Frequently Answered Questions - FAQ
10 Top Ten
Chat or e-mail with us using the Messaging Icon that always floats in the lower right hand corner of our website. During business hours we reply to chats immediately and e-mails in a few minutes, otherwise we reply the next business day. Your inquiries will always be handled by experienced divers and diving instructors.
You may Contact Us via telephone and we are happy to answer your questions, however for any order related or customer service issues we ask you to send an email to provide us an authenticated audit trail in our management systems. For your security, our staff are also not allowed to take your payment information by telephone.
We do NOT recommend trying to communicate directly with us via social media messaging systems or community discussion boards for the purpose of customer service related questions. They are monitored by our marketing team with less frequency than our customer care team monitors our customer service contact points.
Unfortunately, unless we have explicitly listed an estimated date on the product description page, our best answer is "NOT SOON." If you are willing to postpone your purchase, then our product description page usually includes a link titled "Notify me when this product is in stock." located near the out-of-stock product name. You may click on the link and enter your email address to register to receive an automated email alert when the item becomes available to order for immediate shipment. Also add our divegearexpress.com domain name to your contacts whitelist so the email will not be sidelined as spam. If the product is high demand, once you receive the alert we recommend you act fast to place your order as the item may rapidly sell out.
The easiest way for you determine our domestic or international shipping costs is to simply add your product choices to the shopping cart, select a checkout option, and then enter the ship to address to see all the shipping options available and their exact cost. Once you reach a minimum order value that depends on the products and destination, most orders have a Super Saver FREE Shipping option.
For all the details visit our Shipping & Delivery page.
Yes, once you reach a minimum order value that depends on the products and destination, most orders have a free shipping option.
For all the details visit our Super Saver FREE Shipping page.
The short answer is YES for most countries. If our checkout process provides carrier rate quote(s) for your country, then we are able to ship to your address and Dive Gear Express guarantees safe arrival of your order, for details see Shipping & Delivery. (However, we are unable to accept payment from or ship to entities with United States Treasury Financial Sanctions.)
Frequently requested countries for which we are unable to guarantee timely safe arrival include (but are not limited to): Argentina, Brazil, Chile (and some smaller Central and South American nations), India, Mexico and Thailand. For countries that we are unable to ship and guarantee safe arrival, we recommend hiring a third party package forwarding service. For more information see Forwarding Services for International Customers.
Dive Gear Express IS able to ship directly to most countries for which we are unable to guarantee safe arrival, upon receipt of non-refundable order payment by international wire transfer. For further information see Non-guaranteed Shipping.
A precise answer for delivery time ultimately depends on the carrier, service level and delivery address as well as exactly what and when you order. The short answer for most orders: about a week for US addresses and about two weeks for international addresses, with expedited service options available for delivery in one to three days. Once your order ships, you will always receive a tracking number. All the details are available on our Shipping & Delivery page.
However, due to congestion with package carriers, orders may experience Transit Delays (more info).
We want all our products to be a great value so we present our lowest price everyday to everyone and we are proud of our five-star quality customer service. As much as we would like to have additional discounts for divemasters, instructors, first responders, military personnel, and groups, our prices are already as low as possible.
You also never have to "call for best price." In a few cases, where dive equipment manufacturers prevent us from showing you our price in the U.S. below their specified fixed minimum amount (known as a Minimum Advertised Price or MAP), you may see a lower "in-store" price in our shopping cart if you first Register and/or Sign In to your DGX customer account on our website.
Once you Sign In to your free DGX customer account, our prices are the same good value whether you shop online, our physical location, or call us. You may order with confidence that you haven't missed any discounts, coupons or promo codes.
All products purchased through Dive Gear Express are backed by the branded manufacturer limited warranty. Warranties vary by brand and type of product so please consult the manufacturer's website and/or user manual of the product in question for specific warranty details.
All our house brand DGX Gears™ products are guaranteed for the useful life of the product, backed by Dive Gear Express. All rechargeable batteries, generic and unbranded products are guaranteed by Dive Gear Express for two years from date of purchase. All services by Dive Gear Express are guaranteed for a period of ninety days. All service kits and repair parts are sold with no guarantees.
In general, warranties from all brands are limited to defects in materials or workmanship, only apply to personal use in recreational diving related applications by the original purchaser, and exclude all other uses as well as excluding normal wear, modifications and cosmetic defects. Warranty liability is limited to the manufacturer's choice of repair to the original product, replacement with a similar or reconditioned product, or refund.
Warranty service usually requires return to either Dive Gear Express or the branded manufacturer if you prefer. If you are are unable to use a pre-paid return label then you pay for warranty shipping costs back to us and we always pay for the warranty shipping costs back to you.
Your complete satisfaction is our goal and we have an easy return policy. If any item you purchase from us does not meet your expectations for a diving related application, you may return it; with the exception of a very few items clearly identified in our product description details as non-returnable.
The purchase price of merchandise returned in unused condition within 60 days of the date of delivery will be refunded to the original purchaser in the same form as the method of order payment. For merchandise returned in any other condition or after two months, the purchaser will be given a store merchandise discount amount valid up to two years for use on future purchases.
For all the details and procedures, visit Return & Refund policy page.
Yes and no; this simple question has a complex answer because there is no widely recognized scuba diving standard for what constitutes suitability for oxygen service. Hypothetically, the equipment we sell could be used with oxygen if we describe it as Nitrox Ready, otherwise you should assume air only service. However, from the point of view of stringent U.S. aerospace guidelines and Compressed Gas Association handling standards for oxygen, nothing in general use in recreational diving is suitable for oxygen service. Using oxygen for diving requires you to make an informed decision to accept for yourself the risks of handing the oxygen. To help form your opinion about the answer read our article About Oxygen Disclaimers.
11 About Us
Yes, you may visit to shop in-store at our location in Florida, USA. See our Directions page for details about visiting our Pompano Beach store. In addition to in-store purchase or pickup, we also offer contact-less curbside delivery of pre-paid on-line orders to your car, see Curbside Pickup page for details.
Yes, we are an authorized dealer for everything we sell, and all products purchased through Dive Gear Express are backed by the branded manufacturer limited warranty.
Apeks®, Dive Rite®, Mares XR™,OMS®, and Poseidon™ are our primary "full line" scuba diving product brands. Our DGX Gears™ house brand represents time tested premium quality products at the right price that are really in stock and ship today with customer service from Dive Gear Express that you can rely upon. You can see all our brands summarized on our Featured Brands page.
As of 2024, we have decided to no longer also offer products on the Amazon.com website in order to offer our customers the best possible service.
Products and packages ordered directly from our website have a much wider selection of configuration, shipping and customer service options. Our detailed product descriptions and photography are much more accurate representations of what you will receive. In addition to the usual bank card payment choices, Unlike the Amazon.com website our website also accepts PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay as well as Venmo and Zelle. Dive Gear Express does not "drop ship" orders via third parties, all orders are shipped directly from our Florida warehouse. Orders shipped outside Florida are not assessed state sales tax. During business hours we answer telephone calls or reply to chats immediately and e-mails in a few minutes, otherwise we reply promptly the next business day. We are proud of the five-star customer service rating awarded by Google Reviews to our website.
Sales and customer service are staffed weekdays Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM Eastern Time. We are always closed on Saturday and Sunday. Outside regular business hours, you can expect a prompt reply as soon as possible on our next business day.
Dive Gear Express is closed on major U.S. holidays that fall on weekdays when our domestic carriers (USPS and UPS) are not operating or operating on limited services, effective 2024 those days are: New Year's Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. We also close in the early afternoon on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve when they fall on weekdays.
We want all our products to be a great value so we present our lowest price everyday to everyone and we are proud of our five-star quality customer service. Because our prices are always as low as possible, we are unable to have "holiday sale" discounts. Of course our suppliers may offer limited time promotions around the holidays and we always pass those promotions along to our customers. Special purchase and clearance inventory can be found year-round in our Bargain Annex.
In a few cases, where dive equipment manufacturers prevent us from showing you our price in the U.S. below their specified fixed minimum amount (known as a Minimum Advertised Price or MAP), you may see a lower "in-store" price in our shopping cart if you first Register and/or Sign In to your DGX customer account on our website.
Once you Sign In to your free DGX customer account, our prices are the same good value whether you shop online, our physical location, or call us. You may order with confidence that you haven't missed any discounts, coupons or promo codes.
Dive Gear Express has a five star rating from verified customers based on our Google Customer Reviews collected directly by Google and available on their website. We also gather individual Product Reviews from our customers via a randomized e-mail form sent directly to their inbox shortly after they receive their order and those reviews are available on our website in the specific page of the related product.
To make our product reviews authentic, useful and on-point they are curated. Dive Gear Express does not offer any form of compensation for reviews and does not accept reviews except from our verified buyers of the product being reviewed. We also don't normally publish product reviews that are just about our company ("great seller", "shipped on time", etc), shipping issues such as carrier transit delays, or a brand in general rather than useful information about the specific product to which the review is attached.
We are very dedicated to quality control and our staff read every review. But please don't wait to write a review if you have a problem with any aspect of your order. Contact Us immediately whenever you are not completely satisfied with your purchase and we will always respond promptly to address your concerns.
The information videos on our Dive Gear Express YouTube Channel are as accessible as possible for all domestic and international viewers, including those with limited bandwidth speed or metered data. Each video is focused on important facts for a single topic, omitting extraneous promotional content and excessive detail. The video content alone clearly illustrates most of the information, with visible captions preferred over voice narration. The videos are fast paced to keep them compact, about one to three minutes in length with all playback controls always available during viewing. Lisa, our professional photographer on staff at DGX, is also a technical diver and she produces all our videos in-house in order to provide the most accurate content.
At Dive Gear Express, we do not sell your information to third parties and we adopt newer technologies sooner rather than later in order to follow 'best practice' to help protect the privacy of the information you share with us. That means we have taken measures to assure that no electronic storage, processing, or transmission of sensitive cardholder data occurs on our systems and our staff never have access to your complete primary account number information at any time under any circumstances. We host only on professionally managed secure servers that are co-located in world class data centers.
While no technology can guarantee security of information from cyber attack, we want you to know Dive Gear Express takes our responsibilities for the security of our relationship with you very seriously.
10 Gear & Brands
Our general policy is not to accept orders for products where demand exceeds supply yet the product is not physically in our warehouse. For more information about the sometimes deceptive pre-order practice, read Why We Don't Accept "Pre-Orders".
We know it is frustrating trying to purchase a product that is in short supply. Instead of accepting pre-orders, our product description pages will usually include a link titled "Notify me when this product is in stock." located near the out-of-stock product name. You may click on the link and enter your email address to register to receive an automated email alert when the item becomes available to order for immediate shipment. You may also wish to add our divegearexpress.com domain name to your contacts whitelist so the email will not be sidelined as spam. If the product is high demand, once you receive the alert we recommend you act fast to place your order as the item may rapidly sell out.
Apeks®, Dive Rite®, Mares XR™,OMS®, and Poseidon™ are our primary "full line" scuba diving product brands. Our DGX Gears™ house brand represents time tested premium quality products at the right price that are really in stock and ship today with customer service from Dive Gear Express that you can rely upon. You can see all our brands summarized on our Featured Brands page.
All products purchased through Dive Gear Express are backed by the branded manufacturer limited warranty. Warranties vary by brand and type of product so please consult the manufacturer's website and/or user manual of the product in question for specific warranty details.
All our house brand DGX Gears™ products are guaranteed for the useful life of the product, backed by Dive Gear Express. All rechargeable batteries, generic and unbranded products are guaranteed by Dive Gear Express for two years from date of purchase. All services by Dive Gear Express are guaranteed for a period of ninety days. All service kits and repair parts are sold with no guarantees.
In general, warranties from all brands are limited to defects in materials or workmanship, only apply to personal use in recreational diving related applications by the original purchaser, and exclude all other uses as well as excluding normal wear, modifications and cosmetic defects. Warranty liability is limited to the manufacturer's choice of repair to the original product, replacement with a similar or reconditioned product, or refund.
Warranty service usually requires return to either Dive Gear Express or the branded manufacturer if you prefer. If you are are unable to use a pre-paid return label then you pay for warranty shipping costs back to us and we always pay for the warranty shipping costs back to you.
Yes, it's In-Stock in our warehouse. We understand, it's frustrating to order something you need in a hurry only to learn later it's out-of-stock. We go to extremes to make sure our website product descriptions accurately indicate the stock status for each of our products and their status is updated daily. In rare circumstances our inventory count might be inaccurate, or we might receive multiple orders for the same item at roughly the same time when we have limited inventory. As a general rule, if the status is "In-Stock" on our website, then as far as the best information we have at the moment, the item really is in our warehouse.
Unfortunately, unless we have explicitly listed an estimated date on the product description page, our best answer is "NOT SOON." If you are willing to postpone your purchase, then our product description page usually includes a link titled "Notify me when this product is in stock." located near the out-of-stock product name. You may click on the link and enter your email address to register to receive an automated email alert when the item becomes available to order for immediate shipment. Also add our divegearexpress.com domain name to your contacts whitelist so the email will not be sidelined as spam. If the product is high demand, once you receive the alert we recommend you act fast to place your order as the item may rapidly sell out.
We stock accessories such as seals and gloves, as well as top and bottom separates in the Sharkskin line. However, we do not sell the full one-piece exposure suits themselves on our website. In our long experience the sizing guides from all the exposure suit manufacturers, drysuit and full wetsuit, are not reliable enough to make the final selection of a product for which fit has so much importance and yet is so subjective. This is especially true in the thicker wetsuit materials, plus the variety of undergarments further complicate the process of determining the suit size of drysuits. Full exposure suits are a product for which there is no substitution for try on and in-store fitting advice.
If it is time to replace your existing suit from Dive Rite, DUI, OMS or Sharkskin and you already know your size, please Contact Us to discuss a special order.
According to our suppliers, their Nitrox Ready products are oxygen compatible and oxygen clean from the factory, prior to initial use, for compressed gases greater than 23.5% oxygen. (Air is defined as containing from 19% to 23.5% oxygen.) However, most suppliers in the dive industry specify their Nitrox Ready products for use with gas mixtures containing a maximum of 40% oxygen as the upper limit. Although controversial, some dive industry professionals are of the opinion that Nitrox Ready products do not have to be dedicated to oxygen service and may be used interchangeably with CGA Grade "E" air as long as the Nitrox Ready product never contacts gas mixtures in excess of 40% oxygen.
To better understand the issues associated with handling oxygen rich compressed gas, please read Understanding Nitrox Ready.
Yes and no; this simple question has a complex answer because there is no widely recognized scuba diving standard for what constitutes suitability for oxygen service. Hypothetically, the equipment we sell could be used with oxygen if we describe it as Nitrox Ready, otherwise you should assume air only service. However, from the point of view of stringent U.S. aerospace guidelines and Compressed Gas Association handling standards for oxygen, nothing in general use in recreational diving is suitable for oxygen service. Using oxygen for diving requires you to make an informed decision to accept for yourself the risks of handing the oxygen. To help form your opinion about the answer read our article About Oxygen Disclaimers.
11 Ordering
Our general policy is not to accept orders for products where demand exceeds supply yet the product is not physically in our warehouse. For more information about the sometimes deceptive pre-order practice, read Why We Don't Accept "Pre-Orders".
We know it is frustrating trying to purchase a product that is in short supply. Instead of accepting pre-orders, our product description pages will usually include a link titled "Notify me when this product is in stock." located near the out-of-stock product name. You may click on the link and enter your email address to register to receive an automated email alert when the item becomes available to order for immediate shipment. You may also wish to add our divegearexpress.com domain name to your contacts whitelist so the email will not be sidelined as spam. If the product is high demand, once you receive the alert we recommend you act fast to place your order as the item may rapidly sell out.
We are unable to take telephone orders because we can't take your payment card information over the telephone in order to protect your information. However, our online secure checkout process is designed to be easy to use. If you need help to make your order we are happy to stay on the phone with you to talk you through the entire process including the checkout. Placing the order online also reduces the risk of an order entry error because you will be able to see and verify your order before placing it.
Yes, links to download PDFs of our completed forms are available below.
Our Federal Taxpayer ID (aka EIN) is 27-3788168, and we certify (IRS W-9 Form PDF) we are not subject to backup withholding.
Our Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is 79ZV5, and per NDAA Section 889 we represent (889 Rep v.4 Form PDF) we will NOT provide covered telecommunications equipment or services to the Government and we do NOT ourselves use covered telecommunications equipment or services.
Additional information on our company is available in our Impressum for Dive Gear Express.
As a general rule, we are unable to accept purchase orders or extend credit terms. Orders may be placed through our website and we accept most government and corporate purchase cards† using our Secure Checkout option. You may also pre-pay using wire transfer.
There is an exception for US Federal Government entities on orders exceeding the small business set-aside micro-purchase threshold (aka MPT, currently $10,000) associated with our CAGE code 79ZV5. If your purchase qualifies, please Contact Us for further information.
† Some corporate purchase cards have restrictions by class of merchant. If your card transaction is declined, it might be because we are classified as a recreational sporting goods merchant and in rare circumstances your card may have a restriction against purchases from such merchants. In such cases, you may need to contact your accounting department to have the restriction removed.
If you have not yet received notification that your order has shipped, we can accommodate most types of edits to your order.
For simple changes to your order, you can just reply to the order confirmation e-mail you received to make your request. If you prefer, you can also send your request via our Contact Us page with enough information to identify your order. If the edit results in a change in the payment total for your order, depending on how you paid we may be able to adjust the payment amount or we may need to issue a separate refund or payment request in the amount of the adjustment.
