Piston regulators

[Fishy49]

Sorry if this thread is a repeat, but i would like a little bit of clarification. Firstly, are piston regulators more responsive, and therefore smoother breathing, than diaphragm regulators? Most places that I look it says yes, but in JJ's DIR book, it says that diaphragms are more responsive. Surely only one can be right?

Also, if a piston is dry sealed, like the Sherwood SR1, or sealed with gunk, like the Atomic M1, does it affect the responsiveness of the first stage? Is the only way to get a perfectly responsive first stage to have it unsealed, like the Scubapro MK25?

Any info appreciated. Thanks.

[nigelH]

The breathing characteristics of almost any reg set built in the last ten years are totally dominated by the settings on the second stage.
I suspect that, unless it's a total dud, nobody could tell what first stage they were using.

[Fishy49]

That's what I originally thought, but in my thread about combining an Atomic M1 second stage with an Apeks Tek3, I was told that it would breathe differently.

[nigelH]

Beware of people passing on 'facts' that they were told.
The path probably leads back to an opinion first passed on long before you were born.

I design and build equipment to measure things for a living and quite often we have disappointed people at our customers because we measure something and find it is accurate when they were assured by a friend of a friend that it wouldn't be.

[Fishy49]

Fair enough - thanks very much for the info, Nigel.

[bythesea]

Fishy, you just need to go diving mate, forget all this piston/non piston/trimix/twinset/pony lobbox....just go and get wet and enjoy the simplicity of breathing underwater....

[Fishy49]

Once again, for the umpteenth time, I am not trying to find this our for actual application in diving at the moment, like most of my questions, but I am merely interested in the ideas and mechanics of the systems.

[bythesea]

I know, but really, you should just go diving, its fun you know

[Fishy49]

I know - I have been at the Delph for the past 3 consecutive weekends - 5 dives so far this year. The last 2 were ice dives!

[bythesea]

Good man... keep it up and one day you might see a fish