Apeks XTX200 (SRP: £461.95)
Mark: Cracking controls make a difference, and it has a very comfy mouthpiece. Nice user-changeable exhaust. Excellent performance all-round.
Dave: Very small purge, but it just needs the slightest pressure. Nice wide exhaust – though it can be swapped to a smaller one – and the Venturi lever and cracking control knob are easy to find and use and do make a difference. Another good Apeks product.
Martin: Really nice brteathe and a well-fitting mouthpiece. However, proving how good all Apeks regs are, I didn’t notice a lot of difference between this and the mid-price XTX50 reg.
Jim: Good mouthpiece, and the regulator worked well in all positions, including upside down. Liked it a lot.
John: Worked extremely well in all respects. Purge works well, even though it looks small. Extremely easy breathe – I really liked it.
Andrea: Nice purge and a comfortable mouthpiece. A really good reg.
Atomic ST1 (SRP: £549)
Mark: The swivel joint is nice and it has a good, large purge. Nice smooth breathe and a super-soft mouthpiece – overall a good-looking reg. Adjustment knob is not great, though – it was very stiff and hard work to move.
Dave: Big, soft, easy-to-use purge and the most-comfy mouthpiece in the world, although I couldn’t get the knob to adjust wearing gloves – it’s too tight. The swivel is a excellent addition, it’s got a nice wide exhaust, and the breathe is really nice.
Martin: Really nice ribbed rubber grip on the mouthpiece. The knob on the side is difficult to turn, but the balljoint swivel on the second stage is great.
Jim: Best mouthpiece around! I liked the rubber grip. Nice smooth breathe in all positions.
John: Great mouthpiece - the best here. I also found the control a bit stiff.
Andrea: I liked the rubber feel of the mouthpiece. It’s got an easy breathe and a nice soft purge.
Mares Proton Ice Extreme (SRP: £400)
Mark: Comfy mouthpiece – finally, Mares has got rid of the useless items fitted to previous regs – but the exhaust sits on your chin and is uncomfortable. Other than that, this is a great-performing regulator, which works well in all positions.
Dave: Benefits from having nothing to adjust. The exhaust is extremely irritating – it just sits on your chin. Other than that it’s a very smooth breathe and a very good reg.
Martin: I’m not keen on the purge, but I do like the nice light second stage. Exhaust kept the bubbles away from my face, and I actually found the reg comfortable to use.
Jim: Extremely comfortable and a lovely breathe. Exhaust touches your chin, but pushes bubbles well away from your face.
John: Nice easy breathe and performs well – it worked in all positions and has an easy-to-use purge. A great-looking first stage, although the second stage looks like a sink trap.
Poseidon Xtreme Duration (SRP £450)
Mark: Like the Cyclone last month, the mouthpiece is large and sits quite far back into your mouth, but I didn’t find this uncomfortable. Purge is easy to locate, and better now it’s flush. Little bit of bubble interference, but an excellent breathe.
Dave: Very small purge, and it could blow the enamel off your teeth. No knobs – it just performs at every level.
Martin: Really nice light second stage – very slimline. Mouthpiece is comfortable and the side exhaust works really well. Very powerful purge.
Jim: Purge – aargh! Keep hold of your fillings!
John: Very comfy and lightweight. Octopus even on full demand worked very well.
Andrea: Very lightweight, and a very powerful purge!
Scubapro G250V/Mk25 (SRP: £400)
Mark: Huge second stage which works well but looks retro – as it should, the ‘V’ stands for ‘vintage’. Cracking control and Venturi works well. Comfy mouthpiece; a good all-round reg.
Dave: Both the lever and the knob do make a difference, unlike some. Not the best looker, and there were a few bubbles in front of my mask. Nice breathe, and very comfortable.
Martin: A reasonably good breathe, but a few bubbles in front of my face. I’m least keen on this one out of the five here.
Jim: Very good; very comfy and a good breathe.
John: A good easy, dry breathe. Worked well in every position.
Andrea: Not my favourite, although quite a reasonable breathe.
CONCLUSION
With regulators costing more than £400, we weren't expecting any to freeflow or cause us and other performance problems, and we were correct. All five units tested here performed extremley well, even when we subjected them to long periods of purging and rapid breathing.
The scubapro G250V/Mk25 split opinion over its looks - the retro 'vintage' second stage was not to everyone's taste - but the performace could not be faulted - and comin in at £400, it took the Best Value award.
The excellent Apeks XTX200 just beat the Poseidon Xtreme Duration for the Choice award, although both performed strongly.
See also:
2008 Budget Reg review
2008 Mid-priced reg review
Gear Test index
Kit Stop index