For significant additions it's often more expedient to just place another order, and in the "special instructions" dialog box just above the "Place Order" button request we merge the order with the previous order number. If you are due any refund of shipping charges we'll make the appropriate adjustment.
For significant changes please keep in mind that our manual edits may increase the likelihood of an error. Depending on the circumstances it may be easier to enter a replacement order and in the "special instructions" dialog box just above the "Place Order" button request we cancel the previous order number.
If you have not yet received notification that your order has shipped, we usually can succeed in cancelling your order before it leaves our warehouse. You can just reply to the order confirmation e-mail you received with your request. If you prefer, you can also send your request via our Contact Us page with enough information to identify your order.
Depending on your method of payment and if you have not yet received notification that your order has shipped, we usually can succeed in changing the shipping address on your order before it leaves our warehouse. If you paid for your order using "Secure Checkout", you can just reply to the order confirmation e-mail you received with your request.
Orders shipped outside the US are subject to local import fees that will be collected by the courier upon delivery. Please read our article titled Customs Clearance for Small Parcels for a detailed explanation of import duty and tax. Please read our SCUBA Diving Equipment Import Duties and Taxes page for detailed country by country guidelines to estimating duties and taxes.
We always reply promptly during business hours, so in order of probability...
- Our messages are being redirected or rejected as spam. This might be resolved by adding our domain name to the allowed contacts list of the receiving mailbox.
- If you previously marked one of our transaction emails as spam (for example, an order acknowledgement or tracking number notice) then our outbound SMTP email gateway Postmark will block our sending all subsequent emails from our side, no matter how important. There is no workaround other than to use a different email address for placing orders and communicating with us.
- There was a typographical error when entering the email address on the order. We can resolve this, just send us enough information to identify your order and the correct email address.
- The address provided is an alternate, backup, 'junk' mailbox or contains a +folder that routes our messages somewhere unexpected. This is resolved by checking all your mailboxes and +folders.
- The email address is forwarding to a different address, and the forwarding address is refusing to receive our messages from other than our authenticated sending server. (This happens when an old address, hosted on a Microsoft Exchange based service such as Outlook and Hotmail or a corporate server, is being forwarded to a modern DMARC secured service such as Gmail or Yahoo.) This is resolved by communicating with us from an email address that is not forwarded and asking us to update the email address in our records so that we send messages directly to the receiving mailbox.
- Although rare, the occasional email message does get garbled by the internet during relay by mail transport agents and fail to deliver; especially when a message contains large attachments such as videos, images or documents. Resending the message broken in to smaller pieces usually succeeds.
If you are not receiving our messages when you expect them nor replies to your e-mails, it may take a telephone call to us at +1 954-977-6009 during our business hours in order to resolve electronic communication problems.
12 Payments
Entering a card to pay directly through our secure checkout is probably the easiest way to enter a shipping address different than a billing address. To start just click on "Checkout" in the shopping cart. Complete the shipping information page and click Next, then on the payment page select a payment method, uncheck "My billing and shipping address are the same" box, enter the billing address, and click the adjacent UPDATE button. Complete the payment information and click the "Place Order" button. If the order was accepted an order confirmation page with the order number will immediately appear.
If the payment was declined, an error message along with the reason will appear in a pink box at the top of the page. If the "Place Order" button is not active, verify that you clicked on the update billing address button and checked the box to agree to our Terms and Conditions.
When placing a new order, our fulfillment staff is not automatically alerted to the availability of merchandise discount. To apply your store merchandise discount please follow these instructions:
- Checkout with a debit or credit card as the payment method. DO NOT select any other method because they might charge your account in full before we have an opportunity to apply the merchandise discount amount.
- Use the same e-mail address as the one that was previously given a merchandise discount amount.
- IMPORTANT: Use the Order Comments dialog box during checkout to write a request we apply your store merchandise discount amount to this order and include the words "Store Credit" or "Store Discount" in your message.
- Complete the new order as normal. Your merchandise discount amount will be applied to the merchandise on your order. Your card will be used to collect the remaining balance along with sales tax and shipping charge, if any of those are applicable.
Merchandise discount amounts may only be applied to store merchandise and can not be used to pay for sales taxes or shipping charges. Merchandise discount is not a gift certificate, stored value card, or similar instrument. Merchandise discount amount is not transferable, has no value and cannot be redeemed for cash.
We want all our products to be a great value so we present our lowest price everyday to everyone and we are proud of our five-star quality customer service. As much as we would like to have additional discounts for divemasters, instructors, first responders, military personnel, and groups, our prices are already as low as possible.
You also never have to "call for best price." In a few cases, where dive equipment manufacturers prevent us from showing you our price in the U.S. below their specified fixed minimum amount (known as a Minimum Advertised Price or MAP), you may see a lower "in-store" price in our shopping cart if you first Register and/or Sign In to your DGX customer account on our website.
Once you Sign In to your free DGX customer account, our prices are the same good value whether you shop online, our physical location, or call us. You may order with confidence that you haven't missed any discounts, coupons or promo codes.
A decline is usually from your bank or card issuer for security or funding reasons. You will need to call your bank or card issuer (their phone number is on the back of your card) to inquire further. If you have more than one card, trying with a different card will often work around the problem. If your card is still being rejected, for further advice see Causes of Card Declines.
- Please first Create an Account or Sign In to our website; then shop as usual.
- Select "Proceed to Checkout" to begin Checkout process.
- Choose ACH via Zelle payment method, then Place Order as normal.
- Wait until you receive the order confirmation email before making payment.
- Using Zelle, pay the exact amount of Grand Total $ in your order confirmation email. In the memo field please write your Order Number.
- Make payment to:
[email protected]
Dive Gear Express LLC
Once our bank confirms receipt of funds (typically real-time within minutes of your payment), your order will be released.
- Please first Create an Account or Sign In to our website; then shop as usual.
- Select "Secure Checkout" to begin Checkout process.
- Choose Bank Wire Transfer payment method.
- Place Order as normal.
When we begin processing your order, we will send you an email with our banking information you will need to arrange an electronic payment from your bank to ours. Once our bank confirms receipt of funds, your order will be released.
Your card number and other card details are never actually recorded at anytime by our website. When entering your card information, only a special token is recorded by our payment gateway. However, the token itself never contains your complete card number or other card details. When you also ask our website to "save" your payment information, all that is being stored is the token, which can only be used for purchases at Dive Gear Express.
Of course, even though your Dive Gear Express account and saved payment method can only be used to purchase from us, you still must take precautions to protect the password for your Dive Gear Express account. Please choose a strong password that you use exclusively for our website and no other.
We do NOT collect domestic sales tax on orders we ship via licensed common carrier (USPS or UPS) to any address outside the State of Florida, USA. Otherwise, on tangible goods we must collect the sales tax appropriate for the delivery address.
If you wish to place an order to be delivered inside Florida for resale or use by a tax-exempt organization, please see our Florida Sales Tax Exemption instructions page.
All Dive Gear Express prices and financial transactions are in United States Dollars (USD or US $). The financial institution associated with the method you used to fund payment will perform any required currency exchange at the rate they choose to establish.
Dive Gear Express does use an online service to optionally display individual prices on our website in different currencies. This service is only a guide, because our prices in currencies other than US $ are approximations and your financial institution will set their own exchange rate. Prices in AUD also include a 10% GST. Prices in GBP and EUR also include a 20% estimate for VAT.
Although we issue refunds promptly, bank card refund transactions are normally much slower to appear on activity summaries than charge transactions. Refunds issued to a credit card transaction typically post to your account within 3-5 business days. Refunds issued to a pin-less debit card transaction can take 10 business days to reflect on the account balance. These refund time frames vary slightly from one financial institution to another, but can be as long as 30 days for cross border transactions involving currency exchanges. The refund time frame can also be a little longer when a 3rd party payment gateway was used to fund the original transaction.
14 Shipping
Yes, you may visit to shop in-store at our location in Florida, USA. See our Directions page for details about visiting our Pompano Beach store. In addition to in-store purchase or pickup, we also offer contact-less curbside delivery of pre-paid on-line orders to your car, see Curbside Pickup page for details.
The easiest way for you determine our domestic or international shipping costs is to simply add your product choices to the shopping cart, select a checkout option, and then enter the ship to address to see all the shipping options available and their exact cost. Once you reach a minimum order value that depends on the products and destination, most orders have a Super Saver FREE Shipping option.
For all the details visit our Shipping & Delivery page.
Carrier money-back delivery date guarantees are available for US Postal Service - USPS Priority Mail Express® and United Parcel Service - UPS Next Day Air® domestic US services. Regardless, estimated delivery dates are based on "best effort" services by the carriers and there is never certainty they will be able to deliver by their estimated date, even for these two expedited services.
Keep in mind the carriers are not promising to deliver on-time, they only offer a refund of monies paid for shipping if their guaranteed service does not deliver on-time due to circumstances within their control. If carrier tracking indicates the first attempt to deliver your package was later than the delivery estimate for these two services only, contact Dive Gear Express within one week of delivery to claim a refund of your paid shipping fee.
The carrier money-back guarantee of on-time delivery does not apply when the delay is due to circumstances beyond their control as determined solely by the carrier, including (but not limited to) the following:
- Disruptions in the air or ground transportation networks, such as weather phenomena and natural disasters
- Emergency situations, such as transportation accidents
- Public authority exercising statutory powers, such as police or fire department
- Riots or civil commotion, strikes or other labor disputes
- Force majeure or acts of God
Although we do not guarantee same day dispatch, most orders with paid shipping and all Items marked In Stock, paid-in-full usually dispatch the same day, weekends and holidays excepted. Most other orders dispatch within 1-2 business days. We'll always e-mail a tracking number when the order has shipped.
There is no weekend or holiday pickup carrier service for any of our expedited shipping options. Therefore, an expedited order that was fulfilled on a Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday or holiday does not actually reach the carrier systems and begin transit until the next business day.
Yes, we offer Super Saver (Continental US) and US Postal Service (USPS) Priority Mail shipping to APO/FPO and DPO addresses via the MPSA for most of our products, subject to some APO/FPO/DPO restrictions for specific addresses. Please see our Shipping to APO/FPO/DPO Addresses page for details.
A precise answer for delivery time ultimately depends on the carrier, service level and delivery address as well as exactly what and when you order. The short answer for most orders: about a week for US addresses and about two weeks for international addresses, with expedited service options available for delivery in one to three days. Once your order ships, you will always receive a tracking number. All the details are available on our Shipping & Delivery page.
However, due to congestion with package carriers, orders may experience Transit Delays (more info).
In most cases the answer is NO for domestic residential addresses. However, the answer ultimately depends on the carrier, service level and delivery address.
ADVISORY: Dive electronics are always shipped as "Signature Required", but you may use the appropriate USPS, UPS or DHL website to authorize delivery without signature. However, by doing so you are accepting liability for the risk of loss or theft.
International shipping almost always requires a signature, but packages might deliver without signature when no duties or taxes are due. Packages shipped with DHL can be delivered without signature required if you have made prior payment arrangements via DHL On Demand™.
USPS Priority Mail domestic service does not require signature on delivery for most orders. You can manage delivery of your package via USPS Informed Delivery®.
UPS domestic services theoretically all require signature on delivery unless they have your specific request via UPS My Choice® to release without signature. While UPS drivers on commercial routes seem to almost always get both a name and signature, drivers often do not get either at residential addresses. Recently, UPS has begun waiving signature requirements for some commercial addresses. However, in locations where UPS has a history of non-delivery claims they may not deliver without signature regardless of service level or address. Our experience also suggests drivers usually ignore requests we write on packages such as specific placement or leave without signature.
Super Saver domestic shipping can use carriers with a variety of different policies and so we are unable to predict if signature will be required until the carrier has been determined, but in most cases the answer is no.
Although rare, we know a problem can be frustrating when it happens to you and we will work with you to resolve any issue as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Please visit our Shipping Exceptions and Problems page for additional details.
Dive Gear Express guarantees safe arrival of your order.
The rates are based on our estimated weight and dimensions of the package. We send those estimates for your shopping cart contents to the real-time online rate calculators from the USPS, UPS and DHL website application program interfaces. The online rates quoted to us by the carrier are the exact same rates we show you during checkout, including our negotiated rate discounts from UPS and DHL. Then you are in control to choose between the carriers, service levels and prices that best meet your needs for that specific order.
The carriers determine their shipping rate to a specific destination using dimensional weight based on price per pound or fraction thereof (i.e. any fraction is rounded up to the next whole number), which sometimes means seemingly small changes in the shopping cart contents can have a significant effect on the shipping rate. The minimum rate is based on a package weight of one pound, which can make charges for an extremely small order of a low weight inexpensive item seem excessive. In a very few cases, the rates might be wrong for extremely heavy orders (example: large quantity of tanks or rebreather absorbent) or orders that contain large quantities of very low weight items (example: small hardware items like D-rings.) Occasionally, there is an error in our database for the weight of a specific product. If you think the shipping price quoted is incorrect, contact us and we'll immediately investigate further.
Please keep in mind that for a low value order the minimum shipping fees can be disproportionate to the value of the order, so consider carefully before ordering low value goods with expedited shipping. This is especially true for international shipping with expedited customs clearance fees or remote destination surcharges. Once you reach a minimum order value that depends on the destination, Super Saver shipping for most orders is FREE.
No, our carrier accounts are blocked from shipping with payment other than on our account number. For logistics and security reasons we are unable to ship with customer supplied pre-paid labels, carrier pickup call tags, or any other shipping service arranged by the buyer.
For those few countries that we are unable to ship and guarantee safe arrival, we recommend hiring a third party package forwarding service. For more information see Forwarding Services for International Customers.
Dive Gear Express is willing to ship directly to some countries for which we are unable to guarantee safe arrival, upon receipt of non-refundable order payment by international wire transfer. For further information see Non-guaranteed Shipping.
We understand the shipping price can be most painful when greater than the price of the item being shipped! When you need one or two relatively inexpensive low weight items, the best strategy is to find some other items on our website that you or a dive buddy can also use. Combine those with your order so that the cost to ship the small item you wanted becomes insignificant. Keep in mind that once you reach a minimum order value that depends on the destination, Super Saver shipping for most orders is FREE.
The difference is the estimated time of day the carrier will deliver the package. Ground packages are delivered anytime between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (and sometimes later) to residences, and to business addresses during their normal business hours. Expedited shipments have best effort early delivery times-of-day that vary by service level. Money-back delivery date guarantees are also included for US Postal Service - USPS Priority Mail Express® and United Parcel Service - UPS Next Day Air® domestic US services.
12 International
The short answer is YES for most countries. If our checkout process provides carrier rate quote(s) for your country, then we are able to ship to your address and Dive Gear Express guarantees safe arrival of your order, for details see Shipping & Delivery. (However, we are unable to accept payment from or ship to entities with United States Treasury Financial Sanctions.)
Frequently requested countries for which we are unable to guarantee timely safe arrival include (but are not limited to): Argentina, Brazil, Chile (and some smaller Central and South American nations), India, Mexico and Thailand. For countries that we are unable to ship and guarantee safe arrival, we recommend hiring a third party package forwarding service. For more information see Forwarding Services for International Customers.
Dive Gear Express IS able to ship directly to most countries for which we are unable to guarantee safe arrival, upon receipt of non-refundable order payment by international wire transfer. For further information see Non-guaranteed Shipping.
Packages shipped via UPS and DHL expedited services typically take about a week, occasionally less. Delivery via USPS to any address outside the US is historically about two to four weeks, not counting any time required to clear local Customs.
However, reduced airline schedules has reduced air cargo capacity which in turn can cause unavoidable transit delays, especially in expedited and international deliveries, so the carriers have announced suspension of various service level guarantees.
International shipping is very reliable and Dive Gear Express guarantees safe arrival of your order.
Orders shipped outside the US are subject to local import fees that will be collected by the courier upon delivery. Please read our article titled Customs Clearance for Small Parcels for a detailed explanation of import duty and tax. Please read our SCUBA Diving Equipment Import Duties and Taxes page for detailed country by country guidelines to estimating duties and taxes.
For our export of your order we are now required to enter descriptions using the Harmonized System of nomenclature. The HS number we must enter from our end is 9506.29 which is titled "Water-sport Equipment, Other", and that is sub-category of "Sporting Goods".
The classification for your order upon import is determined by your local Customs agents, also using the HS system. There is no guarantee local Customs agents will use the same HS number, although they usually don't question the 9506.29 export code. In most countries, you can appeal their HS classification of your order if you feel it is inaccurate.
When preparing the documentation required for Customs clearance we are careful to accurately describe the nature, value, and contents of the shipment. Our long experience is that Customs agents are thorough when inspecting our shipments and providing anything other than an accurate description would likely result in a substantial delay and penalty. Keep in mind that Dive Gear Express guarantees safe arrival for all our packages and we would not want to do anything to put that guarantee at risk.
If you see DHL as an option for your country in our shopping cart shipping estimator, but you do not see DHL expedited shipping as an option during checkout once you enter your actual ship to address, the issue is likely the precise format of your international address. The DHL online calculator used to determine exact DHL shipping prices is somewhat restrictive about allowing local variations or omissions in the ship to address. DHL is particularly troublesome about requiring postal codes and territory names, even when they are not widely used locally but do exist. You can Contact Us, mention the full address you wish to use and we will communicate with DHL to determine exactly how they want your address formatted.
Signature is almost always required for international shipping, but packages might deliver without signature required when no duties or taxes are due. Packages shipped with DHL can be delivered without signature required if you have made prior payment arrangements via DHL On Demand™.
