FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The fixed-barrel diaphragm-type first stage looks remarkably like a chromed brass version of the very expensive Mares TI Planet - excellent. It has an allocated port for the primary second-stage hose. The second stage with BRA looked cheap by comparison and did not wear well during the time we used it. Good value and made by HTM of Italy.
UNDER WATER:
"A nice regulator but the position of the BRA knob makes no discernible difference. There was no more effort for two to breathe than one."
"I would be happy to use this for almost any normal dive. I was very confident with it, although the BRA appears to have no effect whatsoever. Is it connected to anything?"
"Very good and very easy to breathe. You could feel that there was enough air for two people to breathe. I would be less happy to use it if I had to lie on my back at any time!"
"Some people like a bit of rough, and this reg certainly won't disappoint them."
INVERTED: Very poor.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY: Hard to reassemble. We think most people would throw away the locking-pin.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID: Not a particularly even breathe, with some positive pressure at the end of the inhalation cycle at 51m. Work of breathing 1.88J/litre (limit=3.0 J/litre). An acceptable performance; this regulator met EN250: 2000 criteria.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Looks a bit old-fashioned and cheap. Its piston-type first stage has a tall turret which needs to be inverted on the tank to be comfortable. The second stage looks inexpensive and does not give the impression of being "made-to-last". German-made.
UNDER WATER:
"A bit Toys-R-Us. I got nearly all water. With two of us breathing from it there was certainly not enough air. It seems something is missing."
"It wasn't particularly impressive but I thought it was OK."
"It seemed a bit wet. I automatically swapped it for the regulator on my other tank rather than soldier on with it."
"The name made me think twice about putting it in my mouth... and to be honest, I think I'd prefer to spit it out. It was like breathing inside a washing-machine. Obviously for holiday divers only."
INVERTED: Very wet indeed.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY: Easily stripped and re-assembled.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:A lot of flutter during the first moments of inhalation but not very much effort overall (1.12 J/litre at 50.8m). ANSTI technicians discovered that there was a leak on the first-stage hp seat which caused the inter-stage pressure to creep upwards.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: A nice solid first stage with a squat turret that works well when it's the right way up on a tank. The second stage has both BRA and venturi ± control. It looks effective. Made in France.
UNDER WATER:
"Very average. Only just OK. Good for shallow diving but not for extreme conditions. I think it was on the verge of positive pressure because it tended to free-flow when head-down on descent, and at 40m it free-flowed when I took it out of my mouth."
"A good flow of air. It felt comfortable. I have nothing especially good or bad to say about it."
"Not much to write home about, I'm afraid. There was no comparison with some of the others here. It didn't have much appeal. A bit heavy to pull on and not one I would choose."
"It was pants. After inverting it I lost confidence in it. After a couple of mouthfuls of water I didn't want to continue with it. Right way up it was OK but nothing more."
INVERTED: Lots of water.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY: Easily stripped-down and re-assembled.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:A good supply of air at 50.3m but with a certain amount of flutter when the valve is first cracked open. Total work of breathing was 1.33 J/litre.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: An old-fashioned piston design with a tall turret that needed rigging upside-down on the tank for comfort. The second stage did not look built to last. It looked cheap and too plastic. Made in Italy..
UNDER WATER:
"Quite an effort to breathe in comparison to some of the others. The venturi ± made absolutely no difference. The purge button is very tiny. Otherwise it was OK but not for serious diving."
"I was very conscious of my breathing. I had no qualms about diving with it, but the mouthpiece was a bit small, as was the purge button."
"It was OK, but not as good as some of the others we compared it with. The purge button is too small."
"More of a Ford Fiesta than a Ferrari, but I thought it breathed well. The purge was a bit titchy, but then size isn't everything."
INVERTED: Very wet.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY:Easily re-assembled, with a nice-to-fit locking pin.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:Performance was well within ANSTI criteria, with a work of breathing equal to 1.47 J/litre at 50.2m, but there was a certain amount of flutter at the onset of inhalation, which changed to slight positive pressure.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Impressive-looking (if a little chunky) V16 fixed-barrel rubber-covered diaphragm first stage with a preferred port for the primary second stage. It looked like a cheap and cheerful copy of the Mares Ruby. We liked its bypass tube and the fact that it needed no knobs, and we liked the heat-exchanger. The Epos second stage is soon to be replaced by the new mini-size Proton. Mares is part of HTM.
UNDER WATER:
"There was always the same consistent air-flow. Lovely! It was good two-up too, but the mouthpiece is too small for such a heavy regulator."
