Ask any dive centre or instructor what the main things are that keep people engaged with diving, and you’ll get 2 answers:
The first and the most important is experience, divers need new experiences, they need to see different things and have fun, no one wants to dive the same place over and over and no one wants to repeatedly do courses. It’s vitally important that new divers get as many chances as possible to actually get out there and have fun!
The second is kit ownership, having your own well maintained and well fitting kit means you’ll be comfortable, you’ll be warm, you’ll be familiar with it, and it’s also there ready for you to use whenever you need it. Plus, if you’ve spent money on equipment, you’re much more likely to want to put it to use!
That’s why we’ve decided to offer free regulator and BCD servicing for 5 years on any regulator and BCD bought as a package in January and February! All you need to do is show proof of receipt when your equipment is due for service, and it’s free for the next 5 years.
To get you going here’s a few of our best picks:
Regulators
Best All Rounder
The Scubapro MK25 S620ti is a classic and extremely popular regulator set up. It has full adjustability on the 2nd stage and a swivel turret and 5th port on the 1t which makes it super versatile. It’s extremely high performance too.
The Mares Dual Adj 62X is a new variation of the Mares Dual reg, it’s lightweight but still cold-water rated and featured an adjustable second stage.
Best for Travel
The Aqua Lung Mikron has been around for some time but is still the benchmark for travel regulators. In a tiny package, it still features a breathing resistance dial and also the incredibly useful ACD design.
The Apeks XL4+ is a newer regulator that is both lightweight and cold water rated too. Being an Apeks, it’s also bulletproof and comes in a storm trooper white and grey design!
Best on a Budget
The Aqua Lung Core is a popular school and rental reg, it’s a balanced diaphragm, cold water rated and tough as well as featuring Aqua Lungs ACD design feature which prevents the first stage from flooding even if it’s submerged without a cap.
Scubapro MK17 C370: The Mk17 is Scubapro's balanced diaphragm first stage and the C370 even has an adjustment dial. It’s a no nonsense, sturdy cold water rated regulator
Best Premium
The Atomic T3 is the Ferrari of regulators, built from titanium so that it is incredibly lightweight but also fully specced up with a swivel turret and fifth port as well as a swivel ball on the 2nd stage too. Plus unlike many titanium regulators it’s nitrox compatible.
The Aqua Lung Leg3nd Elite is the newest version of the Legend range from Aqua Lung. It features amazing breathing performance and cold water resistance too.
BCDs
Best All Rounder
The Scubapro Hydros Pro might be a little more expensive than an average mid range jacket, but it’s our best-selling jacket and for good reason too. The whole design ethos around the jacket makes it hard to beat in terms of both fit and function. With nothing you don’t need and everything you do need in exactly the right place along with multiple means of customisation, the Hydros Pro is an excellent choice
Aqua Lung Axiom has been one of the most popular jackets on the market for many years. Think of it as a supercharged Pro HD. It has most of the same features except it also has the swivel buckles, but most importantly it has Aqua Lungs Wrapture system. This is a genuinely excellent backplate and waist band design that sits all the weight of the tank on your hips instead of shoulders which makes it much more comfortable than most standard BCD styles.
Best for Travel
Aqua Lung Rogue is not necessarily designed as a travel jacket, it has all the features that a cold water diver would need including integrated weights, but it is light! It also has an excellent and simple to use modular system that allows you to break the jacket down into it’s parts for packing ease.
The Scubapro Litehawk is a lightweight wing style jacket that is stripped back to basics for maximum travel efficiency. Integrated weights can be added as an optional extra
Best for Women
The Scubapro Hydros Pro for women is great for all the same reasons as the men's, it's just cut better for a woman
Best on a Budget
The Aqua Lung Pro HD is an ideal jacket for those on a budget, it’s a traditional BC model, that’s tough and straightforward. Plus you still get integrated weights with Aqua Lungs excellent Surelock system
The Mares Quantum is another excellent jacket for the price, it’s a traditional BC but also has little features like swivel buckles for a comfortable fit. It also has integrated weights
Best Premium
At the top end of the market Aqua Lungs Omni is designed as the last BC you’ll ever own. It comes as a traditional jacket style BCD, but you are able to swap the component pieces out to make a custom fit. You can also change from a jacket to a wing style too at a later date if you wish.
Finally, the Atomic BC2 is a top of the range wing style jacket with a number of excellent features from water repelling ultra tough fabrics, a brilliant ratchet system to attach the tank and an incredible comfortable fit.