A low weight or inexpensive order may be affected by what is known as the first pound, last mile distribution logistics of parcel carriers like USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL. Due to the industry switch to dimensional weight pricing, the minimum price to ship an empty box or one that weighs a few pounds can be surprisingly similar and even more so for packages with expedited customs clearance fees or remote destination surcharges. Keep in mind that minimum fees and surcharges can be disproportionate to the value of the order, so consider carefully before ordering low value goods with expedited shipping. The shipping price can be most painful when greater than the price of the item being shipped!
When you need one or two relatively inexpensive low weight items, the best strategy is to find some other items on our website that you or a dive buddy can also use. Combine those with your order so that the cost to ship the small item you wanted becomes insignificant. Keep in mind that once you reach a minimum order value that depends on the destination, Super Saver shipping for most orders is FREE.
Origin documentation requirements are fulfilled with a U.S. International Customs Form together with our retail invoice. Both are included with every international shipment from Dive Gear Express and both clearly document "Country of Origin: USA".
On very rare occasions, some local officials (notably in South Korea and some Middle Eastern countries) may still request a signed Certificate of Origin. A CoO is associated with wholesale export of containerized bulk goods, not small retail parcels. We are not authorized to issue a formal CoO, but upon request we can e-mail a signed copy of our invoice for your shipment with a bold red stamp "Country of Origin: USA". In our experience the stamped and signed invoice copy has always been accepted as a substitute for a formal Certificate of Origin.
We have three carriers we can use for delivery to Canada: US Postal Service (USPS) plus UPS and DHL. USPS (delivered via Canadian Post) is slow, but has a modest CAD $9.95 clearance fee. Our Canadian customers tell us both UPS and DHL, while very fast sometimes also have objectionable clearance fees. Normally, we prefer to ship to Canada via USPS, but international shipments via USPS have recently been experiencing very long transit time delays and so we are avoiding USPS to Canada as the lesser of the evils.
Clearance fees can be egregious on small orders, so Canadian customers may wish to consider self-clearing.
Regardless, you are responsible for Canadian Taxes applicable at the delivery address. Although the carriers are required by Canadian law to contact the addressee either by telephone or letter regarding the disposition of taxes, our customers tell us sometimes they are NOT receiving any contact. If the addressee is not proactive about settling taxes, the package may simply fail to deliver and eventually automatically return to us.
We strongly recommend monitoring your package using the tracking number we send you when we ship your order and once it clears customs then use the appropriate Canada Post, UPS My Choice, or DHL On Demand website to make payment online ahead of delivery.
5 Free Shipping
Your order subtotal must exceed the minimum order value (that depends on the destination) required to qualify for free shipping.
Although we can ship cylinders, rebreathers, absorbent, scooters (DPV), lead weight, and gas boosters most anywhere in the world, because of size and weight restrictions these items do not qualify for our free shipping promotion and must be ordered and shipped separately. Some reduced price items, typically in the Bargain Annex may also have shipping restrictions mentioned in their descriptions. Equipment maintenance services do NOT include free shipping. If you place an order with a mixture of items that that do qualify for free shipping and any item that doesn't qualify for free shipping, then the entire order will not qualify for free shipping.
If you don't see a free shipping option when you expect it, then in rare cases an error in the shipping address can prevent a free shipping option from appearing. Check that your shipping address is correct; the country is selected plus city and state/region names match the postal code.
Orders with paid shipping receive first priority order processing from Dive Gear Express and provide options for rapid date-definite delivery via brand name USPS, UPS, and DHL carriers. Orders with paid shipping and all Items marked In Stock, paid-in-full, usually dispatch the same day, weekends and holidays excepted. Using your tracking number you can manage delivery of your package with the appropriate USPS Informed Delivery®, UPS My Choice®, or DHL On Demand™ website. Please select a paid shipping choice if your order is time-sensitive, requires door-to-door tracking during transit, or to choose a specific carrier.
Most Super Saver orders dispatch within three business days. We'll pay the charges for Super Saver shipping and your order will be delivered within about 1 to 2 weeks for domestic US and 2 to 4 weeks for international, after your order is dispatched. Once your order is packed (multiple Super Saver orders to the same name and address may be combined into a single shipment), the exact dimensions and weight of the sealed package are determined. The Super Saver option automatically tells our systems to use this information to shop and ship via lowest cost package delivery solution that may include 'last mile' contract carriers. In some cases, Super Saver tracking information may be limited to confirmation of pickup and delivery.
The short answer is most Super Saver orders will dispatch within three business days; a more precise answer depends on when the order is placed.
Please select a paid shipping choice if your order is time-sensitive, requires door-to-door tracking during transit, or to choose a specific carrier.
We are unable to accommodate requests for a specific carrier when selecting the free shipping option. Please select paid shipping to choose a specific carrier.
Orders with Super Saver shipping are typically delivered within about 1 to 2 weeks for domestic US and 2 to 4 weeks for international, after your order is dispatched.
10 Tracking and Delivery
Orders with Super Saver shipping are typically delivered within about 1 to 2 weeks for domestic US and 2 to 4 weeks for international, after your order is dispatched.
Packages shipped via UPS and DHL expedited services typically take about a week, occasionally less. Delivery via USPS to any address outside the US is historically about two to four weeks, not counting any time required to clear local Customs.
However, reduced airline schedules has reduced air cargo capacity which in turn can cause unavoidable transit delays, especially in expedited and international deliveries, so the carriers have announced suspension of various service level guarantees.
International shipping is very reliable and Dive Gear Express guarantees safe arrival of your order.
It depends on the carrier and circumstances, but the short answer is probably "be patient". All the carriers have suspended their transit time guarantees, but the transit delays in most cases are just a few days although we've seen a few longer delays via US Postal Service (USPS). For more information see our Transit Delays Advisory
When tracking indicates a package has delivered yet you have not seen it, in most cases the package was collected by a family member or co-worker, left with a nearby third-party, or was deposited somewhere unforeseen. We ask you please search for a few minutes and if you don't find the package or a notice then please Contact Us.
In most cases the answer is NO for domestic residential addresses. However, the answer ultimately depends on the carrier, service level and delivery address.
ADVISORY: Dive electronics are always shipped as "Signature Required", but you may use the appropriate USPS, UPS or DHL website to authorize delivery without signature. However, by doing so you are accepting liability for the risk of loss or theft.
International shipping almost always requires a signature, but packages might deliver without signature when no duties or taxes are due. Packages shipped with DHL can be delivered without signature required if you have made prior payment arrangements via DHL On Demand™.
USPS Priority Mail domestic service does not require signature on delivery for most orders. You can manage delivery of your package via USPS Informed Delivery®.
UPS domestic services theoretically all require signature on delivery unless they have your specific request via UPS My Choice® to release without signature. While UPS drivers on commercial routes seem to almost always get both a name and signature, drivers often do not get either at residential addresses. Recently, UPS has begun waiving signature requirements for some commercial addresses. However, in locations where UPS has a history of non-delivery claims they may not deliver without signature regardless of service level or address. Our experience also suggests drivers usually ignore requests we write on packages such as specific placement or leave without signature.
Super Saver domestic shipping can use carriers with a variety of different policies and so we are unable to predict if signature will be required until the carrier has been determined, but in most cases the answer is no.
We have three carriers we can use for delivery to Canada: US Postal Service (USPS) plus UPS and DHL. USPS (delivered via Canadian Post) is slow, but has a modest CAD $9.95 clearance fee. Our Canadian customers tell us both UPS and DHL, while very fast sometimes also have objectionable clearance fees. Normally, we prefer to ship to Canada via USPS, but international shipments via USPS have recently been experiencing very long transit time delays and so we are avoiding USPS to Canada as the lesser of the evils.
Clearance fees can be egregious on small orders, so Canadian customers may wish to consider self-clearing.
Regardless, you are responsible for Canadian Taxes applicable at the delivery address. Although the carriers are required by Canadian law to contact the addressee either by telephone or letter regarding the disposition of taxes, our customers tell us sometimes they are NOT receiving any contact. If the addressee is not proactive about settling taxes, the package may simply fail to deliver and eventually automatically return to us.
We strongly recommend monitoring your package using the tracking number we send you when we ship your order and once it clears customs then use the appropriate Canada Post, UPS My Choice, or DHL On Demand website to make payment online ahead of delivery.
Origin documentation requirements are fulfilled with a U.S. International Customs Form together with our retail invoice. Both are included with every international shipment from Dive Gear Express and both clearly document "Country of Origin: USA".
On very rare occasions, some local officials (notably in South Korea and some Middle Eastern countries) may still request a signed Certificate of Origin. A CoO is associated with wholesale export of containerized bulk goods, not small retail parcels. We are not authorized to issue a formal CoO, but upon request we can e-mail a signed copy of our invoice for your shipment with a bold red stamp "Country of Origin: USA". In our experience the stamped and signed invoice copy has always been accepted as a substitute for a formal Certificate of Origin.
ATTN: RETURNS
4100 N POWERLINE RD STE E1
POMPANO BEACH, FL 33073
USA
If you prefer, you may return any merchandise directly to our retail store at the same address above.
8 Returns & Refunds
Your complete satisfaction is our goal and we have an easy return policy. If any item you purchase from us does not meet your expectations for a diving related application, you may return it; with the exception of a very few items clearly identified in our product description details as non-returnable.
The purchase price of merchandise returned in unused condition within 60 days of the date of delivery will be refunded to the original purchaser in the same form as the method of order payment. For merchandise returned in any other condition or after two months, the purchaser will be given a store merchandise discount amount valid up to two years for use on future purchases.
For all the details and procedures, visit Return & Refund policy page.
Just send it back to us; the order number is your return authorization. Although not required, we suggest you contact us before making a return because in many cases we can resolve your concerns without creating a return.
For details and procedures please read Returns & Refunds.
ATTN: RETURNS
4100 N POWERLINE RD STE E1
POMPANO BEACH, FL 33073
USA
If you prefer, you may return any merchandise directly to our retail store at the same address above.
All products purchased through Dive Gear Express are backed by the branded manufacturer limited warranty. Warranties vary by brand and type of product so please consult the manufacturer's website and/or user manual of the product in question for specific warranty details.
All our house brand DGX Gears™ products are guaranteed for the useful life of the product, backed by Dive Gear Express. All rechargeable batteries, generic and unbranded products are guaranteed by Dive Gear Express for two years from date of purchase. All services by Dive Gear Express are guaranteed for a period of ninety days. All service kits and repair parts are sold with no guarantees.
In general, warranties from all brands are limited to defects in materials or workmanship, only apply to personal use in recreational diving related applications by the original purchaser, and exclude all other uses as well as excluding normal wear, modifications and cosmetic defects. Warranty liability is limited to the manufacturer's choice of repair to the original product, replacement with a similar or reconditioned product, or refund.
Warranty service usually requires return to either Dive Gear Express or the branded manufacturer if you prefer. If you are are unable to use a pre-paid return label then you pay for warranty shipping costs back to us and we always pay for the warranty shipping costs back to you.
Although we issue refunds promptly, bank card refund transactions are normally much slower to appear on activity summaries than charge transactions. Refunds issued to a credit card transaction typically post to your account within 3-5 business days. Refunds issued to a pin-less debit card transaction can take 10 business days to reflect on the account balance. These refund time frames vary slightly from one financial institution to another, but can be as long as 30 days for cross border transactions involving currency exchanges. The refund time frame can also be a little longer when a 3rd party payment gateway was used to fund the original transaction.
10 Oxygen & Nitrox
Yes and no; this simple question has a complex answer because there is no widely recognized scuba diving standard for what constitutes suitability for oxygen service. Hypothetically, the equipment we sell could be used with oxygen if we describe it as Nitrox Ready, otherwise you should assume air only service. However, from the point of view of stringent U.S. aerospace guidelines and Compressed Gas Association handling standards for oxygen, nothing in general use in recreational diving is suitable for oxygen service. Using oxygen for diving requires you to make an informed decision to accept for yourself the risks of handing the oxygen. To help form your opinion about the answer read our article About Oxygen Disclaimers.
According to our suppliers, their Nitrox Ready products are oxygen compatible and oxygen clean from the factory, prior to initial use, for compressed gases greater than 23.5% oxygen. (Air is defined as containing from 19% to 23.5% oxygen.) However, most suppliers in the dive industry specify their Nitrox Ready products for use with gas mixtures containing a maximum of 40% oxygen as the upper limit. Although controversial, some dive industry professionals are of the opinion that Nitrox Ready products do not have to be dedicated to oxygen service and may be used interchangeably with CGA Grade "E" air as long as the Nitrox Ready product never contacts gas mixtures in excess of 40% oxygen.
To better understand the issues associated with handling oxygen rich compressed gas, please read Understanding Nitrox Ready.
Since Air is defined by the CGA as containing 19% to 23.5% oxygen, describing nitrogen-oxygen gas mixtures up to 23.5% as Nitrox is just an obscure way of describing ordinary Air. Gas mixtures greater than 23.5% oxygen are what most people assume to be Nitrox, and of course there is also pure Oxygen. To avoid conflict with various dive supplier labeling and any misunderstanding about exactly what constitutes Nitrox, Dive Gear Express sometimes uses the phrase "suitable for service with compressed gases containing greater than 23.5% oxygen" to describe products that are both oxygen compatible and oxygen clean prior to initial use, especially in reference to cylinders and valves.
Our suppliers tell us their equipment described as Nitrox Ready is already oxygen clean from the factory. The Compressed Gas Association standards state that equipment handling any Nitrox mixture in excess of 23.5% oxygen shall be cleaned to their standard as if the gas is pure oxygen, there is no lesser standard. That requirement is why Nitrox Ready equipment has already been oxygen cleaned by the manufacturer. SCUBA equipment is labeled 'NITROX READY' or '40% MAX OXYGEN' instead of 'Oxygen Service' because the manufacturers are managing the risks, both to your safety and their liability, associated with oxygen-related fires and explosions by specifying their SCUBA products for use only with breathing gas mixtures no more than 40% oxygen.
Nitrox Ready and Oxygen Service equipment from our suppliers is not just 'kinda sorta clean' or 'premix clean', it is oxygen clean. The practice by shops and individuals of aftermarket cleaning for new dive equipment that is already oxygen clean from the factory is pointless at best and dangerous if done improperly. Prior to initial use, no amount of aftermarket cleaning can make a Nitrox Ready product more oxygen clean nor can cleaning it ever override the manufacturer specified limits. The manufacturer can't stop you from using their equipment with breathing gases and pressures that exceed their specifications, but doing that requires you to make an informed decision to accept for yourself the risks of handing the oxygen.
There is no reliable visual inspection method to determine O-ring material composition, only specialized materials testing equipment can make that determination. Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber elastomers (aka NBR, aka Nitrile, aka Buna-N) are considered to have good resistance to oxygen with a 15 year shelf life. Fluorocarbon elastomers (aka FKM, aka FPM, aka Viton) are considered to have excellent resistance to oxygen, with an essentially unlimited shelf life. To ensure specific composition, O-ring material must be specified at time of purchase and then segregated from other O-rings.
There are no O-ring color coding standards and thus color or appearance is not an indication of the material or quality. O-rings are available in nearly any color, although most commonly seen in black regardless of material. Even though most fluorocarbon O-rings are black, the loose FKM O-rings sold by Dive Gear Express are oxygen compatible and usually brown or green; simply to make them easily distinguishable from more common NBR O-rings which are usually black. However, O-rings inside equipment (valves, regulators, hoses, service kits, etc.) are almost always black regardless of material. O-ring materials also can not be distinguished from each other by their surface appearance, more a function of the manufacturer than the material. NBR is incorrectly said to have a shiny surface and FKM a matte surface. This is not a reliable indicator, and certainly not true if the O-ring has been lubricated.
Just to be clear, the COLOR and SURFACE APPEARANCE of the O-ring is MEANINGLESS regarding their compatibility with oxygen.
Yes. Many divers are surprised to learn the SCUBA industry convention of using fluorocarbon elastomers (FKM or FPM, aka Viton o-rings) with Nitrox is not a matter of oxygen fire safety. The introduction of Nitrox in recreational diving included a recommendation to use FKM for seals in gas blending equipment whose wetted surfaces contact pure Oxygen. This was frequently confused with the very important safety requirement for oxygen cleanliness (i.e. the absence of readily combustible materials); creating a mistaken but widely held belief that Viton is also somehow related to safety of Nitrox for diving equipment such as SCUBA regulators and cylinder valves.
FKM is no more 'safe' in Nitrox diving applications than ordinary synthetic nitrile rubber (NBR aka Buna-N). While FKM has a slightly higher temperature of ignition at {~ 900°F | 500°C} than NBR at {~ 750°F | 400°C}, nearly any material can still serve as fuel in the kindling chain to an oxygen fire that will reach {~ 5000°F | 2700°C}. The reason for preferring FKM in high oxygen content applications is because the service life is typically longer than NBR, i.e. Viton is more resistant to oxidation than nitrile rubber although FKM also exhibits a tendency to swell slightly in high-pressure oxygen. While FKM o-rings theoretically outperform NBR o-rings, in practice there is no safety reason to prefer them in Nitrox SCUBA life-support applications such as regulators and valves given the periodic service requirements of such equipment.
Regardless, Dive Gear Express specifies oxygen compatible and oxygen clean products whenever possible, and we only use viton O-rings and O2 compatible lubricants in equipment service. Any products we identify as Nitrox Ready or Oxygen Service will meet industry standards for both oxygen compatibility and oxygen cleanliness prior to initial use.
