Looking to buy my first regulator. I hate renting junk that every tourist with SARS and various lung diseases has been sucking on.

I was looking at either one of the Scubapro models or Atomic Aquatic. I only do warm water diving, no caves or anything fancy. Carribean and South Pacific dives only if this makes any difference.

Anyone have any experience with either brand or opinions?

-JK

I havent had any problems with my Scuba pro.  I did buy a Zegal buddy breather setup that doesnt like beach dives but works ok in my pool.  Id go with what your dealer will work on and who carries parts.  Beach diving is hard on regs as the sand gets everywhere, so ask them about it.

I have ScubaPro and its great but you do pay a premium for it.  I think Mares is solid as are most of the major makes.

Stay away from Leisure Pro.

Okay your probably not going to want to hear this, but get a Poseidon Odin and be done with it.  You can shop around and find a deal on one, and they are the sh*t. While it's not your typical rec dive regulator, it'll last a long time, the resale value is excellent and if you ever decide to move into other avenues of diving, then it will still do the job.  I'm telling you it's the AK47 of dive regulators (I am reffering to RELIABILITY).  

YMMV
JMO

I was just going to ask.....

What's up with them? From what I understand they sell "gray market" gear. Meaning someting like it comes with no warranty, etc...just like all that camera equipment that comes out of Zoo York Shitty. What's your take on Leisure Pro? I have no experience with them.

Leisure Pro is not an authorized reseller for most major brands because they are discount.  They get their regulators etc. out of the back doors of dive shops who are not allowed to mark down their products by the manufacturers.  The shops tend to scratch off the serials numbers on the products  so they can't be traced back to the shops.  As a result, the regulator you ordered has no serial number and no warranty.  So you are basically buying life support equipment of dubious origin.  It's not worth the money you'll save up front if your regulator if you free flow at 90 feet.

Don't cheap out on your regulator...get the best you can afford.

I purchased a SCUBAPRO Mark V in 1972...at the time it was their top of the line regulator. I'm still using that regulator today...has never failed me.  I've used it in the warm waters of the Carribean & Hawaii, the colder water of Monterey Bay Ca, but mostly in the waters off the North Caolina coast.  Even used it once ice diving.  Never, ever a problem....  It is the only piece of dive equipment I have never had to replace.

Sometimes my regulator embarasses my 22 year old son...it definitely doesn't look like the sleek, low weight gear of today.  We were on a dive trip once out to a tanker that had been sunk by a U boat off the coast of NC and he made the snide comment that.. "dad, you've got the oldest equipment on this boat", to which I replied..."son, look around, I'm the oldest diver on this boat!!"  Just because something is old doesn't mean it still doesn't do the job properly!!!

You're right, Keith.  The guy who certified me for Basic Underwater had the most beat-to-shit AMF Voit fins you've ever seen.  He said they were the pair that he used in the Navy 20 years earlier, and he was still using them!  The dude could motor--no one could keep up with him.

Man...AMF Voit fins...that is going back a ways...remember when they were a hot item...of course when I started you basically had 3 names: US Divers, Voit and SCUBAPRO.

I just retired my steel, 72 cubic ft, US Divers Aqualung tanks last year...been diving with them since 72...just before the aluminum tanks came out...hard to give them up, but just felt that the time had finally come to move up to new tanks.  I'm turning both of them into floor lamps...one for me and one for my son....should be an interesting conversation piece.  

Oh, and to let you know...in 1972 I bought them when Berry Scuba was having a sale on US Divers tanks...2 for $120.00....