"Slightly noisy two-up but otherwise a very natural breathe. I would buy one but change the mouthpiece, as it was so irritatingly small."
"One of my favourites - and no funny knobs. Good!"
"I really appreciated this one. It grew on me, especially when I had to swim against an annoying current. A nice smooth suck - a Gucci among regs."
INVERTED: Not dry but very usable.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY:Easy to re-assemble.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:Although not the least total effort (1.59 J/litre at 50.7m) in comparison to some others here, the clean oval trace without a hint of flutter reveals a most comfortable breathe.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Very neat both in the fixed-barrel diaphragm-type first stage and very compact second stage. A lovely design, except that we didn't like the plastic purge button or the minuscule venturi ± switch very much. American.
UNDER WATER:
"Very small and light in the mouth, with a very smooth air supply. Not the best but one of the best. Slightly too toy-like for me."
"I breathed quite happily. I felt I could get a good amount of air when I needed it. Good, but not as good as the other regulator I had on my tank at the time."
"This one worked very well, although I thought the venturi switch was totally unreadable. Luckily it seemed to make no difference, because the internal vane is so small."
"Initially I thought it sounded a bit tinny (even though it's made of plastic) when I breathed, but when I was diving it gave an easy and natural air supply. Surprisingly smooth."
INVERTED: Not dry but very usable.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY:Very easy to re-assemble.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:A big performance with a gentle, easy, smooth breathe without much effort whatsoever. Work of breathing at 50.8m was only 1.27 J/litre.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The fixed-barrel piston-type first stage has a patent dry-bleed system which gives off a stream of tiny bubbles. The second stage is obviously plastic but with a large heat-exchanger within. The exhaust tee is very wide, giving the user a "big whiskers" effect. American.
UNDER WATER:
"A good purge button but an over-long mouthpiece that I did not care for. It was not a regulator I would buy."
"Very inoffensive. A pleasure to use, unlike the Brut alternative second stage supplied with it."
"It positively impressed me because I expected the opposite. I didn't notice any problems, and as for the exhaled air... I never noticed it!"
"Not too bad but not something I wanted to breathe from for too long when at depth. Somehow it didn't feel like it was up to the job. A bit of a turkey, more gizzard than blizzard."
INVERTED: Completely dry.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY:Front levers off for easy access.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:One of the least effortless of the regulators compared here from which to breathe at depth. A total work of breathing of 2.60 J/litre at 50.8m

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: A very sexy-looking regulator with a lovely design to both parts. We were unanimous in thinking it had the best-looking first stage of any of the regulators tested here, and everyone wanted to take it home with them. The second stage was exceptionally attractive and well-thought-out, too. Many Tusa products are made in Taiwan.
UNDER WATER:
"I was really impressed. This regulator was amazing. Plenty of very soft air from a tiny unit. The BRA knob was very effective. It was light in the mouth. A natural-breathing, lightweight regulator."
"I was very happy to use it. Looking up was better than average. Two-up, it was perfect. I would buy it. I liked it."
"It's a sexy-looking regulator that was very good, very comfortable, and very dry at every angle, and with a perfect delivery of air. A nice balance in the mouth. I never had to struggle."
"A lovely breathe, great performance and stylish to look at. I'd love to take it home with me. Cute!"
INVERTED: Excellent!
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY:Very easy to dis-assemble and re-assemble.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:Not as good as expected. A total work of breathing equalled 2.90 J/litre at 47m, when the maximum allowable is 3.0 J/litre at 50m. The neat oval computer trace reveals a supply delivered in an undramatic way but its performance obviously drops off once taken deeper than the 40m reached by our test team in the sea.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: This simple workhorse design looks dated. Supplied in DIN fitting, the super-compact fixed-barrel first stage is spoiled by the need for an A-clamp adapter that pushes it well forward from the tank valve. The side-exhaust second stage works either right- or left-handed. Swedish.
UNDER WATER:
"I got lots of air. Unfortunately it was often a lot more than I needed."
"A hard breathe, because I always felt I needed to make a conscious effort. My vision was obscured in front of my left eye by exhaled air bubbles. When it free-flowed as I started to walk through the shallows, the hose whipped around my head like a model aeroplane buzzing around me and I lost a lot of air. They've got to do something to stop it free-flowing like that!"
"Too much air and too much water if you tilt your head the wrong way. It feels a bit out of control. It was irregular. It was not comfortable but it is very safe because it works at any angle."
"If you like something powerful and thrusting between your teeth, this is the regulator for you."
