like to travel small, but I just got some new Deep6 regs for Christmas and can't wait to try them out. I've used a SeaCure moldable mouthpiece for years and it was a game changer as far as jaw fatigue goes.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

I’m definitely going to look into those. I hope you love your new regs!

What an awesome episode. Most of us will never see our regs on the bench and you got to freaking build your own! And a much more advanced setup than most of us will ever even see - Next Level Stuff

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Thanks! It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. The guys at NEX were super patient with me.

Nice Video😊 I bought my poseidon cyclon in 1995 and i still have them today for my stage thank. I just bought new poseidon xtream regulators and they are great for cold water diving in northern Norway.👍

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Ooo nice! I’m looking forward to testing mine out in some truly cold water soon🥶

Very cool putting together your own regs. Always enjoy the videos. Atomics M1 first and second stage. Technical diving was my goal, so they were suggested.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Those are great!!

6:53 thats the universal fix for everything remote corntrol tvs etc.lol i love the design cant wait mine to arrive

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Violence isn't the answer! hahaha That's great that you got an NEX regulator too!

the regs look good. If I did not own at least 3 sets of sidemount regs as well as 8 recreational I would consider them. Great info for teaching as to different sets of equipment configurations. Keep up the great channel.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

I have over 1000 dives on my Apex XTX50's though I would not omit these for my next purchase. Assuming the Apex ever fails..... 😎 You mentioned jaw issues. Think we have all suffered the same. Anything with a crossbar (Aqualung Comfobite) was creating sores on the roof of my mouth if doing repetitive dives. Then I tried the Seacure Moldable mouthpieces. I won't go back. They are fantastic. No bite pressure needed. I can't even spit out the reg. It gently hangs up on my teeth. They cost more but I get about 5 years out of them and then only change them as preventative maintenance. Give em a shot! Keep up the great content!

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Awesome! Thank you for sharing🙏

@axeffektt

4 ай бұрын

I have moldable mouthpieces too and will never go back either.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

nice! I'll have to try those. I'm notorious for just dealing with whatever I have instead of spending money to get what I need, but I need to go for it.@@axeffektt

@riskototh

4 ай бұрын

I'm using the moldable mouthpiece too and I'm sure, I will not turn back... I have them on my OC setups, CCR setups, everywhere... Only issue can rise up, when you/we/me have to donate it to someone else...

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

@@riskotothI’ve wondered about donating with those…

I’m hoping to get into diving when I become more financially stable. This video will be helpful to come back to when that happens.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Totally understand that. I have a video on buying used gear to help make the sport more accessible for people!

Happy New Year from germany, Sarah. My regulater is the XTX 50 /DST Apeks, for sidemount.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Happy new year! Those are great regs👏

+1 for EDGE HOG regulators. D3 first stage and Zenith second. Great price point, service kits can be purchased and you can take classes to service.

@AzulUnlimited

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info!

Happy New Year Sarah. I’m a long term XTX50 / DST user for back/sidemount and I love their durability and low temp performance. I like the modular and flexible design of the NEX regs though.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Happy New Year! I love my NEX!

I use Poseidon and Apeks XTX 50 DST regs great for cold water diving.HAPPY NEW YEAR.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Happy new year! Apeks are amazing regs. Great choice🤙

I have a set of Hog regulators. I got them because I tried them out, and I liked how they breathe

@AzulUnlimited

13 күн бұрын

Having the right gear, especially regulators, is so important. Thanks for sharing!

@darthknowl9222

13 күн бұрын

@@AzulUnlimited I think Regulators aren’t spoken about enough. I’ll make a deal with you: You keep making good and fun Dive videos, and I’ll keep watching! 👍🏾😊

@AzulUnlimited

13 күн бұрын

@@darthknowl9222 deal :)

There are a lot of good regulators on the market today. I've been using US Divers/Aqualung since the mid 70's, both single and double hose. Though we've had to fabricate parts on the older vintage double hose, I can still get parts for most of the older singles. Aqualung is good about keeping parts compatible with my newer Legend and older conshelf series. Also helps that I'm an Aqualung tech. They're just my preference. But really, most regulators on the market are good. Just depends on your budget and diving profile.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely. I’ve never had aqualung regs, but that’s cool they’ve kept things compatible. Not related but it would be nice if Apple did that 😆🤭

