hunterkz
Lung Diver
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Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:40 pm
First Name: gary
Location: East Greenbush NY

Aqualung Legend vs Core regulators performance?

Sun Oct 01, 2017 5:42 pm

Hello all,
I have a question about the performance differences of the Newer Aqualung Legend 1st and 2nd stage vs the Core. I currently have a Core supreme in Din and the dive shop nearby is telling me the Legend is a much better breathing reg for deep diving. The deepest I usually go is 180ft with air in fairly chilly fresh water, low 40 degree temps at the bottom. I regularly dive at 150 ft and do some search and recovery so I do have to work a bit. The Core reg seems good and is very compact. Sometimes when working at depth it is a little harder to breath than I would like but it does the job. Is there any real difference in performance or is the shop just trying to sell me something? Thanks for the help.

tbone1004
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First Name: Tom

Re: Aqualung Legend vs Core regulators performance?

Sun Oct 01, 2017 6:54 pm

if you're diving air that deep the hard feeling is due to the gas density more than anything. The Legend isn't going to be anything significant if it is there at all provided your Core is tuned properly. If you're regularly diving deep air in the cold, there are quite a few other regulators I'd be looking at before I'd look at anything from Aqualung...

hunterkz
Lung Diver
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:40 pm
First Name: gary
Location: East Greenbush NY

Re: Aqualung Legend vs Core regulators performance?

Sun Oct 01, 2017 8:54 pm

The core reg I am using is the sealed one for cold water use and has the heat sinks on the second stage. It is advertised as being good for these temps, but who knows what the truth is. The pony I use has a Sherwood 1st and a metal conshelf 2nd. What reg do you think would be better that doesn't break the bank? I don't want to use trimix and get into all that stuff. Also I am never sure of the depth of the next dive when I get the tanks filled so air is just easier. I also have a spare tank at 30ft if I need it.

MuffDiver
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Re: Aqualung Legend vs Core regulators performance?

Sat Oct 14, 2017 11:59 am

hunterkz wrote:The core reg I am using is the sealed one for cold water use and has the heat sinks on the second stage. It is advertised as being good for these temps, but who knows what the truth is. The pony I use has a Sherwood 1st and a metal conshelf 2nd. What reg do you think would be better that doesn't break the bank? I don't want to use trimix and get into all that stuff. Also I am never sure of the depth of the next dive when I get the tanks filled so air is just easier. I also have a spare tank at 30ft if I need it.
That's the Core Supreme. The Supreme is "de-tuned" compared to the basic Core to
1. Reduce the risk of free-flows in Cold Water which could result in a regulator freezing, and
2. Set the IP lower so that the mild "over-balancing " doesn't cause the IP to be too high at very deep depths.
All the [Aqualung] Cold water regulators have this in common.

There are a few things that can be done to improve performance …

First Stage

1. External Diaphragm: Make sure that this is fitted properly. When the Regulators is depressurised the external diaphragm should be "sucked in" and touching the mushroom transmitter cap. If it is bulging and there is a "bubble" at the surface, your regulator will breathe fine at the surface and hard at depth. This point is covered better in older Conshelf service manuals than the newer service manuals.
[I have seen a number of cold water diaphragm Regulators on display in shops with this issue, most brands]

2. Intermediate Pressure: The Supreme's IP range is 8-9 bar (Core 9-10 bar). You can check the IP and set it towards the top of that range, closer to 9 bar.


Second Stage

1. Make sure your Venturi lever is set to "Dive" ;-) ;-)

2. The Supreme's cracking effort is deliberately "de-tuned" by about 30% compared to the Core. For your Primary 2nd Stage, if you're diving warmer water, you can reduce the cracking effort of your 2nd Stage from 1.3" (or higher) to about 1" (Core setting). That should help to make breathing feel easier.

Safe diving !

MuffDiver
New Member
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Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2017 8:57 pm
First Name: Craig
Location: UK

Re: Aqualung Legend vs Core regulators performance?

Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:07 pm

hunterkz wrote:Hello all,
I have a question about the performance differences of the Newer Aqualung Legend 1st and 2nd stage vs the Core. I currently have a Core supreme in Din and the dive shop nearby is telling me the Legend is a much better breathing reg for deep diving. The deepest I usually go is 180ft with air in fairly chilly fresh water, low 40 degree temps at the bottom. I regularly dive at 150 ft and do some search and recovery so I do have to work a bit. The Core reg seems good and is very compact. Sometimes when working at depth it is a little harder to breath than I would like but it does the job. Is there any real difference in performance or is the shop just trying to sell me something? Thanks for the help.
I would regard that with deep scepticism

Both have ANSTI overall work of breathing (WOB) scores significantly below 1 joule/liter.
Many cold water Regulators are above 1 j/l to reduce the risk of free flow.

Here are the Legend Supreme and Core Supreme ANSTI scores. I doubt you could tell the difference.

Legend Supreme
Avg. 0.65 joules/liter

Core Supreme
Avg. 0.80 joules/liter

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Nemrod
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Re: Aqualung Legend vs Core regulators performance?

Thu Nov 23, 2017 1:58 pm

The Core is a rework of the Titan LX. I have both the Titan LX Supreme and standard LX and MC has the full on Legend (last generation). The main difference from a practical standpoint is the Legend first is too heavy for travel and kind of clunky. The Legend does have the dive adjust knob which sticks with sand and she can never turn it becasue she drags her regs in the sand despite my providing nice bolt snaps etc. for her to clip off :evil: . The Titan LX second stage is otherwise, the adjustment knob aside, identical and I have added the adjustment knob to my Titan set.

Overall the Titan (now Core) is the better regulator. it has ((% of the performance of the Legend and is lighter and has better hose routing in any generation. The best are the older cone shaped firsts but functionally they are all the same. The new Core does have some nice improvements in the second and the first is very travel friendly. All Titan LX and Core regs are friendly to travel.

I can buy any regs I want, as most of us can, I like and prefer the Titan LX to anything out there. It is the sweet spot in value and performance and has all of the Conshelfs legendary reliability and toughness. In order to outperform the Titan LX/Core you have to step up the game considerably though I do consider the Legend on par with Scubapro's best stuff snd Atomics. All the top regs from these three companies push the edge in performance, Apeks too. But, it is up to the buyer, if one is willing to pay a wheelbarrow full of money for an Atomics, what a sweet reg that is, go right ahead. But I can tell you that if you think there is a real world performance difference between it and a Titan LX/Core, I got some property on the moon to sell you.

The Titan LX/Core = 99% of the best performance and 50% of the cost (or less) and no regulator made is more reliable. When I spend lot's of money to get some place, and more importantly my increasingly valuable time, you can bet somewhere in my dive bag, no matter what other pretty face, cutie pie regulator I may have screwed on my tank, there is a Titan LX set (or on super rare occasion a Conshelf XIV) nearby ready to get to business when all the other stuff conks out and the stinky hits the fan and some SCUBA diving really needs to get done. Just say'n. :lol:

I do not know how many times, I have loaned it out either. Most of the time I bring my gear and MCs stuff ready to rock and roll, and I am not especially prone to malfunctions but I tote the Titan along for all the other people who seem to think the dive boat is a good place, or a sandy beach, to rebuild their regulators. :shock:

Nemrod

hunterkz
Lung Diver
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:40 pm
First Name: gary
Location: East Greenbush NY

Re: Aqualung Legend vs Core regulators performance?

Sat Mar 24, 2018 6:14 pm

Nemrod,
Thanks for the great input. I do like the way the core breathes and is a small package. Sorry it took so long to reply I didn't check on this in a while. I think the store owner was just trying to sell me more stuff and the Legend is pricey. My old conshelfs and SEA regs still breath fine, even the Aquarius does good. On the deep stuff I just wanted that extra margin of performance so I don't have to suck the air out when having to work on something. BTW how much did you want for the moon property?

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