The short answer is NO. The longer answer is it depends on the exact product formulation and gas pressure but as a practical matter the answer is still no. Silicone "grease" is a generic term for a variety of lubricant formulations that are based on some form of pure silicone oil, most commonly polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). While pure PDMS itself is a chemically inert inorganic substance that is not combustible; in order to make the little tub or spray can of generic 'scuba lube', the PDMS is mixed with thickeners and/or organic solvents that typically are readily combustible. Lubricant contamination in high pressure compressed gas equipment is a frequent cause of oxygen fires. In general, lubrication in oxygen service applications should be avoided whenever possible. Oxygen service applications in SCUBA that require lubrication must use specialized (and relatively expensive) lubricants, typically based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) compounds.
It is true that in low pressure Nitrox applications such as regulator second stages and rebreather loops, the type of lubricant is pretty much irrelevant to oxygen fire safety. Occasionally, the desire to minimize use of expensive oxygen compatible lubricants can lead to the erroneous assumption that inexpensive silicone lubricants might used in ambient or low pressure applications that are in close proximity to high pressure applications. However, the high tack and adhesion property of silicone lubes also makes them very migratory and difficult to completely remove. In practice, we find silicone lubrication on the low pressure side of equipment will eventually be transferred to the high pressure side such as a first stage connector or valve outlet. Never use silicone lubricants with electrical contacts, even though this is an often suggested practice. Silicone products will react with plastics and other contaminates to form insulating films and silicone carbide compounds which can cause intermittent connections in low-current applications such as rebreather oxygen sensors. When multiple lubricants are available, there is also the very real increased risk of inadvertently applying the wrong lubricant. In practice, if lubrication is required it is best to only use oxygen compatible lubricant consistently throughout all equipment in service with Nitrox regardless of pressure.
Dive Gear Express avoids silicone lubricants in our facility, using only oxygen compatible lubricants for all SCUBA applications that require lubrication. Any products we identify as Nitrox Ready or Oxygen Service will meet industry standards for both oxygen compatibility and oxygen cleanliness prior to initial use.
DOT regulations currently limit the oxygen fill pressure of aluminum and composite cylinders to 3,000 psi at 70F. There are no similar DOT fill pressure limits for compressed oxygen gas in steel cylinders, but as a practical matter pure oxygen fills exceeding 3,000 psi are highly unlikely, regardless of cylinder composition or service pressure. In the US, almost all bulk compressed oxygen available to local dive shops is aviation grade in steel DOT-3AA-2400 cylinders with a CGA-540 valve at a service pressure of 2,640 psi. Since most oxygen fills by local dive shops are done using the cascade method, a typical local dive shop pure oxygen fill in a rebreather or decompression cylinder will be between 1,800 psi and 2,400 psi unless the shop has an oxygen booster.
The DOT considers any gas containing more than 23.5% oxygen to be pure oxygen for the purposes of handling. Thus, knowledgeable fill station operators will not fill aluminum cylinders with Nitrox higher than 3,000 psi. This means the 3300 psi "compact" or "neutral buoyancy" aluminum SCUBA cylinders will receive a short fill. Again, there are no such restrictions on Nitrox in steel high pressure SCUBA cylinders with a service pressure of 3442 psi. Although there are some older steel SCUBA cylinders with a service pressure of 3500 psi, recent DOT regulations limit the transport of such cylinders to a maximum fill pressure of 3442 psi as well.
We offer two different gas boosters suitable for applications with recreational diving; both are compressed air driven, air cooled, non-lubricated, reciprocating piston, single action single stage type. The DGX Gears X-30 is a value priced oxygen booster that is suitable for light duty usage. The faster Haskel MSB-9000 is a premium quality oxygen booster manufactured in the USA that is suitable for heavy duty usage. A benefit of the Haskel booster is additional cooling provided by routing the cold exhausted drive air through a jacket surrounding the gas compression barrel.
Best practice when boosting oxygen is to keep a low ratio between the source/target pressures and reduce the cycle speed as the ratio increases because rapid compression of oxygen also increases the risk of adiabatic combustion. Dive Gear Express recommends not exceeding a boost ratio of 6:1 when boosting oxygen. It may be tempting to pull the maximum amount of gas out of the supply cylinder, but boosting low pressures can very quickly reach high boost ratios. For example, boosting from a {500 psi | 35 bar} source to a target of {2640 psi | 180 bar} is a relatively low boost ratio of about 5:1. However, a source of {300 psi | 20 bar} almost doubles the ratio to about 9:1 and an only slightly lower source of {150 psi | 10 Bar} doubles again to an 18:1 ratio.
6 Equipment Service
YES! Dive Gear Express offers regulator service on all models we currently sell. Dive Gear Express is an authorized service center for Apeks, Dive Rite, Mares XR, and Poseidon regulators. We of course also provide service for our house brand DGX Gears regulators. For all the details visit SCUBA Regulator Maintenance Service at Dive Gear Express.
For regulator brands that we are not certified to service, we recommend using a factory authorized service center nearest you. Three long established U.S. based companies that specialize in factory authorized regulator service for most brands are Airtech in North Carolina, RegTech in Wisconsin, and Pacific Scuba Repair in California.
Any competent service tech will have no issues with service of the DGX Gears regulator models. Our suggested service interval for all DGX Gears regulators is every two years or one hundred dives. There is nothing unique about DGX Gears regulators in terms of service requirements and needs no special equipment beyond that found on the typical regulator technician bench. We believe our customers also have the right-to-repair, so we publish detailed service manuals and we sell without restriction all service parts and periodic service kits for the DGX Gears brand regulators. Who can service DGX Gears brand regulators?
DGX Gears XTRA Service Parts Kits
DGX Gears D6 Service Parts Kits
DGX Gears FIRST Service Parts Kit
DGX Gears BCI Service Parts Kit
If you prefer, you may also send your DGX Gears brand regulators in for service or repair at our DGX Service Department located on the east coast in Florida or Pacific Scuba Repair located on the west coast in California. Dive Gear Express only services brands and models we sell: Apeks, DGX Gears, Dive Rite, Mares XR, and Poseidon. If you have other brands you would like serviced at the same time then Pacific Scuba Repair also services our brands plus many other brands such as Apeks (full line), Aqualung, HOG, Hollis, Mares (full line), Oceanic, OMS, and ScubaPro.
17 Products - BCs
In our opinion a typical size metal backplate is suitable for divers with an average build between {5 ft 3 in | 1.6 m} and {6 ft 3 in | 1.9 m} tall. For more information about solutions if you are outside that range, see our tektip Backplates and Your Height
With the exception of the Apeks WTX harness system, none of the soft plate and harness systems we sell have provisions for adding a rigid metal plate. This is an often requested feature, but for many if not most divers this "hybrid" approach does not provide a benefit. For more information please read our tek-tip Soft Plate Systems and Metal Backplates.
Your choice as a diver is not critical because in-water the total weight difference is typically less than {4 lb}, so frequent flyers often choose aluminum over all other considerations when they want to travel as light as possible. For a more detailed discussion, see our tektip Aluminum vs. Stainless Hardware
About {25 lb | 10 kg} is the lift you need with your buoyancy aircell (called a 'wing') for single tank diving, assuming you are properly weighted with a modern cylinder. Manifolded doubles require about {45 lb | 20 kg} of lift. If you need more lift then you are diving a giant old Heiser/Beauchat cylinder or you are diving steel doubles with several stage bottles, otherwise you probably need to "get the lead out". These are just approximations because the cylinder sizes, types and configurations, not lift capacity and not body weight, is the best guide to selecting the correct wing. We have more information in our article Suggestions for Selecting a Wing.
NO, using a larger wing with a drysuit may even be counter productive! The wing lift is used only to counteract the weight of the cylinders & valves plus the backplate & harness. Of course most divers will also be carrying additional weight to compensate for the buoyancy of the drysuit, perhaps quite a lot more if wearing thick undergarments for diving in cold water. However, do not plan on using the wing as backup buoyancy in the event of a drysuit flood. Instead, the additional weight to compensate for the drysuit must be configured to be incrementally ditchable in the event of a drysuit failure.
Conversely, while some divers consider the drysuit to theoretically be backup buoyancy in the event of a wing failure, that's not best practice either. In reality, depending on their orientation in respect to the surface, many divers would find they have to so over inflate the drysuit to compensate that they lose mobility in their arms and may feel choked at their neck. For backup buoyancy in the event of a wing failure, we recommend selecting a dual bladder wing design.
Some wings offer the option of a "Remote Exhaust" (aka pull-to-dump) elbow or "Plain" elbow. The remote exhaust convenience feature is present on nearly all recreational sport BCD jackets, the plain elbow is most common on back inflation wings.
For experienced and technical divers, as a result of their often horizontal position in the water, they use the OPV pull at the bottom of the wing to release gas or hold their inflation assembly above the 'bubble' and press the oral inflate button to release gas. Many divers view the remote exhaust feature as an unnecessary feature that is just something that could fail and therefore prefer to use their skills to trade off the questionable convenience for certain reliability by selecting a plain elbow.
The standard corrugated hose on the inflation assembly is usually about 16-inches long. A few technical divers, especially cave divers, prefer a shorter corrugated hose to reduce the "danglies". Some physically very tall or large divers need a longer corrugated hose length and longer corrugated hoses are also usually found on BC integrated alternate second stage regulators.
The simple answer is "probably not". The STA is a product which predates modern backplate and wing designs that include pre-cut slots for cam straps. Using the straps threaded through the backplate snugs the tank and wing up very tight against the backplate and does not allow the tank to rock. Using an STA sets the tank farther away from the backplate and allows the tank to rock slightly by pivoting from side to side on the bolts. For more information read our article Single Tank Mounting with Backplates.
Assembly screws are also called "book screws" or "sex bolts", and are available in both metal and plastic versions. Years ago our suppliers used to include a metal set with their wings and later switched to a plastic set, but have not included either for a long time because assembly screws are often counterproductive.
The plastic assembly screws can be used to attach the wing directly to a hard metal backplate when rigged for a single tank without a single tank adapter. Note that this function is just cosmetic, omitting the assembly screws does not cause a problem. Without the assembly screws, when the BCD is taken off a single tank, the wing will hang loose on the cam straps.
The metal assembly screws can be used to attach accessories to the holes on edges of metal backplates, but in our opinion the plastic ones actually work better. Don't be concerned about the strength of plastic vs metal; the plastic version is plenty strong for these applications plus they are not subject to galvanic action and don't cause wear on materials rubbing against them.
Unfortunately, there is no meaningful number we can use to describe the stiffness of our DGX Gears {2 in | 5 cm} harness webbing. The best answer we can give is that our webbing is what we believe to be the "correct amount" of compromise between flexibility and stiffness for the specific application of SCUBA diving BCD harnesses - stiffer than "seat-belt" webbing but less stiff than "tank-strap" webbing. The webbing may seem a little too stiff at first, but once wet and "broken-in" it will be the correct amount of stiffness to hold a shape and be comfortable.
Both are harness, backplate and wing type systems: The TransPac is a 'soft' plate using a semi rigid high-tech material. The TransPlate is fully rigid metal plate (your choice of aluminum or steel). With a properly adjusted harness, both are equally as stable. We are sometimes asked if the TransPac can have a plate "added"; the answer is no. While other brands do offer "hybrid" systems, because of the nature of the TransPac design combining hard and soft plates together wouldn't produce any benefit. The hybrid systems offered by other brands can best be thought of as a TransPlate with a lumbar backpad option.
We most often recommend the TransPac because it is always more comfortable and form fitting than the TransPlate. Even adding a lumbar backpad to the TransPlate will not make it as comfortable or form-fitting as the TransPac. If you want to add extra weight, choose the stainless steel TransPlate system. Most people diving double cylinders choose the TransPlate. Most people diving single cylinders choose the TransPac. Most people who dive drysuit exclusively choose TransPlate, most people who dive wetsuit exclusively choose TransPac.
The difference is primarily the fabric material of the outer shell and the warranty.
The EXP series wings have an outer fabric shell made of tough 1680 denier ballistic nylon. We stock the EXP wings in the black color, with the single tank wings available in five other colors and the classic doubles wings available in two other colors. EXP series wings feature a one year limited warranty.
The XT series outer fabric shell, built upon the SuperFabric® technology, is outstandingly rugged. Dive Rite's XT Armored wings have the durability of SuperFabric outer side with a 1000 denier Cordura® inner side to create an armor-clad shell that is impervious to damaging pinches, cuts and abrasions. The Dive Rite XT wings are available in solid black color and feature a LIFETIME LIMITED GUARANTEE against punctures and abrasion.
For more information visit Dive Rite Wings Overview.
7 Products - Computers
Shearwater offers a wide array of computer models tailored to the requirements of different styles of diving and the preferences of different divers. They publish this Shearwater Dive Computer Comparison chart PDF that compares and contrasts the differences in features and functionality.
Open circuit sport and advanced nitrox divers should consider the Peregrine and Tern models. Technical divers needing full mixed gas and/or closed-circuit capabilities should consider the Teric and Perdix models. The Petrel is Shearwater's most feature rich expedition grade model with the largest display. AMOLED displays are the most readable underwater, while Backlit LCD displays offer the best value. The NERD is a unique heads-up display model often seen in rebreather applications.
The Mk3 series is based on the fēnix® 7 multisport watch with GPS and represents the next generation of features and functionality over the Mk2 series which is based on fēnix® 6. There are minor improvements, but as a short answer the key features of most interest to divers are the display, battery life and depth rating of the Mk3. The Mk3 now offers an AMOLED 454x454 resolution display as compared to the Mk2 MIP 280x280. The Mk2 MIP display is best in strong sunlight, and the Mk3 AMOLED display is most readable in the water. The battery life is 16 hours of dive time for the Mk2 a compared to 25 hours of dive time for the Mk3. The depth rating is { 330 fsw | 100 msw} for the Mk2, to { 660 fsw | 200 msw} on the Mk3 series. The Mk3i together with the T2 wireless tank pressure transceiver also supports in-water communication via preformatted messages with other networked divers wearing their Descent™ Mk3i dive computers.
The Garmin dive computers sold by Dive Gear Express support English by default and include a language pack that also supports: Български (Bulgaria), Čeština (Czech), Dansk (Danish), Deutsch (German), Eesti (Estonian), Eλληνικά (Greek), Español (Spanish), Français (French), Hrvatski (Croatian), Italiano (Italian), Latviešu (Latvian), Lietuvių (Lithuanian), Magyar(Hungarian), Nederlands (Netherlands), Norsk (Norwegian), Polski (Polish), Português (Portuguese), Русский (Russian - East Slavic), Română (Romanian), Slovenčina (West Slavic), Slovenščina (South Slavic), Suomi (Finnish), Svenska (Swedish), Türkçe (Turkish), and Yĸpaïaϲbĸa (Ukrainian).
All Garmin watches always support English, but have two different firmware versions that in turn each supports a specific language pack software download. The firmware version of the watch depends on the country of the authorized retailer: Asian Pacific (APAC) that supports the CJK ideographic character sets OR Rest of the World (RoW). The firmware between the APAC and RoW versions is different, so changing the language is not just a matter of downloading a different language pack. The Descent models sold by Dive Gear Express are the RoW version, not the APAC version, and do not support Chinese, Japanese or Korean languages.
The original Shearwater Peregrine was announced in July 2020. In May 2023, Shearwater announced the Adventures Edition Peregrine in both light and dark versions that differ only in cosmetic styling from the original edition. The original edition has a black case with a blue inner display bezel and logo along with black wrist straps long enough for use with drysuits plus optional use black shock cord for bungee wrist mount. The dark edition has a gray case and shorter gray wrist straps suitable for wetsuits with optional use orange accent-color loop bands and bungees. The light edition has a white case and shorter white wrist straps suitable for wetsuits with optional use teal accent-color loop bands and bungees. The Adventure Editions also have a silver color inner display bezel and white logo. Each version comes packaged in a matching color-coordinated ballistic case.
Just to be clear, the Adventures Editions versions and the original Peregrine version are all functionally identical (other than the wrist strap length) however the Adventures Editions are slightly higher in price. The Peregrine does NOT support integration with the SWIFT tank pressure transmitter, also called wireless 'air integration' (AI) and can NOT be later upgraded to support AI.
The Shearwater dive computers sold by Dive Gear Express support English by default and also include language support for: Chinese-Simplified, Chinese-Traditional, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.
There are a variety of aftermarket frames, covers and bull-bars for dive computers that are available on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and even at some dive retailers. Although these aftermarket accessories may enhance the cosmetic appearance of the device, in our experience they do not provide any significant additional protection. Dive computer manufacturers may not warrant their devices when used with the untested aftermarket covers as they have been known to obstruct, obscure or even damage the computer functions. There are also aftermarket 3D printed mounts for dive computers, again untested with the possibility of causing malfunction or even the loss of a device.
We have consulted with the manufacturers of the dive computers we sell and learned they express disdain for these aftermarket products. Our dive computer manufacturers tell us that they have delivered the best possible product and appropriate accessories after extensive research and development. The fact is, the addition of these aftermarket products cause more problems than any dubious benefits they may provide. Thus Dive Gear Express, as a respected major retailer for all the dive computers we carry, does not recommend or sell unapproved aftermarket dive computer accessories for this critical piece of life support equipment.
5 Products - Exposure
NO, using a larger wing with a drysuit may even be counter productive! The wing lift is used only to counteract the weight of the cylinders & valves plus the backplate & harness. Of course most divers will also be carrying additional weight to compensate for the buoyancy of the drysuit, perhaps quite a lot more if wearing thick undergarments for diving in cold water. However, do not plan on using the wing as backup buoyancy in the event of a drysuit flood. Instead, the additional weight to compensate for the drysuit must be configured to be incrementally ditchable in the event of a drysuit failure.
