PRODUCT REVIEW AND TESTING: APEKS XL4 OCEA REGULATOR

[@SeattleRingHunter]

Speaking from experience the XL4 series is not your best option for cold water diving, I recently had my XL4 (original model just prior to the Ocea version) freeze up after working at six feet of fresh lake water at 42 F after one hour of diving. The flip side I was at the same dive site at six feet of with my MTX-R and absolutely zero freezing issues. I have over 350 dives over five years of diving the Pacific North West around Seattle, WA US with my MTX-R in water as cold as 41 F as a Lost Item Recovery Specialist on the sea floor and lakes turning up all kinds of silt in zero visibility conditions and never had a freeze up on my MTX-R! It’s obvious just looking at the size difference of the first stages that the MTX-R has much more heat sink “insulating properties” compared to the newer Ocea compact models. The Ocea should be reserved for warmer waters and lighter weight travel considerations. Honestly just yesterday my tech dive shop said the service department had been bitching about working on the Ocea for what ever reason it’s not as easy to service. Still a decent reg but understand it’s limitations. Bottom line don’t be persuaded by the eco friendly manufacturing claims when it comes to a safety of life breathing apparatus! Understand the eco-friendly claims are a marketing tool used to sell units in a declined economy after Covid. They are jumping on the sustainability bandwagon to do all the can to promote sales over their competitors. It simply is what it is. Some premium materials and manufacturing processes are being sacrificed for the sake of being green. This doesn’t make it a better performing unit. Also all these reviews making words abbot jaw fatigue. I assure you the Apeks included comfort bite mouth grip of the MX-R is excellent. After five years of driving in all sorts of harsh conditions I’ve never had any experience with jaw fatigue and no gaging effects. The comfort bite is excellent. The MTX-R 2nd stage is not heavy in the mouth when your diving so don’t wast too much time on this lazy point being made by many online KZbinrs because it makes for a fancy marketing claim. Just go get the MT-R and be happy in any conditions. If you don’t like it, I’ll buy it off you. 🤣 🤙 Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter

[@manius_dive]

tell me better MTX-R or MTX-RC?

[@sampotter333]

Does this come with a yellow mouthpiece also for the octopus?

[@m1ch4Lko]

Nice video!

[@Scxbah]

Between this and the Apeks MTX-R, which is the best all round for UK diving in the winter?

[@SteveBrown03]

The Apeks MTX-R is a far superior reg for cold water diving - the Ocea is built more for the travelling diver

[@SeattleRingHunter]

Speaking from experience the XL4 series is not your best option for cold water diving, I recently had my XL4 (original model just prior to the Ocea version) freeze up after working at six feet of fresh lake water at 42 F after one hour of diving. The flip side I was at the same dive site at six feet of with my MTX-R and absolutely zero freezing issues. I have over 350 dives over five years of diving the Pacific North West around Seattle, WA US with my MTX-R in water as cold as 41 F as a Lost Item Recovery Specialist on the sea floor and lakes turning up all kinds of silt in zero visibility conditions and never had a freeze up on my MTX-R! It’s obvious just looking at the size difference of the first stages that the MTX-R has much more heat sink “insulating properties” compared to the newer Ocea compact models. The Ocea should be reserved for warmer waters and lighter weight travel considerations. Honestly just yesterday my tech dive shop said the service department had been bitching about working on the Ocea for what ever reason it’s not as easy to service. Still a decent reg but understand it’s limitations. Bottom line don’t be persuaded by the eco friendly manufacturing claims when it comes to a safety of life breathing apparatus! Understand the eco-friendly claims are a marketing tool used to sell units in a declined economy after Covid. They are jumping on the sustainability bandwagon to do all the can to promote sales over their competitors. It simply is what it is. Some premium materials and manufacturing processes are being sacrificed for the sake of being green. This doesn’t make it a better performing unit. Also all these reviews making words abbot jaw fatigue. I assure you the Apeks included comfort bite mouth grip of the MX-R is excellent. After five years of driving in all sorts of harsh conditions I’ve never had any experience with jaw fatigue and no gaging effects. The comfort bite is excellent. The MTX-R 2nd stage is not heavy in the mouth when your diving so don’t wast too much time on this lazy point being made by many online KZbinrs because it makes for a fancy marketing claim. Just go get the MT-R and be happy in any conditions. If you don’t like it, I’ll buy it off you. 🤣 🤙 Cheers, #SeattleRingHunter

[@greatwhitesharky3261]

what a load of nonsense