Aqualung legend 3 because its looks cool underwater 😬

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Hahaha must look the coolest 😎

Ah it's always nice when you get to try or even buy new gear, ESPECIALLY Regs. Having said that, I have been diving with my Sherwood MAXIMUS Regs for over 20 years racking up some 2600+ dives. Sherwood have designed some particular nice features into the regs that I find I just can't go past even though there are technically more expensive regs out there. The Maximus, SR1 and SR2 regulators have a pressure boosting feature built into their 1st stages that increases intermediate line pressure when it drops automatically, this is great for deep diving or when high workloads demand high flow rates. This means they can keep up with breathing requirements in the most demanding environments. Most regs don't not have this function. They also have design a special ambient water pressure sensor that negates the need for a rubber seal on the first stage to stop water entry into the first stage. Rubber seals can age, crack, fail for any number of reasons (although it rarely happens). Therefore, for all intents and purposes, Sherwood regs have a hermetically sealed first stage. When they were first released, Sherwood offered a limited lifetime warranty on all parts because as long as water has never entered the reg it would never need servicing -ever! Awesome! In addition, on the Maximus 2nd stage, Sherwood designed a simple 'rock over' rubber cover for the 2nd stage that needed NO tools to break down and open the 2nd stage to service and can be done just using your fingers! As you can appreciate, this means that simple washing and rinsing of the 2nd stage after beach/ shore dives were a simple affair ensuring no sand or debris remain within the working parts of the stage!!! It was a simple light adjustable reg that I've never wanted to change or do away with! It is a real shame they no longer make this design, and I'm in the process of hunting down all older Maximus regs I can find to see out my diving life! LOL. Does the NEX first stage offer the increased pressure boost system when intermediate line pressure drops below 140 psi? It's great that they offer so many LP ports - this is similar to the Sherwood SR1 and SR2 regs. Whilst I dearly would love to purchase new regs, as a trained technician, I service my own and have no need to upgrade. I'm surprised you became an instructor without having completed any regulator servicing courses. I would've thought this almost necessary, if not mandatory to be able to explain to students the inner workings of such equipment. Good on you for seeking to complete the NEX course. If you want to understand mechanical things better and become more familiar with tools and such, I'd suggest buying an old push bike - one with 10 gears or more. Take it apart and put it back together again. This will give a great idea about how mechanical things work, how to easily undo and put back together complicated mechanical items/gear without costing a fortune if you get it wrong the first couple of times. And it will give you a great cheap way of getting around if you don't want to start up the van all the time in a new place, saving on petrol/gas. I apologise for the lengthy post, but you did ask what we all dive with. Safe diving!

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

I appreciate you writing all this out. I’m working on my mechanical skills little by little and pretty proud at how far I’ve come. I’ll by no means be a pro like the guys at Nex but it’s nice to strive for.

@gbsailing9436

4 ай бұрын

For sure! It was my pleasure. @@AzulUnlimited

Cool regs.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Aren't they? I'm loving my NEX regulator!

Cool video

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

I use apeks ds4 with XTX50 and XTX200 as II stage ... they are so reliable!

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Apeks makes great regulators

Can you tell more about your single tank side mount diving? Do you have a counter weight for balance that you move during the dive?

@AzulUnlimited

2 ай бұрын

Yes, you have to counter the weight. The amount will depend on the material and size of the tank. For example, a steel 100 will require a ton of weight on the non-tank side(8-10 pounds) whereas an aluminum 80 would require much less (2-4 pounds)

I’m an xtx50 fan boy. Got about 8 sets in my fleet that are all setup for different things.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Wow! 8?! That's amazing.