Conversely, while some divers consider the drysuit to theoretically be backup buoyancy in the event of a wing failure, that's not best practice either. In reality, depending on their orientation in respect to the surface, many divers would find they have to so over inflate the drysuit to compensate that they lose mobility in their arms and may feel choked at their neck. For backup buoyancy in the event of a wing failure, we recommend selecting a dual bladder wing design.
We stock accessories such as seals and gloves, as well as top and bottom separates in the Sharkskin line. However, we do not sell the full one-piece exposure suits themselves on our website. In our long experience the sizing guides from all the exposure suit manufacturers, drysuit and full wetsuit, are not reliable enough to make the final selection of a product for which fit has so much importance and yet is so subjective. This is especially true in the thicker wetsuit materials, plus the variety of undergarments further complicate the process of determining the suit size of drysuits. Full exposure suits are a product for which there is no substitution for try on and in-store fitting advice.
If it is time to replace your existing suit from Dive Rite, DUI, OMS or Sharkskin and you already know your size, please Contact Us to discuss a special order.
The DGX and Dive Rite inflation regulators are both compact ultra-reliable piston designs but differ significantly in performance and size of their first stages. The Dive Rite inflation package has an exceptionally compact unbalanced first stage, but only two LP ports. The DGX inflation package has a balanced first stage with a value price and three LP ports, featuring better performance that makes it appropriate for breathing applications as well as inflation. The Dive Rite package includes a {30 in | 76 cm} long rubber drysuit hose and the DGX package includes a braided flex hose in a choice of length that features our EZ-ON quick disconnect. The DGX package also includes a small pressure gauge.
8 Products - Fins and Masks
Most good quality masks, which includes our DGX Gears models, will fit most faces. See this chart... Average Head Sizes
If we define the 50th percentile as "standard" then any of our masks will fit. The Ren and Compact models tends to also fit faces narrower than standard while the Rio and Ultra models tend to also fit faces wider than standard. However, in most cases it is just guess and other factors such as the size of the nose can affect the fit as well. Regardless, if any of our masks does not fit to your satisfaction, you may return it, see our Return & Refund Policy.
Yes. In January 2020, Dive Rite began shipping their fins with polyoxymethylene (aka Delrin and POM) swivel buckles for the spring heel-strap that allows the strap to swivel out of the way for easier donning. The heel-strap length can be changed by moving the buckle locking screw between 2 positions on the buckle, allowing the strap fit to be customized to your preference. The strap also has an improved design heel pad with a lower profile finger hold pull tab that is more durable and less likely to become a snag point. This means the previous metal buckle spring heel-straps, as well as the much older plastic buckle spring heel-straps, are both easily replaceable in the field with the improved swivel buckle adjustable length spring heel-strap.
We are often asked for sizing advice on Fins. Unfortunately we don't have much to add beyond what is mentioned on the website in our product descriptions. The only general statement we can make is that the most common exchange we see is for the next size larger.
There is no size standardization between brands of fins (or even between different models from the same brand) and so you cannot assume that a size in one brand of fin is the same dimensions as the size in another brand; even when the designs look very similar. Taking some actual measurements of your boot while on your foot and comparing to our foot pocket dimension charts will help determine the size selection for your desired fit.
If you are not certain about your fin size then our recommendation is not to order until you can make that determination. While Dive Gear Express will accept fins for return if you order the incorrect size, you will be responsible for return shipping costs. Return shipping costs on fins can be expensive because fins have a high 'dimensional weight'. Your complete satisfaction is our goal, so please consider carefully before purchase.
Perhaps, because most new dive masks have mold release agents in the flexible skirt that are volatile and during storage will migrate to the surface of the lens to cause fogging. This is often the case when the mask has been sealed in an air-tight box or plastic bag. These deposits can be safely removed with an extra application of a powerful non-abrasive surfactant like liquid dish soap, baby shampoo, SeaQuick or SeaDrops defog.
The mask may persistently fog at first, requiring repeated cleaning, but with the passage of time the mold release agents will dissipate naturally and the issue will resolve itself. To hasten the dissipation of the mold release agents from the mask silicone, store the mask so that it is exposed to air between dive trips and use a sealed box only for transport in the dive bag. Do NOT let the mask get hot during transport, i.e. keep your bag and mask box out of the sun.
Don't use toothpaste or any other other abrasive on modern dive masks, especially those masks that have optical quality ultra-clear glass lenses, vision correction lenses or 'optical coatings' on the lenses. You will either damage the lenses, or needlessly waste toothpaste since many modern toothpaste formulations are not at all abrasive.
"Near sighted" correction allows clear distance vision for general diving activities. We offer a predetermined selection of single vision lenses that are installed in our "Vision Correction Masks". This will require your vision prescription to select the lenses needed for this mask.
"Far sighted" correction allows clear near vision for reading numbers and text from dive computers and SPG's. We offer a predetermined selection of bifocal lenses that are installed in our "Gauge Reader Masks". The upper portion of the lens is flat with no correction and lowering your eyes to the bifocal segment provides magnification for reading. Most people who need Gauge Readers already use reading glasses and know how much magnification they prefer.
More information explaining ordering is in our Tek-Tip at Vision Correcting Masks.All our vision correction masks use lenses that have been manufactured in a predetermined range of diopters for either "near sighted" correction (minus values) or "far sighted" correction (plus values, aka "gauge readers"), but not both in the same lens. Our predetermined range of vision correction lenses are a great value, but unfortunately are not suitable for every diver needing vision correction and especially not those with significant astigmatism.
If our lenses do not work for you, then custom made prescription vision correction lenses are an alternative solution. Because that can be expensive, we suggest first test diving an ordinary new mask to be certain it is a good fit for your face. Send your selected mask along with your vision prescription directly to an optical company that specializes in custom making and installing dive mask lenses. Two such long established US companies are: Prescription Dive Masks in California and SeaVision USA in Florida.
No. All the standard vision correcting masks offered by Dive Gear Express have the correction ground into the lenses themselves. The correction is not aftermarket 'stick on', each of the lenses are ground just like you would expect on a pair of eyeglasses. Please note that the bifocal gauge reader versions are a two layer lens bonded at the factory during manufacture.
20 Products - Gas - Cylinders
The bottom line is that all SCUBA tanks will have cosmetic imperfections from the factory and recently their cosmetic quality has noticeably declined. The recreational dive industry has long been accustomed to a "consumer grade" finish on SCUBA cylinders. However, recent changes in the marketplace means new SCUBA cylinders may often present with what could be charitably described as an "industrial grade" internal and/or external surface appearance that is similar to what is typical of bulk supply cylinders. The surfaces can have streaks of discoloration, spotting, oxidation, and other minor irregularities as a byproduct of manufacturing, testing and handling.
Currently, all the cylinder manufacturers are adamant in maintaining the position that their SCUBA cylinders are O2 clean and fit for purpose as delivered from the factory. This puts the distributors and retailers of SCUBA cylinders between a "between a rock and a hard place" when consumers or untrained "inspectors" object to the appearance. If the distributor or retailer does any modifications (such as further cleaning, tumbling or grinding) to the brand new cylinder warranted as O2 clean and fit for purpose from the manufacturer, then legal responsibility for the condition of the cylinder shifts to the aftermarket service provider. A cylinder with aftermarket treatments also technically can no longer be represented as new and O2 clean from the factory. Most retailers choose to follow the experts in this circumstance - the manufacturer plus the independent testing agency plus the certified cylinder visual inspector that all warrant a brand new and unused cylinder is fit for purpose.
With just minimal care, all tanks regardless of their cosmetics will deliver many years of service. We occasionally encounter consumers who seem prioritize the cosmetic appearance of their tanks over more significant considerations. Our practice regarding new cylinders the customer deems cosmetically unacceptable is we will accept returns (according to our Returns & Refunds policy) but will not make exchanges given the likelihood a replacement will be no better cosmetically than the original. Since the shipping on cylinders is not free, our advice to those consumers is they should reconsider their priorities. Otherwise, if cosmetics is important to ownership, they might prefer renting tanks rather than owning or purchasing locally where they may personally inspect before purchase.
As of Summer 2022, the Metal Impact brand name is being transitioned to the Thunderbird brand of their parent corporation, Thunderbird Cylinders (which also acquired Luxfer brand aluminum SCUBA cylinder assets), but the cylinders are otherwise unchanged. The exclusive North American distributor for Thunderbird SCUBA cylinders is now XS Scuba. During the transition you may find references to any of these names on our website, but they are all referencing what are essentially the same aluminum SCUBA cylinder products.
We strongly recommend purchasing our cylinders ONLY for use in North America and the Caribbean. All our cylinders have United States DOT and Canadian CTC testing and crown markings along with Imperial neck thread forms. The cylinders are NOT marked appropriately for use in Australia and New Zealand. Testing and marking specifications, neck thread forms, and over pressure relief device requirements in many other areas of the globe (especially Europe) are different than North American standards.
In the US and Canada, SCUBA Tanks must be hydrostatically tested every five years (60 months) and we always ship cylinders with the absolute most current test date available to us. Most cylinders have a factory test date less than 12 months old. Less popular sizes of cylinders may have a slightly older factory test date as these are manufactured infrequently.
No, due to weight restrictions our doubles packages ship as individual components ready-to-assemble: two cartons containing the cylinders (and boots for those packages that include boots) with modular valves (including port plugs) installed in the cylinders hand tight along with a third carton containing the manifold crossbar, bands and bolt kit, two loose Evidence of Inspection decals (aka VIP stickers.). You will need to assemble the package yourself prior to filling or if you prefer arrange for a local dive shop to assemble them for a fee. Assembling a set of doubles is easy if you follow our detailed doubles assembly instructions.
Yes, they will be assembled and ready to fill, if shipped via ground service within the continental United States. Transportation security and customs regulations require cylinders that ship via air transport to be obviously empty and easily inspected. Effectively that means the cylinder and valve cannot be assembled if shipping to an international address (including Canada) or via any expedited shipping method.
If you are arranging to have your cylinders delivered to a third-party package forwarder for subsequent handling, you may wish to request on your order that we do NOT assemble your cylinders and valves.
All cylinders and valves sold by us, that we describe as Nitrox Ready, are oxygen clean and oxygen compatible from the supplier. Based on oxygen handing best practices, Dive Gear Express does not use any form of lubricant during valve installation. That means all Nitrox Ready SCUBA tanks sold and assembled by Dive Gear Express, prior to initial use, are oxygen clean and oxygen compatible from the supplier; we have done nothing to change that condition.
In rare cases, a shop will insist on some form of after-market "cleaning" before agreeing to fill a tank not sold by them. They have that right, but we want you to know that no such service can make a new empty cylinder and valve from Dive Gear Express any more oxygen clean or more oxygen compatible.
Every tank we sell is inspected by us immediately prior to shipment and all our technicians are PSI-PCI certified to perform such inspections. If the cylinder is ordered with valve and VIP, we include our shop evidence of inspection 3" X 6" month and year dated decal (aka "VIP sticker") that clearly indicates "Nitrox Ready" in large yellow letters on a green background. However, If the cylinder is ordered with the "No Valve / No VIP" option then our evidence of inspection decal is not included even though the cylinder itself is always inspected.
Yes, but it's meaning is often misunderstood. Our low pressure steel cylinders are DOT-3AA-2400 design i.e. their fill pressure is considered to be 2400 psi by the US Department of Transportation rules. When we talk about LP cylinders having a 2640 service pressure, that is always 2400 + 10% overfill = 2400 + 240 = 2640 psi. It does NOT mean a 10% overfill on the 2640 psi service pressure.
If 3AA design cylinders can pass a elastic expansion evaluation during hydro testing then they qualify for a "+" stamped next to the hydro date. That "+" means they may receive a 10% overfill. This overfill allowance was instituted to improve material capacity during war time almost a century ago, but the rule remains in effect today. New cylinders will always pass, but although rare do fail on later tests, especially those that have been consistently overfilled. Many hydro test facilities will not stamp the "+" on subsequent tests after the first, because frankly the DOT prefers the + not be used.
Hot-dip galvanized (HDG) tanks develop a streaked and mottled appearance although over time that becomes more uniform. Do NOT attempt to remove the white, grey, or black looking discoloration, it is normal and part of the protection provided by the zinc metal coating.
Hot-dip galvanizing (HDG) on Faber brand steel tanks offers the best possible durability and corrosion protection. However, the cosmetic appearance of the thick hot-dipped galvanized finish is NOT as perfect and consistent as a painted finish over hot-spray galvanizing. We feel cosmetics is unimportant in relation to durability and only offer HDG finish when available for steel tanks.
If the tank was assembled by Dive Gear Express with our Nitrox Ready evidence of inspection decal (aka "VIP sticker"), then your oxygen clean and oxygen compatible tank is ready to fill without further preparation. Although local dive shop fill policies vary, there should be no safety related reason for objecting to initially filling the empty SCUBA tank with oxygen compatible grade Air or Nitrox. However, shops often enforce training agency requirements or community practices for labeling, which may require additional specific gas contents or MOD decals be affixed to the tank.
Dive shops following best practices will not fill cylinders marked as being oxygen clean with ordinary CGA grade "E" compressed gases typical of most dive shop fill stations. In this case, the fill station operator can simply remove our Nitrox Ready decal and replace it with one they prefer. If you wish to order any of our tanks intending to use them strictly for air only, then upon request we can substitute an "Air Only" black and white version of our shop evidence of inspection decal (aka "VIP Sticker").
18L (141 ft3) and 15L (117 ft3) = 8-inch (large);
12L (95 ft3), and 10L (78 ft3) = 7-inch (standard);
7L (54 ft3) and 5L (39 ft3) = 5-inch (small).
These are simple approximations, for more detailed explanations please read our article Metric vs Imperial SCUBA Cylinder Sizes.
14 Products - Gas - Valves
Thermo™ SCUBA valves are manufactured in Taiwan and are distributed in the US by XS Scuba. The Thermo Pro DIN/K valve has been independently tested as meeting the CGA V9-2009 Compressed Gas Association Standard for Compressed Gas Cylinder Valves. The Thermo valves have a polished heavy chrome cosmetic finish and include a pre-installed DIN-to-Yoke adapter.
DGX Premium SCUBA valves are also manufactured in Taiwan. DGX Premium valves are available in an exceptionally wide variety of specialized versions. The DGX Premium valves have a satin chrome cosmetic finish. Our unbranded generic valves have a lower retail price as a result of being sourced directly from the manufacturer. Although the DIN-to-Yoke adapter is included with most cylinder and valve packages, when sold individually our DGX brand valves do not include a DIN-to-Yoke adapter. The adapter is always available separately as a low cost accessory.
There are internal differences (for example the bonnet nut seal on the Thermo uses a copper crush washer and the DGX uses an O-ring), but oxygen compatible materials and construction of the valves are similar for both Thermo and DGX. Both are described as Nitrox Ready, although Thermo valves are explicitly labeled "40% MAX OXYGEN PREMIXED" on the valve body. Our long experience with the branded Thermo and generic DGX Premium valves has been both have similar reliability and durability in the field. Regardless of brand, every product we sell is backed by Dive Gear Express 5-star quality customer service.
Probably. All of our replacement Nitrox Ready SCUBA valves have an inlet designed to fit 3/4 NPS cylinder neck threads. This fits nearly all North American market SCUBA cylinders of recent manufacture, but there are some rare exceptions. Fortunately, you can use the cylinder neck stamp to determine the answer for yourself.
Assuming your cylinder was manufactured exclusively for the North American SCUBA market in the last 50 years or less, look at the cylinder neck for markings that begin "DOT". If it reads "DOT-3AL-xxxx", "DOT-3AA-xxxx", or "DOT-Xxxxx-3442" it almost certainly has an imperial 0.750-14 NPSM threaded neck opening, referred to in the trade as 3/4 NPS. SCUBA cylinders recently manufactured for other areas may have the name of their thread form stamped on the neck. If the neck stamp includes "3/4 NPSM" or "0.750-14" then the cylinder also has a 3/4 NPS threaded opening. Our replacement Nitrox Ready SCUBA valves will fit any of these cylinders.
There are some rare exceptions, especially for cylinders with very high service pressures or manufactured before 1970; for more information please read our article SCUBA Valves: Regulator Fittings, 200 vs 300 Bar FAQ and Cylinder Neck Threads.
The inlet and outlet on our oxygen compatible DGX Premium O2 Valves are oxygen clean copper metal alloy (aka raw "brass") which will very quickly exhibit some discoloration and spotting after cleaning that that is not present with electroplated chrome finishes typical of other SCUBA valves. Raw brass that is not coated with some kind of sealer (which would defeat the purpose of the valve) will discolor very rapidly, thus appearing aged or used.
If you consider the cosmetics to be important, and maximum compatibility with pure oxygen is less of a concern, then we recommend choosing our standard Nitrox Ready DGX Premium Valves over the DGX Premium O2 Valves.
All of our standard Nitrox Ready SCUBA valves will work with SCUBA regulators having yoke (aka A-clamp), 200 bar DIN or 300 bar DIN fittings. This is virtually all SCUBA regulators, with the rare exception of oxygen service M26 regulators sold in the European Union. The valves have a DIN outlet that requires an DIN-to-Yoke adapter insert for use with yoke regulators. The small DIN-to-Yoke adapter screws in to the DIN valve outlet and may remain permanently if you wish. Our Thermo brand valves include a pre-installed DIN-to-Yoke adapter at no charge. Our DGX house brand valves do not include the adapter, but a DIN-to-Yoke insert is available separately as a low cost accessory.