INVERTED:Absolutely dry.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY:Re-assembly proved less easy than we had at first expected.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:Bearing out the evidence of our human test team, the machine found a more-than-adequate supply of air delivered in a less-than-sublime way. Work of breathing at 50.8m was 1.54 J/litre.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The same fixed-barrel diaphragm-type first stage as Mares V16, but without the rubber covering. There is a preferred DFC port for the primary second stage. Some of us thought its second stage looked impressive with its neat little side-exhaust design. Made by HTM in Italy.
UNDER WATER:
"Lovely lightweight design but it breathed a bit wet. The purge button needs two hands. Otherwise great to use as an octopus."
"I wouldn't rush out to buy one. It seemed harder to breathe than some of the others. It has a very hard-to-press purge which is not good for someone learning to dive. The air supply was a little turbulent."
"It breathes perfectly OK but the purge was so difficult to use, I think it makes it dangerous. The performance of one second stage (connected to the preferred DFC port) seemed definitely better than the other."
"Slinky, neat and compact. Hisses like a snake when you breathe but it feels classy. The exhaust can be irritating as the bubbles come up past one eye."
INVERTED:Either-way-up design, but stopped working on looking upwards.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY:You seem to need a screwdriver to get it apart.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:The second stage did best when connected to the DFC port. It gave slight positive pressure with a little initial flutter. Total work of breathing: 1.07 J/litre at 50.3m.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: We didn't like the tall turret of the piston-type first stage because it needs to be inverted on the tank to be comfortable. The second stage has a great purge-button design, a comfortable mouthpiece and a useful mouthpiece clip. It has a good-sized venturi ± switch.
UNDER WATER:
"Brilliant at depth. Small, light in the mouth with plenty of air. A bit noisy in the shallows."
"Better than most but not as good as the best. I have no qualms about diving anywhere with it. A nice, unassuming regulator."
"I expected something better. I was disappointed only because I was comparing it with some other especially good regulators. The experience depressed me a bit because I have one at home!"
"Friendly, reliable, and more than adequate for the task in hand. A trusty workhorse of a reg."
INVERTED:Less water than some of the others the right way up!
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY: Infuriatingly difficult to put back together.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID: One of the two best performers in the test laboratory, the computer trace reveals a slight roughness in delivery that verges on positive pressure at times but the overall work of breathing was a remarkably small 0.99 J/litre at 50.8m.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The diaphragm-type first stage looked very neat with its mixed matt and glossy black finish. The second stage has a venturi ± but no BRA knob. It has a patented heat-exchanger. We used it with the Comfobite mouthpiece, though it is supplied with a conventional mouthpiece as an alternative. The overall look is very attractive. Assembled in France.
UNDER WATER:
"A serious contender, it gave very soft, natural breathing, although it was always close to free-flowing. A brilliant regulator to use at depth."
"Excellent. Effortless. One of the most comfortable. Great mouthpiece. Head and shoulders above most of the others."
"The venturi knob didn't seem to make much difference. It was one of the best to breathe from at depth but it did tend to free-flow when out of the mouth. A pleasure to use."
"Very smooth with two-up at depth. In fact, smoother than Des Lynam in a velvet dinner jacket. This reg is total class".
INVERTED:It varied between excellent and much too wet for a distressed situation.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY: The test team felt it to be too complicated to take apart and reassemble on site.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:The best of the test! The amount of effort needed at 50.2m was an astonishingly slight 0.84 J/litre. This was marred only by the slightest flutter on cracking open the valve and the tiniest amount of positive pressure at the end of each inhalation.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: At twice the price of the least expensive regulator we tested, we could expect a lot and we got it. This has the typical Apeks dry-sealed diaphragm first stage with a squat turret. The new compact second stage was bigger than we expected. Its exhaust tee is shaped to sit comfortably on the chin. Of a choice of two mouthpieces supplied, we chose to use the Comfobite option. Made in Britain.
UNDER WATER:
"The breathing was exceptionally light but felt a little mechanical. It was certainly one of the best ones tested."
"This would have been the best of all the regulators I have ever used if it had not been wet when inverted. Just looking upwards it was better than average. It was incredibly quiet, too."
"Just superb. The best of all of them. It proved extremely comfortable and it gave a superb delivery of air. This is the one I would choose to buy without any hesitation whatsoever."
"A pleasure to put in my mouth - I'd happily go down on this any day!"
INVERTED:Wet but OK.
SECOND-STAGE ASSEMBLY: Clever and built to last.
WHAT THE MACHINE SAID:Mirroring the performance of the Aqua-lung Legend in its delivery, if not its volume, there was a greater work of breathing needed (1.31 J/litre at 50.8m) but it gave an otherwise exceedingly acceptable