@AndrewR74

4 ай бұрын

My wife and mine recreational setup, my side mount setup, several for stages, and 1 dedicated backup in case any of the others are out of action for whatever reason.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Rad@@AndrewR74

I have the Aqualung Titan 1st and 2nd's. They were the first regs I ever bought after getting certified open water and they ran well in FL. Looking for new regs as I get further into cavern/sidemount diving etc.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Nice! Well, you know about Nex now 😁🙃 If you contact them, just mention code AZUL so they know you came from the video. I don’t have affiliate marketing with them, but I’m hoping to one day🙏

@axeffektt

4 ай бұрын

@@AzulUnlimited Will do. Only issue for me would be sending them back to CA from OH to get them serviced when they need it. Interested to see how these grow.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

definitely. They'll be offering the servicing course online publicly soon for about $175/person @@axeffektt

We use the Scubapro G260 regulator and MK17 first stage. We choose those because Scubapro parts are available are serviceable where we life.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Very true

Be interesting to see how they perform under ice or harsh climates

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

I’ve been told they’re great in those kinds of conditions but I’ll be sure to test them and share more!

I’ve been diving an old pair of Mares MR42T and Proton Metal “She Dives” edition(I’m a dude but damnit they look hella cool when I dive them). They’re simple, no fuss and timeless for design. They aren’t as many Mares techs as say, Scubapro.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

I love it. Keep rocking it 👏 And yes, that is the downside to not buying a brand that has been around for a long time and is everywhere but I’m a fan of supporting small businesses in this industry ☺️

My first regs were a balanced piston 1st stage from Sea Hornet (simple and bulletproof but long since gone bust) and an US Divers SE2 second stage and occy. Now I have a Aqualung Core cold water setup - you can get parts for them from Alaska to Zambia and its the same design as the Conshelf (just more plastic) and pretty bulletproof. I've not moved to side mount, and in 35 years of recreational diving never had to donate a reg - seen many many cock ups but I put it down to dumb luck and when on a dive charter I watch to see who is setting up their own gear and who is letting the shop do it, I always choose the former as my insta-buddy - that way if my gear fails I can only blame me (kind of adds a little survival incentive along the way), and I know my insta-buddy has the same thought process as me. The average 20 - 50 dives a year diver does not need $2k+ regs. They need to invest that money into bottom time, BTW my original regs are still serviced and checked regularly , and I use them whenever my primaries are away being serviced.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Agree. Many divers insist on setting up their own gear or at least double checking how their gear was set up. It's a good practice. It's a great habit to always take care of your gear with regular servicing and rinsing. Thanks for sharing!

Qualability! I work in manufacturing, and I'm introducing that word.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Yeeeeeessss 😆😆😆😆😆

First of all, you are freaking adorable when you’re “awkward” and you give other people permission to make mistakes and laugh at themselves. Second, I think I want a NEX next! And third, did you know that dentists recognize that scuba divers do tend to clench their jaws and grind their teeth? My dentist told me that I need a night guard to save my teeth due to grinding. I told him I was a diver and he said, “That explains it!” Who knew?!?

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Join the night guard gang. It’s really sexy here😆 I didn’t know grinding was common for scuba divers, but it does make sense!

How much do they charge for their regulator rebuild course?

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

They will be offering it online soon for about $175

looks like the DS4

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

🤙

I use an aqualung glacia , no choice i live in mtl canada

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Wow! How is diving there? What temperature is the Glacia rated to?

@Captainwill55

4 ай бұрын

@@AzulUnlimited rated for antarctic conditions

These products look like made by YUSHI company from Taiwan.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

They work with them in the design process!

I live nearby Monterey. There are so many great dive companies there: Breakwater Photography, Light and Motion, and now NEX. How is the sidemount system? It looks like it uses SUMPUK hardware with a unique bladder.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

I really like the Nex harness. It has all the things I liked about my Razor and has improved on things I didn’t like about my old system.

So the regulators need to get naked every 100 dives too? 😊

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely 👀

It far better to look good than be good. Like rock climbing.

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Hahaha exactly 😆😆😆

@troop1026

4 ай бұрын

@@AzulUnlimited I always looked good when rock climbing. Hahaha. That’s why I switched to teaching diving. I can look good and be good. Haha. I’m contacting NEX to see if they offer a dealership. Would love to offer there fine products. Be safe in Mexico. Your friends A to Z Scuba in Montana. Mike Lukas

I’m almost positive that having color matched gear vastly improves our SAC rate right?!?!?! I’m pretty certain that was covered in my SSI Science of Diving course!!! On a completely unrelated side note, I have determined that it is absolutely impossible to look sexy with a regulator in your mouth!!! Just saying!!! 😂

@AzulUnlimited

4 ай бұрын

Most definitely 💅 proven by science 😆