For more information please read our article SCUBA Valves: Regulator Fittings, 200 vs 300 Bar FAQ and Cylinder Neck Threads.
We strongly recommend purchasing our valves ONLY for cylinders used in North America and the Caribbean. All cylinders in the United States and Canada have Imperial neck thread forms and the valves have over pressure relief devices (aka "burst disks"). Neck thread forms and over pressure relief device requirements in many other areas of the globe are different than North American standards.
One important caution regarding thread compatibility; outside the United States, particularly in Europe, a widely used SCUBA cylinder neck thread form is M25. The 3/4 NPS (ISO 228) and M25 (BS 3643) threads are very similar but not identical; with the use of excessive force it's possible to mate diving cylinders and valves with these two different forms. However, the mismatched threads eventually separate with dangerously explosive force, often causing injury.
The handwheel shearing off the valve stem upon a right-angle impact is a design safety feature present on nearly all modern SCUBA valves, in order reduce the risk that the flow of gas could be interrupted or gas could be lost. Without even having to drain the tank, it's a simple process to replace the valve stem. This is a simple equipment maintenance task many divers can do themselves. Watch our YouTube video titled Valve Stem Replacement.
Nominal Pipe Size (abbreviated NPS) is a term for American standard pipe sizes widely used in the North American industrial trades, but does not describe specific thread forms. Confusingly, National Pipe Straight (also abbreviated NPS) is the name of a specific type of thread form described in American National Standard Pipe Thread standards. Just to be clear they are not the same, one NPS describes a standard for specific sizes of pipe and the other NPS describes a specific type of screw threads used on the ends of pipe.
Historically, many different screw threads have been used on SCUBA cylinder outlets and valves. Using the national pipe thread standards, the proper technical name of the parallel straight threads commonly used to mate modern SCUBA cylinders and valves for the North American market is 0.750-14 National Pipe Straight Mechanical, typically abbreviated as 0.750-14 NPSM. It is frequently also written as 3/4 NPS or 3/4-14; for the purposes of description with SCUBA cylinder and valve applications the terms may all be considered to reference the same threads: 0.750-14 NPSM has a 60° thread angle, a pitch diameter of 0.9820 to 0.9873 in (24.94 to 25.08 mm), and a thread pitch of 14 threads per inch (1.814 mm). The same thread form is also described in a variety of other standards such as ANSI, ASTM, and ISO but those other standards are very rarely referenced in the North American SCUBA market.
See our article SCUBA Valves for more information.
Because we located in the United States , we do not sell SCUBA cylinder valves with the metric M25 inlet thread form. We only sell SCUBA valves for use with US DOT cylinders, which all have imperial neck thread forms and are required to incorporate an over pressure relief device not found on M25 valves.
One important safety caution regarding thread compatibility: The 3/4 NPS (ISO 228) threads most commonly seen on SCUBA cylinders in the US and M25 (BS 3643) threads most commonly seen outside the US (particularly European Union) are very similar but not identical; with the use of excessive force it's possible to mate diving cylinders and valves with these two different forms. However, the mismatched threads eventually separate with dangerously explosive force, often causing injury.
No compatibility testing has been performed by the different manufacturers and neither Dive Gear Express, Dive Rite, nor XS Scuba (who also supplies the Thermo brand) recommend mixing components from different brands of valve modules. However, our customers tell us these valves have similar modular port threads and we have no reports of problems with crossbars, H-adapters and port plugs in that regard. The DIN-to-yoke adapter inserts along with the standard knobs, but not the Vindicator or XS Safety knobs, should be interchangeable without issues. Beyond cosmetics, we can also say for certain that some other internal parts of all four brands do have slight differences and are not interchangeable.
7 Products - Hardware & Softgoods
There is no reliable visual inspection method to determine O-ring material composition, only specialized materials testing equipment can make that determination. Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber elastomers (aka NBR, aka Nitrile, aka Buna-N) are considered to have good resistance to oxygen with a 15 year shelf life. Fluorocarbon elastomers (aka FKM, aka FPM, aka Viton) are considered to have excellent resistance to oxygen, with an essentially unlimited shelf life. To ensure specific composition, O-ring material must be specified at time of purchase and then segregated from other O-rings.
There are no O-ring color coding standards and thus color or appearance is not an indication of the material or quality. O-rings are available in nearly any color, although most commonly seen in black regardless of material. Even though most fluorocarbon O-rings are black, the loose FKM O-rings sold by Dive Gear Express are oxygen compatible and usually brown or green; simply to make them easily distinguishable from more common NBR O-rings which are usually black. However, O-rings inside equipment (valves, regulators, hoses, service kits, etc.) are almost always black regardless of material. O-ring materials also can not be distinguished from each other by their surface appearance, more a function of the manufacturer than the material. NBR is incorrectly said to have a shiny surface and FKM a matte surface. This is not a reliable indicator, and certainly not true if the O-ring has been lubricated.
Just to be clear, the COLOR and SURFACE APPEARANCE of the O-ring is MEANINGLESS regarding their compatibility with oxygen.
Yes. Many divers are surprised to learn the SCUBA industry convention of using fluorocarbon elastomers (FKM or FPM, aka Viton o-rings) with Nitrox is not a matter of oxygen fire safety. The introduction of Nitrox in recreational diving included a recommendation to use FKM for seals in gas blending equipment whose wetted surfaces contact pure Oxygen. This was frequently confused with the very important safety requirement for oxygen cleanliness (i.e. the absence of readily combustible materials); creating a mistaken but widely held belief that Viton is also somehow related to safety of Nitrox for diving equipment such as SCUBA regulators and cylinder valves.
FKM is no more 'safe' in Nitrox diving applications than ordinary synthetic nitrile rubber (NBR aka Buna-N). While FKM has a slightly higher temperature of ignition at {~ 900°F | 500°C} than NBR at {~ 750°F | 400°C}, nearly any material can still serve as fuel in the kindling chain to an oxygen fire that will reach {~ 5000°F | 2700°C}. The reason for preferring FKM in high oxygen content applications is because the service life is typically longer than NBR, i.e. Viton is more resistant to oxidation than nitrile rubber although FKM also exhibits a tendency to swell slightly in high-pressure oxygen. While FKM o-rings theoretically outperform NBR o-rings, in practice there is no safety reason to prefer them in Nitrox SCUBA life-support applications such as regulators and valves given the periodic service requirements of such equipment.
Regardless, Dive Gear Express specifies oxygen compatible and oxygen clean products whenever possible, and we only use viton O-rings and O2 compatible lubricants in equipment service. Any products we identify as Nitrox Ready or Oxygen Service will meet industry standards for both oxygen compatibility and oxygen cleanliness prior to initial use.
The short answer is NO. The longer answer is it depends on the exact product formulation and gas pressure but as a practical matter the answer is still no. Silicone "grease" is a generic term for a variety of lubricant formulations that are based on some form of pure silicone oil, most commonly polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). While pure PDMS itself is a chemically inert inorganic substance that is not combustible; in order to make the little tub or spray can of generic 'scuba lube', the PDMS is mixed with thickeners and/or organic solvents that typically are readily combustible. Lubricant contamination in high pressure compressed gas equipment is a frequent cause of oxygen fires. In general, lubrication in oxygen service applications should be avoided whenever possible. Oxygen service applications in SCUBA that require lubrication must use specialized (and relatively expensive) lubricants, typically based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) compounds.
It is true that in low pressure Nitrox applications such as regulator second stages and rebreather loops, the type of lubricant is pretty much irrelevant to oxygen fire safety. Occasionally, the desire to minimize use of expensive oxygen compatible lubricants can lead to the erroneous assumption that inexpensive silicone lubricants might used in ambient or low pressure applications that are in close proximity to high pressure applications. However, the high tack and adhesion property of silicone lubes also makes them very migratory and difficult to completely remove. In practice, we find silicone lubrication on the low pressure side of equipment will eventually be transferred to the high pressure side such as a first stage connector or valve outlet. Never use silicone lubricants with electrical contacts, even though this is an often suggested practice. Silicone products will react with plastics and other contaminates to form insulating films and silicone carbide compounds which can cause intermittent connections in low-current applications such as rebreather oxygen sensors. When multiple lubricants are available, there is also the very real increased risk of inadvertently applying the wrong lubricant. In practice, if lubrication is required it is best to only use oxygen compatible lubricant consistently throughout all equipment in service with Nitrox regardless of pressure.
Dive Gear Express avoids silicone lubricants in our facility, using only oxygen compatible lubricants for all SCUBA applications that require lubrication. Any products we identify as Nitrox Ready or Oxygen Service will meet industry standards for both oxygen compatibility and oxygen cleanliness prior to initial use.
Yes. Shock cord, surgical tubing, and nylon webbing are all priced and ordered in units of {1 ft | 30 cm}, but we would look pretty foolish if we actually shipped it in little pieces. Orders of cord and webbing up to {50 ft | 15 m} are shipped as one continuous piece. Surgical tubing is different; tubing orders up to {10 ft | 3 m} are shipped as one continuous piece. For example, if you want a continuous length of ten feet or three meters, order ten units.
If you need a large amount of the cord or tubing, we also sell it in bulk rolls at a better price.
Unfortunately, there is no meaningful number we can use to describe the stiffness of our DGX Gears {2 in | 5 cm} harness webbing. The best answer we can give is that our webbing is what we believe to be the "correct amount" of compromise between flexibility and stiffness for the specific application of SCUBA diving BCD harnesses - stiffer than "seat-belt" webbing but less stiff than "tank-strap" webbing. The webbing may seem a little too stiff at first, but once wet and "broken-in" it will be the correct amount of stiffness to hold a shape and be comfortable.
Assembly screws are also called "book screws" or "sex bolts", and are available in both metal and plastic versions. Years ago our suppliers used to include a metal set with their wings and later switched to a plastic set, but have not included either for a long time because assembly screws are often counterproductive.
The plastic assembly screws can be used to attach the wing directly to a hard metal backplate when rigged for a single tank without a single tank adapter. Note that this function is just cosmetic, omitting the assembly screws does not cause a problem. Without the assembly screws, when the BCD is taken off a single tank, the wing will hang loose on the cam straps.
The metal assembly screws can be used to attach accessories to the holes on edges of metal backplates, but in our opinion the plastic ones actually work better. Don't be concerned about the strength of plastic vs metal; the plastic version is plenty strong for these applications plus they are not subject to galvanic action and don't cause wear on materials rubbing against them.
6 Products - Lights and Cameras
The two handheld lights primarily differ in their battery. The bodies of the lights are almost identical in size and also use the same single-die LED with the same 1100+ raw LED lumen rating. Although both lights use a protected lithium-ion rechargeable battery, the 600 uses an a widely available18650 3.7V 3000 mAh battery that requires an separate external AC charger and the 700 uses an uncommon and more expensive 21700 3.7V 5000 mAh battery that contains an internal USB charger. The 21700 battery used in the 700 also better supports high-drain applications; bottom line the 700 has more power. The 700 can drive the LED to produce a little more light than the 600 although we doubt most divers will notice a difference in-water, but more importantly the 21700 battery in the 700 is capable of delivering 50% to 100% more burn time than the 18650 battery. We describe the proven DGX 600 as having a maximum 60 minute burn time, but the newer DGX 700 delivers up to a 90 minute burn time with a gradually dimming but still usable light for another 90 minutes.
For devices that can accept individual standard batteries we recommend purchasing quality replacement batteries through local brand name high-volume merchants such as "big-box" retailers and battery specialty stores. For devices with custom size rechargeable battery packs, such as older canister style dive lights and DPV's, our recommendation is to contact the service department of the original manufacturer to arrange a return authorization. For our detailed recommendations on where to purchase and where not to purchase replacement batteries, read our TekTip titled Replacement Battery Solutions.
They are very similar, however the BUTTON version enables multi-function power on (that is not available in the TWIST) offering a HIGH and LOW lumen output and a safety STROBE setting. The area around the button feature is illuminated and will give an approximate battery life remaining notification with color changes.
Most experienced divers prefer the simplicity and reliability of twist-on style lights, but divers can become confused about the twist direction and flood their light. The button-on style light is less likely to flood as a result of user error, but the mechanical nature of the button switch itself is an additional point of failure not present in the twist-on design.
The choice between twist-on or button-on styles is mostly a matter of personal preference, but we do have recommendations for a few specific applications. Button-on style lights are easier activate when used with hand mounts or helmet mounts. If you are mounting the light, we recommend the BUTTON style. If the light is being carried as a handheld backup to a primary, we recommend the TWIST on style. Better yet, if taking two backups for technical diving we suggest one of each style.
There isn't a manual, however there is not much to know. To load batteries in the DGX lights, unscrew the head from the body until the two pieces separate and then insert the battery or batteries in to the body, negative end first such that the positive end will be pointing toward the light head. Hold the head and screw the body clockwise back together all the way until it stops. Briefly push and release the button on the models with a switch to turn the light on or off. To turn off those models without a switch, twist the body counterclockwise until the light goes off then continue to twist the body one half revolution. Once assembled, the twist-on model lights should require a maximum of about one full revolution to turn on or turn off. Do not store any handheld light for extended periods with batteries remaining inside the device because over time batteries can self-discharge and then leak acid.
That's all there is to it, some models also include a little bag of spare O-rings should you need them. There is nothing special about the lubricant, any generic silicone O-ring lube used with underwater equipment will work. If the O-rings ever start looking dry, leave them in place but smear a very small amount of lubricant on the part of the O-ring surface you can see. You might also benefit from reading How to Use a New Twist-On Handheld Dive Light.
Most often the reason is a dead battery plus an error by the diver that causes their handheld "twist on/off" flashlight to flood. The diver twists the light in one direction to activate and nothing happens, so the diver twists the light in the other direction attempting to activate and nothing happens. Then the diver keeps twisting in wrong direction, breaks the O-ring seal and it floods. Other less common reasons are failure to maintain correct amount of lubrication on the sealing O-ring(s); dirt, hair, or salt introduced on the O-ring(s) or sealing surfaces when loading batteries; over-tightening the light head and body together; and finally leaving batteries (especially alkaline chemistry batteries) stored in the light over a long period of time.
8 Products - Rebreathers
Open circuit divers considering transitioning to closed circuit diving need basic information about rebreather equipment and safety, course descriptions, costs and logistics. Without getting bogged down in too much detail, the best place to start may be to read our article Closed-Circuit Rebreather Instruction.
For logistics reasons, our Customer Care team is unable to answer questions regarding specific dates of manufacture or expiration on products with limited shelf life such as: rebreather oxygen sensors with 6 month shelf life, CO2 absorbents with 60 month (five year) expiration dates, and cylinders with 60 month (five year) hydro re-test dates. We guarantee you will receive products dated well within current supply-chain norms: rebreather absorbent and cylinders will be less than two years from date of manufacture, oxygen sensors will be less than six months from date of manufacture.
We turn over our inventory frequently and can assure you that the products we ship are fresh.
Yes, Sofnolime™ 8-12 Mesh NI (Grade 797) is a suitable granular option for your Dive Rite O2ptima, Poseidon VI or Se7en, and rEvo CCRs.
The Dive Rite models with the 2015 packable/EAC scrubber can accept either granular or Extendaire cartridge, earlier versions can only accept the Extendaire cartridge. The Poseidon models originally used a Molecular cartridge that is no longer available, and now require a self packable granular adapter. The rEvo only accepts granular for the self packable cassettes used in its dual scrubber system.
The primary difference today from the user standpoint is that the Poseidon Se7en+ electronics module has been updated to include native support for Poseidon's optional Solid State Oxygen Sensor. Due to improvements in gas injection the Se7en+ design now requires three instead of four solenoids, theoretically improving reliability by reducing parts count. There also are some internal differences that make the e-module easier to manufacture, assemble and service at the factory. Support for granular absorbent (in the form of a self-pack cartridge) is also now included as standard on the Se7en+ model, as the pre-pack cartridge has been discontinued.
The typical intermediate pressure setting for most first stages is around {135 psi | 9.5 bar}. Upon request a Dive Gear Express service technician will adjust the IP to your specified non-standard setting prior to shipment but only for diaphragm first stage designs. We also offer 3rd party modifications to the Apeks DS4 to change the behavior of the intermediate pressure; enabling use with constant mass flow orifices and needle valves found on some types of rebreathers.
The IP adjustment on diaphragm type first stages is simple enough for most divers to learn to do themselves. The IP adjustment screw is located under the environmental seal cap on the bottom of the regulator. The only tools needed are a round surface spanner wrench to remove the cap, a hex key set to turn the adjustment screw to change the IP setting, and an IP pressure gauge to measure the setting. These are all available in our Regulator Service Tools category. A few minutes with a knowledgeable peer or Google will show you how.
16 Products - Regulators & SPGs
We can build it for you as a special order, but we do not offer octopus setups in our pre-configured regulator packages. The traditional configuration is based on wearing a jacket style BC with analog gauges mounted in a console and donating a 'safe second' to an out-of-air diver. This archaic setup is uncomfortable and at worst unsafe when considering current best practices in recreational diving.
A modern regulator configuration is based on an assumption the diver is wearing a harness & plate with back inflation wing and donating the primary from a long hose in an emergency. The diver uses a wrist mount computer & compass paired with a wireless transmitter to monitor gas pressure (although many divers have a backup analog SPG on a short high-pressure hose clipped to a waist D-ring.) Take a look at our TekTip explaining the Streamlined Open Water Configuration (aka AOW Configuration).
