Post-trip review 1 – Regulators

The Mares / SSI /rEvo Dive Expedition Team have had a few weeks to relax and now we’re back on the blog, here to give you the lowdown on some of the equipment we took with us on our incredible trip.

First up the regulators from our new XR range of products – the wonderful DR Second Stage and CR Second Stage.

Both are high performance second stages which offer stable flow without excessive positive-pressure breathing thanks to their Vortex Assisted Design. They are both slightly negatively buoyant with no need for user adjustments and covers designed especially to disperse water flow around the diaphragms and reduce free flow, all this with easy to push purges, great for use with the thick gloves the team needed in these 0°C waters.

The DR boasts an all-metal body made from high-impact chrome and nickel-plated brass making it particularly strong and resistant whereas the CR is made from technopolymer.

Both used 25X first stages, a compact, solid, one-piece body made from nickel-plated marine brass. This model offers extreme reliability and safety and is cold water resistant making it a sure choice for our expedition.

We are proud to say we experienced no problems with either the DR or CR regulators under the extremely cold conditions of Lake Baikal.

After testing both, some of our team preferred the technopolymer CR. The plastic makes the regulator lighter at 193g compared to the DR’s 269g, but we found the divers more interested in tec diving enjoyed the sturdiness and general look of the all-metal DR more.

As well as regulators from our XR range, we also used the new Loop 15X from our recreational diving gear. This product stands out for being the first vertical regulator on the market, and its set-up comes in very handy. The diver can choose whether to have it mounted on the left or right side, it also works great as an Octopus and overall offers great freedom of movement. Its twin exhaust valves mean bubbles exit at the sides and don’t cloud the diver’s field of vision, a nice bonus, and breathing was smooth.

Stay tuned to find out what we thought of our XR Drysuits!