It is difficult to give you a meaningful answer regarding breathing performance of ANY of the primary regulators we sell, including our own DGX Gears brand, in relation to other specific brands or models we don't sell. However, perhaps we can put the performance issue in perspective: In reality, any modern balanced general purpose scuba regulator, designed to perform to EN 250 standards and properly maintained, is capable of delivering gas more than adequate for the needs of two sport divers (primary plus an octo). That's not to say there aren't poorly performing sport regulators in the market, but you can't buy them at Dive Gear Express.
There is no perfect regulator; they all have strengths and weaknesses that make each uniquely more or less suited to your needs. Keep in mind that a big brand name and high price are factors that rarely equate to better performance or better value. When choosing regulators at Dive Gear Express, make your decisions based on considerations that are less about "performance" and more about matching the regulator to the diving application. For example, an extreme exposure (i.e. deep and cold) technical diving regulator is a poor choice for shallow tropical sport diving. Beyond the features of the regulator itself, you should consider the supplier along with how the model was designed and has been supported. As an independent servicing dealer, we stock complete regulator packages, components and parts with online ordering and same day shipping.
The manufacturers of all the general purpose SCUBA regulators we stock describe them as suitable for use in warm, temperate and cold water conditions. Based on testing standards we define those water temperature ranges as follows:
- • Warm water is greater than {68°F | 20°C} to a maximum of {90°F | 32°C}.
- • Temperate water is between {68° to 50° F | 20° to 10° C}.
- • Cold water is less than {50°F | 10°C} to a minimum of {40°F | 4°C}.
- • Freezing water conditions below {40°F | 4°C} incurs significant additional risk that requires specialized training and specialized equipment.
Among the regulators we stock, only the Xstream series is described by Poseidon as suitable for diving under ice in freezing seawater conditions down to {29°F | -2°C}. However, the XTX series is a close second, described by Apeks as suitable for use down to {36°F | 2°C} and a popular choice among "ice divers".
With one exception, all the diaphragm regulators we sell are environmentally sealed, including the DGX Gears D6, Dive Rite XT1, Mares 28XR, and Apeks XTX series (DS4, TEK3, DST, FSR) first stages. The Poseidon Xstream is a unique balanced rolling diaphragm ball valve design that is not environmentally sealed because it relies upon a built in thermo-dynamic anti-freeze system to remain ice free.
Piston regulators are not typically described as environmentally sealed in the conventional sense because the internals are protected by other methods inherent in their design. The DGX Gears XTRA & FIRST, Dive Rite RG5400, and Mares R2XR are piston first stages.
The need for sealing a first stage is not relevant to most types of diving, for more information read our TekTip titled Environmentally Sealing SCUBA Regulators.
Yes, these fittings are very standardized. Technical divers use the DIN connection because it is much more reliable than yoke connection. All SCUBA regulator first stages sold by Dive Gear Express have a universal standard DIN connector (also known as G 5/8" BSP) that will work with any 200 bar and 300 bar DIN outlet SCUBA valve. Internationally, the DIN outlet is by far the most commonly seen type of valve connection. The yoke A-clamp fitting for the K-valve outlet is still predominate in North America and the Caribbean, although even here the universal Pro DIN/K valve is rapidly replacing the K-valve on rental tanks. The DIN outlet is the most travel friendly because for use with K-valves, our DGX Custom sport regulator packages for all brands include an easy DIN-to-Yoke spin on adapter. A DIN-to-Yoke adapter is also available for purchase as a low cost option for those SCUBA regulators that don't include an adapter.
For more information please read our detailed article SCUBA Valves and Regulator Fittings.
Popular for stage/deco/sidemount technical diving applications, the ambidextrous and reversible second stage regulator designs ultimately offer the same feature: the orientation of the hose inlet and thus the hose routing can be either the typical right-hand side or the uncommon left-hand side of the diver. The difference is how this reorientation is accomplished.
In the few second stage designs that are reversable, the regulator body is opened, the inside components are removed, reoriented to the opposite side and the regulator is reassembled. Both the Dive Rite XT series and Apeks XTX series second stages are reversable. The Dive Rite XT series second stages require a mirror image part for the venturi be exchanged to accomplish the reversal. The Apeks XTX series second stages do not require any additional parts for the reversal. Both Dive Rite and Apeks describe the process of reconfiguring the regulator as both quick and simple, however they also both recommend this be done by a regulator technician. It takes our experienced reg tech about 15 minutes to do the reverse and bench test, if you don't interrupt them with any questions.
Ambidextrous second stage designs are inherently right or left when you simply put the regulator in your mouth. The design of the regulator is symmetric about its longitudinal axis; the body and mouthpiece has no "top and bottom" or "up and down". The exhaust on an ambidextrous design will always be on the end the body directly opposite the hose inlet and bubbles come out the end not the bottom. Ambidextrous regulators are typically referred to as side-breathers and we offer the SXS downstream second from Mares plus the Xstream upstream second from the OG of side-breathing regulators - Poseidon.
The typical intermediate pressure setting for most first stages is around {135 psi | 9.5 bar}. Upon request a Dive Gear Express service technician will adjust the IP to your specified non-standard setting prior to shipment but only for diaphragm first stage designs. We also offer 3rd party modifications to the Apeks DS4 to change the behavior of the intermediate pressure; enabling use with constant mass flow orifices and needle valves found on some types of rebreathers.
The IP adjustment on diaphragm type first stages is simple enough for most divers to learn to do themselves. The IP adjustment screw is located under the environmental seal cap on the bottom of the regulator. The only tools needed are a round surface spanner wrench to remove the cap, a hex key set to turn the adjustment screw to change the IP setting, and an IP pressure gauge to measure the setting. These are all available in our Regulator Service Tools category. A few minutes with a knowledgeable peer or Google will show you how.
YES! Dive Gear Express offers regulator service on all models we currently sell. Dive Gear Express is an authorized service center for Apeks, Dive Rite, Mares XR, and Poseidon regulators. We of course also provide service for our house brand DGX Gears regulators. For all the details visit SCUBA Regulator Maintenance Service at Dive Gear Express.
For regulator brands that we are not certified to service, we recommend using a factory authorized service center nearest you. Three long established U.S. based companies that specialize in factory authorized regulator service for most brands are Airtech in North Carolina, RegTech in Wisconsin, and Pacific Scuba Repair in California.
The only difference between our unbranded SPG "brass & glass" models and similar branded SPG models is the logo and price; any SPG will work on any regulator regardless of brand and they are all manufactured by Termo Industra of Italy with equal quality construction. Our unbranded generic SPG models have a lower retail price as a result of being sourced directly from the manufacturer. Our long experience with the unbranded and branded "brass & glass" SPG models has been they all have similar reliability and durability in the field. Regardless of brand, every product we sell is backed by Dive Gear Express 5-star quality customer service. For more information see our TekTips titled SPG Depth Ratings and Inside Submersible Pressure Gauges.
It's probably not the SPG or hose itself that's leaking. All high pressure SCUBA hoses use an air spool with two tiny #003 O-rings to mate the swivel connector on the female hose fitting to the male fitting on the hose or wireless pressure transmitter. If the air spool O-rings are worn, the assembly can also have a slow leak around the swivel. Even when an O-ring has failed completely or the spool is omitted entirely, a tiny flow restriction present in the high pressure port of the regulator and/or the male hose fitting will cause a leak to be much slower than expected. We recommend replacing the air spool, or at least the spool O-rings, whenever replacing the hose. See our video on Leaking SPG Spool Replacement.
Even when perfectly calibrated in the mid-range, in our experience all analog SCUBA SPGs (including the ones we sell) have poor accuracy at the low end of the scale; possibly indicating significantly more (or less) breathing gas than what is really in the tank.
SPG manufacturers all seem to reference the EN250 SCUBA equipment standards from the European Union for their accuracy specification of these devices; in terms of a percentage, from about ±5% in the middle range to ±10% in the low range of the scale. In contrast, digital pressure gauges built in to air integrated (AI) dive computers are typically accurate to ±1% across their entire range.
Just to be clear, this is not a reflection on the quality of the gauge but rather a limitation of the mechanical Bourdon tube technology when placed into the relatively small case sizes required for SCUBA applications. For details see our TekTip Inside Submersible Pressure Gauges.
No, the sound is completely normal, nothing is loose and nothing is wrong. If you vigorously shake the thin naked gauge, you will hear the sound of the internal coil spring contacting the body.
The sound is typical for all thin gauges regardless of brand, and in no way affects the performance of the gauge. The larger naked gauges, because they have a larger body that allows a different design, do not make this sound. However, g-force impacts on any gauge may cause a loss of calibration so please stop shaking your gauges.
The only significant difference is the branding and price; any DIN-to-Yoke adapter will reliably work on any DIN regulator regardless of brand. The designs differ a little but they are all of equal quality chromed brass construction. The generic value priced DGX adapters are available in your choice of black or silver color, and features a nice sized handwheel which makes it easy-grip to install and remove from the valve.
Omniswivel brand products are available with a exceptional variety of different fittings and most are made from stainless steel. The Omniswivel brand itself is well known† for their product quality and their products are made in the USA. Some of their most popular simple adapters are also available in generic chromed brass versions that are manufactured offshore. In our experience the durability and reliability are similar for both Omniswivel and generic versions.
† Originally named M&J Engineering, the company rebranded as Omniswivel International after their most well known product the Omni-Swivel omni-directional 360° swivel adapter that screws in-line between the low pressure hose and any standard second stage.
10 Products - DGX Gears Regulators
It is difficult to give you a meaningful answer regarding breathing performance of ANY of the primary regulators we sell, including our own DGX Gears brand, in relation to other specific brands or models we don't sell. However, perhaps we can put the performance issue in perspective: In reality, any modern balanced general purpose scuba regulator, designed to perform to EN 250 standards and properly maintained, is capable of delivering gas more than adequate for the needs of two sport divers (primary plus an octo). That's not to say there aren't poorly performing sport regulators in the market, but you can't buy them at Dive Gear Express.
There is no perfect regulator; they all have strengths and weaknesses that make each uniquely more or less suited to your needs. Keep in mind that a big brand name and high price are factors that rarely equate to better performance or better value. When choosing regulators at Dive Gear Express, make your decisions based on considerations that are less about "performance" and more about matching the regulator to the diving application. For example, an extreme exposure (i.e. deep and cold) technical diving regulator is a poor choice for shallow tropical sport diving. Beyond the features of the regulator itself, you should consider the supplier along with how the model was designed and has been supported. As an independent servicing dealer, we stock complete regulator packages, components and parts with online ordering and same day shipping.
With one exception, all the diaphragm regulators we sell are environmentally sealed, including the DGX Gears D6, Dive Rite XT1, Mares 28XR, and Apeks XTX series (DS4, TEK3, DST, FSR) first stages. The Poseidon Xstream is a unique balanced rolling diaphragm ball valve design that is not environmentally sealed because it relies upon a built in thermo-dynamic anti-freeze system to remain ice free.
Piston regulators are not typically described as environmentally sealed in the conventional sense because the internals are protected by other methods inherent in their design. The DGX Gears XTRA & FIRST, Dive Rite RG5400, and Mares R2XR are piston first stages.
The need for sealing a first stage is not relevant to most types of diving, for more information read our TekTip titled Environmentally Sealing SCUBA Regulators.
The XTRA is not a rebadged MK25/G250 and is not manufactured or supplied by ScubaPro. However, the XTRA appeals to the same target demographic of the diver looking for a top-shelf performance regulator, and also has a balanced piston type first stage with a balanced diaphragm downstream type second stage. The XTRA also has the extra feature of an optional auto-closure on the first stage that shuts the DIN inlet when not engaged on the valve, potentially avoiding the accidental flooding of the first stage.
The XTRA is priced a third less than comparable top-shelf regulators making it an excellent value, even before the extra bonus of free shipping. Further, Dive Gear Express believes the consumer has the "right-to-repair" and our policy is to make all service parts individually available for purchase without restriction, along with publishing the complete service manuals on our website.
The short answer is "yes". The FIRST regulator is a classic downstream balanced piston design 1st stage that is popular for reliability and minimal maintenance in dive shop rental fleets. This inexpensive first stage provides good performance for its design class and we have no concerns using the FIRST regulator for recreational sport SCUBA diving depth applications. However, we do not recommend the FIRST for breathing use in extended range depths or in very cold waters.
Any competent service tech will have no issues with service of the DGX Gears regulator models. Our suggested service interval for all DGX Gears regulators is every two years or one hundred dives. There is nothing unique about DGX Gears regulators in terms of service requirements and needs no special equipment beyond that found on the typical regulator technician bench. We believe our customers also have the right-to-repair, so we publish detailed service manuals and we sell without restriction all service parts and periodic service kits for the DGX Gears brand regulators. Who can service DGX Gears brand regulators?
DGX Gears XTRA Service Parts Kits
DGX Gears D6 Service Parts Kits
DGX Gears FIRST Service Parts Kit
DGX Gears BCI Service Parts Kit
If you prefer, you may also send your DGX Gears brand regulators in for service or repair at our DGX Service Department located on the east coast in Florida or Pacific Scuba Repair located on the west coast in California. Dive Gear Express only services brands and models we sell: Apeks, DGX Gears, Dive Rite, Mares XR, and Poseidon. If you have other brands you would like serviced at the same time then Pacific Scuba Repair also services our brands plus many other brands such as Apeks (full line), Aqualung, HOG, Hollis, Mares (full line), Oceanic, OMS, and ScubaPro.
YES! Dive Gear Express offers regulator service on all models we currently sell. Dive Gear Express is an authorized service center for Apeks, Dive Rite, Mares XR, and Poseidon regulators. We of course also provide service for our house brand DGX Gears regulators. For all the details visit SCUBA Regulator Maintenance Service at Dive Gear Express.
For regulator brands that we are not certified to service, we recommend using a factory authorized service center nearest you. Three long established U.S. based companies that specialize in factory authorized regulator service for most brands are Airtech in North Carolina, RegTech in Wisconsin, and Pacific Scuba Repair in California.
The only difference between our unbranded SPG "brass & glass" models and similar branded SPG models is the logo and price; any SPG will work on any regulator regardless of brand and they are all manufactured by Termo Industra of Italy with equal quality construction. Our unbranded generic SPG models have a lower retail price as a result of being sourced directly from the manufacturer. Our long experience with the unbranded and branded "brass & glass" SPG models has been they all have similar reliability and durability in the field. Regardless of brand, every product we sell is backed by Dive Gear Express 5-star quality customer service. For more information see our TekTips titled SPG Depth Ratings and Inside Submersible Pressure Gauges.
The DGX and Dive Rite inflation regulators are both compact ultra-reliable piston designs but differ significantly in performance and size of their first stages. The Dive Rite inflation package has an exceptionally compact unbalanced first stage, but only two LP ports. The DGX inflation package has a balanced first stage with a value price and three LP ports, featuring better performance that makes it appropriate for breathing applications as well as inflation. The Dive Rite package includes a {30 in | 76 cm} long rubber drysuit hose and the DGX package includes a braided flex hose in a choice of length that features our EZ-ON quick disconnect. The DGX package also includes a small pressure gauge.
The only significant difference is the branding and price; any DIN-to-Yoke adapter will reliably work on any DIN regulator regardless of brand. The designs differ a little but they are all of equal quality chromed brass construction. The generic value priced DGX adapters are available in your choice of black or silver color, and features a nice sized handwheel which makes it easy-grip to install and remove from the valve.
13 Products - Apeks Regulators
It is difficult to give you a meaningful answer regarding breathing performance of ANY of the primary regulators we sell, including our own DGX Gears brand, in relation to other specific brands or models we don't sell. However, perhaps we can put the performance issue in perspective: In reality, any modern balanced general purpose scuba regulator, designed to perform to EN 250 standards and properly maintained, is capable of delivering gas more than adequate for the needs of two sport divers (primary plus an octo). That's not to say there aren't poorly performing sport regulators in the market, but you can't buy them at Dive Gear Express.
There is no perfect regulator; they all have strengths and weaknesses that make each uniquely more or less suited to your needs. Keep in mind that a big brand name and high price are factors that rarely equate to better performance or better value. When choosing regulators at Dive Gear Express, make your decisions based on considerations that are less about "performance" and more about matching the regulator to the diving application. For example, an extreme exposure (i.e. deep and cold) technical diving regulator is a poor choice for shallow tropical sport diving. Beyond the features of the regulator itself, you should consider the supplier along with how the model was designed and has been supported. As an independent servicing dealer, we stock complete regulator packages, components and parts with online ordering and same day shipping.
With one exception, all the diaphragm regulators we sell are environmentally sealed, including the DGX Gears D6, Dive Rite XT1, Mares 28XR, and Apeks XTX series (DS4, TEK3, DST, FSR) first stages. The Poseidon Xstream is a unique balanced rolling diaphragm ball valve design that is not environmentally sealed because it relies upon a built in thermo-dynamic anti-freeze system to remain ice free.
Piston regulators are not typically described as environmentally sealed in the conventional sense because the internals are protected by other methods inherent in their design. The DGX Gears XTRA & FIRST, Dive Rite RG5400, and Mares R2XR are piston first stages.
The need for sealing a first stage is not relevant to most types of diving, for more information read our TekTip titled Environmentally Sealing SCUBA Regulators.
The current XTX series first stages differ in the orientation of their ports and cosmetics. Although their price varies, they are all over-balanced diaphragm design with an environmental seal and they all use the same periodic service parts kit. All the Apeks regulator packages are EN250 certified to a depth of {660 fsw | 200 msw} and have identical extreme performance breathing characteristics that make Apeks XTX regulators a popular choice of experienced sport and technical divers worldwide.
For a deeper explanation of all the model variations read our TekTip Apeks XTX Series First Stage Differences.
For a deeper explanation of all the model variations read our TekTip Apeks XTX Series Second Stage Differences.
Popular for stage/deco/sidemount technical diving applications, the ambidextrous and reversible second stage regulator designs ultimately offer the same feature: the orientation of the hose inlet and thus the hose routing can be either the typical right-hand side or the uncommon left-hand side of the diver. The difference is how this reorientation is accomplished.
In the few second stage designs that are reversable, the regulator body is opened, the inside components are removed, reoriented to the opposite side and the regulator is reassembled. Both the Dive Rite XT series and Apeks XTX series second stages are reversable. The Dive Rite XT series second stages require a mirror image part for the venturi be exchanged to accomplish the reversal. The Apeks XTX series second stages do not require any additional parts for the reversal. Both Dive Rite and Apeks describe the process of reconfiguring the regulator as both quick and simple, however they also both recommend this be done by a regulator technician. It takes our experienced reg tech about 15 minutes to do the reverse and bench test, if you don't interrupt them with any questions.
Ambidextrous second stage designs are inherently right or left when you simply put the regulator in your mouth. The design of the regulator is symmetric about its longitudinal axis; the body and mouthpiece has no "top and bottom" or "up and down". The exhaust on an ambidextrous design will always be on the end the body directly opposite the hose inlet and bubbles come out the end not the bottom. Ambidextrous regulators are typically referred to as side-breathers and we offer the SXS downstream second from Mares plus the Xstream upstream second from the OG of side-breathing regulators - Poseidon.
The Apeks XTX second stages (XTX40, XTX50, XTX200) are a reversible design that can be converted from a standard right-hand hose inlet configuration to an uncommon left-hand configuration. However, the Apeks distribution center in the US does not stock the XTX series reversable second stages from the factory in the left-hand configuration. Apeks describes the process of converting the regulator to a left-handed hose inlet as both quick and simple, however they recommend this be done by a technician trained to service Apeks products.
Because we do the reconfiguration in our facility using our Apeks technician, there is a small increase to the price of the Apeks XTX series standard second stage to cover the cost of converting and testing the now left-hand second stage prior to shipping. If you want to learn about what is involved, you can read the Apeks technician instructions at Converting the XTX Regulator to Left Handed Configuration.
The manufacturers of all the general purpose SCUBA regulators we stock describe them as suitable for use in warm, temperate and cold water conditions. Based on testing standards we define those water temperature ranges as follows:
- • Warm water is greater than {68°F | 20°C} to a maximum of {90°F | 32°C}.
- • Temperate water is between {68° to 50° F | 20° to 10° C}.
- • Cold water is less than {50°F | 10°C} to a minimum of {40°F | 4°C}.
- • Freezing water conditions below {40°F | 4°C} incurs significant additional risk that requires specialized training and specialized equipment.
Among the regulators we stock, only the Xstream series is described by Poseidon as suitable for diving under ice in freezing seawater conditions down to {29°F | -2°C}. However, the XTX series is a close second, described by Apeks as suitable for use down to {36°F | 2°C} and a popular choice among "ice divers".
First stage regulator ports:
7/16" port = HP
3/8" port = LP (or IP)
1/2" port = MP
First stage regulator pressure:
high-pressure = HP
low-pressure = LP, IP, or MP
"Low" is sometimes called "Intermediate" or "Middle" pressure and all three terms are referring to the exact same regulated output pressure of the first stage.
Scuba hose connectors
second stage 9/16" = LP
inflation Shrader = BC
Mated fittings that can be quickly disconnected without tools = QD
In the 90's some regulator manufacturers (notably Apeks, Aqualung, and Mares) started offering some versions of their first stages with an oversized 1/2" low-pressure port. The oversized port has an optimized gas flow path and should be used to supply the primary second stage. (Mares calls it a DFC port.) While the oversized and optimized port does slightly improve machine test results in simulations, most divers found it does nothing significant for actual in-water breathing performance and also inconveniently requires a non-standard regulator hose.
Today, most manufacturers have deprecated their oversized port on first stages for the recreational market, although it continues to be available on versions for the military market. If you are seeking a 1/2" regulator hose, instead your best strategy might be to just plug the oversized port and use one of the other standard size low-pressure ports. If you insist on a regulator hose with a native 1/2"-20 UNF fitting, then take a look at these non-standard regulator hoses.
The typical intermediate pressure setting for most first stages is around {135 psi | 9.5 bar}. Upon request a Dive Gear Express service technician will adjust the IP to your specified non-standard setting prior to shipment but only for diaphragm first stage designs. We also offer 3rd party modifications to the Apeks DS4 to change the behavior of the intermediate pressure; enabling use with constant mass flow orifices and needle valves found on some types of rebreathers.
The IP adjustment on diaphragm type first stages is simple enough for most divers to learn to do themselves. The IP adjustment screw is located under the environmental seal cap on the bottom of the regulator. The only tools needed are a round surface spanner wrench to remove the cap, a hex key set to turn the adjustment screw to change the IP setting, and an IP pressure gauge to measure the setting. These are all available in our Regulator Service Tools category. A few minutes with a knowledgeable peer or Google will show you how.
YES! Dive Gear Express offers regulator service on all models we currently sell. Dive Gear Express is an authorized service center for Apeks, Dive Rite, Mares XR, and Poseidon regulators. We of course also provide service for our house brand DGX Gears regulators. For all the details visit SCUBA Regulator Maintenance Service at Dive Gear Express.
For regulator brands that we are not certified to service, we recommend using a factory authorized service center nearest you. Three long established U.S. based companies that specialize in factory authorized regulator service for most brands are Airtech in North Carolina, RegTech in Wisconsin, and Pacific Scuba Repair in California.
The only difference between our unbranded SPG "brass & glass" models and similar branded SPG models is the logo and price; any SPG will work on any regulator regardless of brand and they are all manufactured by Termo Industra of Italy with equal quality construction. Our unbranded generic SPG models have a lower retail price as a result of being sourced directly from the manufacturer. Our long experience with the unbranded and branded "brass & glass" SPG models has been they all have similar reliability and durability in the field. Regardless of brand, every product we sell is backed by Dive Gear Express 5-star quality customer service. For more information see our TekTips titled SPG Depth Ratings and Inside Submersible Pressure Gauges.
The only significant difference is the branding and price; any DIN-to-Yoke adapter will reliably work on any DIN regulator regardless of brand. The designs differ a little but they are all of equal quality chromed brass construction. The generic value priced DGX adapters are available in your choice of black or silver color, and features a nice sized handwheel which makes it easy-grip to install and remove from the valve.
14 Products - SCUBA Hoses
The choice is largely a matter of availability or personal preference, the price is about the same. Rubber hoses haven't changed significantly since the beginning of diving. Compared to rubber, the braided flex hoses (introduced in the early 2000's) are much lighter weight and much more flexible. Depending on hose lengths, a regulator setup using flex hoses is going to be about 2 pounds lighter than comparable rubber hoses. Some divers prefer the weight, but frequent flyers often choose flex over all other considerations when they want to travel as light as possible. Most divers in really cold water less than {50° F | 10° C} report the braided flex hoses perform much better than rubber.
Flex hoses are sometimes promoted as more durable than rubber and while true it is also irrelevant because you should replace your hoses every five years of service regardless. A few of the early flex hoses had an issue with the material of the inner lining, but that issue was addressed long ago and should not be a factor in your decision. Today, we can detect no difference in reliability for either material and we can also say that braided flex substantially outsells rubber. It's also worth pointing out that all our suppliers have now switched to braided flex hoses supplied with their regulators
The Miflex™ extreme performance braided flex SCUBA hoses are manufactured in Italy with more than thirty individual performance and safety automated tests. We stock only black color hoses except for the 40-inch regulator hose, although Miflex brand low pressure hoses are manufactured in a rainbow of colors available from other retailers. Miflex hoses are distributed in the US by XS Scuba and are individually packaged with a reusable vinyl pouch.
DGX Premium braided flex SCUBA hoses are manufactured in Taiwan. The finished hoses are pressure tested by the manufacturers and each are again tested by us immediately prior to shipping to the consumer. The DGX Premium hoses are manufactured to our specification for length and thus are available in an exceptionally broad range of individual lengths. Our unbranded generic hoses have a lower retail price as a result of being sourced directly from the manufacturer in bulk packaging.
Cosmetics, construction, and flexibility of the low pressure braided hoses are similar with only minor differences between Miflex and DGX, but the high pressure versions are significantly different. The Miflex high pressure hose outside diameter is a third thinner, more flexible and includes protectors on the fittings to improve impact resistance. The DGX Premium high pressure hose includes a woven Kevlar layer creating a typical outside diameter that better fits consoles and boots.
All hoses are designed to meet CE EN250 standards and are Nitrox Ready. Our long experience with the branded Miflex and generic DGX Premium hoses has been both have similar reliability in the field. Regardless of brand, every product we sell is backed by Dive Gear Express 5-star quality customer service.
In the 90's some regulator manufacturers (notably Apeks, Aqualung, and Mares) started offering some versions of their first stages with an oversized 1/2" low-pressure port. The oversized port has an optimized gas flow path and should be used to supply the primary second stage. (Mares calls it a DFC port.) While the oversized and optimized port does slightly improve machine test results in simulations, most divers found it does nothing significant for actual in-water breathing performance and also inconveniently requires a non-standard regulator hose.
Today, most manufacturers have deprecated their oversized port on first stages for the recreational market, although it continues to be available on versions for the military market. If you are seeking a 1/2" regulator hose, instead your best strategy might be to just plug the oversized port and use one of the other standard size low-pressure ports. If you insist on a regulator hose with a native 1/2"-20 UNF fitting, then take a look at these non-standard regulator hoses.
The first stages of modern SCUBA regulators have 3/8-inch 'Low-Pressure Ports'. The second stages of modern SCUBA regulators have 9/16-inch fittings to connect the regulator hose to the second stage body. These fittings are very standardized and your regulator almost certainly is compatible with these same fittings on our LP regulator hoses. However, there are a few rare exceptions: A few brands of first stages include one special low-pressure port that is 1/2-inch, notably some older Apeks, Dacor, and Mares models. For these rare exceptions we stock first stage port adapters.
Older Poseidon brand second stages are also a special case. Historically, Poseidon incorporated the OPV for their upstream second stages in a unique fitting on the end of their non-standard low-pressure second stage hose. In 2008 Poseidon updated their designs (the Mk3 designation) to no longer require a Poseidon-specific low-pressure regulator hose, but we do have a solution for using standard regulator hoses with vintage Xstream and Jetstream second stages. Cyklon regulators have unique hose compatibility issues and often require special hose fittings or adapters.
A few brands of second stages used with full face masks have a unique fitting, notably the Interspiro AGA models. In fact the fitting is generally referred to as the 'AGA' fitting. For the rare AGA and Poseidon exceptions we also stock LP regulator hose to second stage swivels that adapt their unique second stage fittings to standard hoses.
The first stages of modern SCUBA regulators have 7/16-inch female 'High-Pressure Ports' and every analog submersible pressure gauge (SPG) uses a 7/16-inch male fitting that mates with a female swivel fitting on the other end of the HP hose. These fittings are very standardized and are almost certainly compatible with these same fittings on our HP hoses. Some early vintage (perhaps better described as 'antique') first stages have the high-pressure port size same as a 3/8-inch low-pressure port, but these are extremely uncommon (and dangerous.) For these rare exceptions we stock first stage port adapters.
All submersible pressure gauges also use an air spool with two tiny #003 O-rings to connect the male gauge fitting to the swivel connector on the HP hose female fitting. We always recommend replacing the air spool, or at least the O-rings, whenever you replace the HP hose. Almost all gauges use an air spool with a center flange. However, some inexpensive plastic body gauges use an air spool without the flange. If you have a plastic body gauge you will have to reuse the old air spool from the gauge with the new HP hose.
Some dive computers with an integrated digital pressure gauge, use a special proprietary quick disconnect HP hose that allows the computer to disconnect from the hose without using tools. That special hose is only available from a dealer for your dive computer. Most air integrated dive computer versions use a high-pressure quick disconnect adapter that works with a standard HP hose. Just to be clear, we are not talking about instrument console housings that contain an analog SPG, those work with a standard HP hose.
There are no standard lengths for sidemount hose configurations because most experienced sidemount divers carefully optimize their sidemount rig, thus we don't offer sidemount hose "kits". The type of sidemount harness used, type of cylinders, whether the regulator low-pressure ports are fixed or swivel, plus exactly how the tanks are rigged and carried will all affect the lengths needed.
As a starting point we can only offer some observations regarding typical configurations with swivel turret regulators and aluminum 80 cylinders diving our harnesses. Many divers prefer a {60 in | 1.5 m} regulator hose for donation, but some divers still prefer the {84 in | 2.1 m} LP hose. The other side LP hose is typically { 22 in | 56 cm } but some divers find they prefer a different length that depends on how they like to route their hose. The lengths of the inflator hoses are especially sensitive to causing A-framing, but about { 22 in | 56 cm } is typical for BC hoses. High-pressure hoses are typically either { 6 in | 15 cm } or { 9 in | 23 cm } depending on how the SPG is rigged for sidemount but a few divers prefer using a { 24 in | 61 cm } HP hose.
It's probably not the SPG or hose itself that's leaking. All high pressure SCUBA hoses use an air spool with two tiny #003 O-rings to mate the swivel connector on the female hose fitting to the male fitting on the hose or wireless pressure transmitter. If the air spool O-rings are worn, the assembly can also have a slow leak around the swivel. Even when an O-ring has failed completely or the spool is omitted entirely, a tiny flow restriction present in the high pressure port of the regulator and/or the male hose fitting will cause a leak to be much slower than expected. We recommend replacing the air spool, or at least the spool O-rings, whenever replacing the hose. See our video on Leaking SPG Spool Replacement.
We have seen problems caused by the Schrader valve core becoming partially unseated (or not properly seated during initial assembly) inside the female hose fitting; that's corrected by using a Schrader Valve Tool to tighten the core back in place. We've also seen slow leaks resolved by replacing the worn 011 O-ring located inside the barrel of the female hose fitting, although replacing that O-ring in the QD is challenging to do without a QD O-ring insertion tool and most consumers just replace the entire hose.
Measure the hose from outside end of the female fitting to the o-ring at the base of the male end (i.e. the threads on the male end are not included.) A variation of ± {0.5 in | 13 mm} is allowed on an un-pressurized hose and keep in mind that when pressurized, hoses will change in length anywhere from 2% longer to 4% shorter.
Yes, but it is not practical for us to supply custom length SCUBA hoses in small quantities. Our hose manufacturers typically have a minimum order quantity (MOQ) of at least 100 hoses in any custom length. If the MOQ requirement is not an obstacle, please contact us to discuss your needs.
In many cases an alternative solution is to use a hose repair kit to shorten an existing low-pressure hose. See Hose Repair Kits for more information.
The Alert Diver article titled Air Hoses: A Closer Look has triggered some inquiries regarding material used in the construction of our double braided flex hoses. We've reached out to all our hose suppliers and they assure us we are not receiving any hose constructed with an inner lining of Polyester-based Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) that cause failure of the hose in hot and humid conditions. Regardless, all hose materials have a finite life time and best practice is replace all scuba hoses with over five years of service or 500 dives.
7 Products - Tools
Compasses intended specifically for diving do not have a depth rating because they are unaffected by pressure at depth. Diving compasses are liquid filled with no compressible air space other than an insignificant tiny expansion bubble.
They differ in their responsiveness to changes in direction and their tolerance for being tilted off level. They are all similar in accurately indicating direction but their sizes affect the precision and ease with which they can be read.
- The generic Compact compass seen in wrist straps, hose mounts and smaller consoles is a good choice for those divers who just need to know general direction, i.e. the dive briefing is 'swim west' and you need to know which direction to swim. You have to be patient and careful to hold it level to take an accurate reading.
- The DGX Tech Compass offers a depth compensating bungee wrist mount preferred by most experienced divers. The compass card offers a smooth movement across a wide range of motion. It has a low profile design that is typical of diving compasses in terms of needing to be held level to take reading. Most divers find this modestly priced compass will meet their navigation needs.
- The DGX Deluxe Pro Compass also incorporates a bungee wrist mount and features a highly responsive compass card with a tilt potential of +/- 30°, more than most diving compasses and equal to the best versions available. The trade off to get that tolerance for tilt is the body of the compass has to be larger.
Custom manufactured for Dive Gear Express, both DGX Hi-Viz and DGX Ultra-Viz™ lines are round braided polyester with a diameter of approximately 1.8mm and are engineered high-tech products with exceptional strength, abrasion and UV resistance. The only difference is the Ultra-Viz line includes a retroreflective nylon strand impregnated with tiny glass micro-beads (<100 microns) that makes the already vibrant line even brighter. Similar to the way SOLAS tape works, when light shines on the reflective strand the light retroreflects back toward the source of the light, thus further increasing visibility.
The 2nd Stage In-Line Adjusting Tool is used for fine tuning regulator 2nd stages which have an adjustable air inlet orifice that requires either either a flat blade or hex key tool to make the adjustment. Our Second Stage In-Line Adjusting Tool has BOTH an 0.032 inch flat blade, screwdriver-like adjusting tip, which fits most slotted regulator orifices and also a 5mm hex key adjusting tip plus a built-in IP gauge to verify the inter-stage pressure. To change between the two tips, the tool is easily reconfigured. To see how to reverse the tool to swap the adjusting tips, please watch the Youtube demonstration VIDEO for Second Stage In-Line Adjusting Tool.