Best SPGs for SM

[alias]

What are your fave SPGs for SM? What generally are good, glass - plastic? Booted - none? Small - huge (well that's kinda obvious)? Any make that's been a dearie?

I am preparing for my first dive in new kit. I need to buy some extra SPGs, so I don't need to strip stuff from my other rigs in future. For now I just took some of my other ones. I have to say the DR large one looked kinda fragile when I clonked the brass and glass against the steel on 6" hose... Hangs kinda funny...

I do not have problems seeing close, so I don't need to consider that issue. I don't, personally, like the ones with lot's of info/colors on the face. Any suggestions what to go after?

[FW]

I like the regular brass ones. like you use on backmount. Some people use the smaller size, but also brass. Boots hide problems, and plastic breaks.

[chimie007]

I use the 1.5" brass/glass face. I have good eye so smaller the better for me. I started with 2" but find the smaller ones a lot thinner and smaller.

[Cantey]

I use the 1.5" brass/glass face. I have good eye so smaller the better for me. I started with 2" but find the smaller ones a lot thinner and smaller.

same here, I like the 1.5 cause they are "just right." Mine are Highland but I think Halcyon also stamps their name on them.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

1.5" ones for me too. I'm using some cheap plastic Dive Rite ones, they are scratched to hell, but the scratches aren't visible underwater. They are light, so they don't sag as much as the brass/glass spgs. I've been pulling the boots off them as problems arise and don't replace them - I just cut them off. Don't know why they even include the boots, they just get in the way when trying to figure out whats leaking...

[sskasser]

I like the 2" brass/glass ones, with the "red" zone. One thing I did learn is that it is very helpful to have the same style on both sides...makes looking down at a glance easier for my brain.

[loquat149]

I have good eye

Yea, well...enjoy those while you can ;)

[chimie007]

Yea, well...enjoy those while you can ;)

hehehe I should have said "I have good vision with my contacts...."

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I'm using Dive Rite 1.5 inch spgs on 6" hoses and with the boots. bubble checks are simple in SM so the boots dont bother me and I like how they look. After all diving and fashion go hand in hand.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I'm using Dive Rite 1.5 inch spgs on 6" hoses and with the boots. bubble checks are simple in SM so the boots dont bother me and I like how they look. After all diving and fashion go hand in hand.

Wait till you bust a few spool valves, I'd recommend you not put those crappy plastic boots back on :)

[Slüdge]

Or, for the 180° opinion, always keep the boot on the spg and you won't break as many spools. In almost 1,000 dives over 22 years, I've had exactly one spool break.

(That's what the boot is for.)

[SuPrBuGmAn]

My boots are off, because the spool valves leaked, and I had to take the them off to get to the the spool. It was a PITA, so I didn't put them back on, don't want to deal with a boot that isn't helping me any... Not worth the hassle if its not going to help anyway.

I've gone through 4 spool valve Orings in the last 3 years. 3 of them were on SPGs with boots :) None of those boots made it back on the hoses after I took them off.

[alias]

Looks like the small brass and glass ones are winning in popularity. Good, I really didn't want to start buying the plastic ones as all mine are brass and glass. I prefer my smaller ones but once got a good deal on the bigger DR ones and got a bunch. I think I will try to find some smaller on sale next.

(Unbelieavable how prices have gone up. Two years ago it was easy to score nearly any brass and glass for $49 if you looked around, now they are like $75-$115 and you are lucky to find a deal that breaks you closer to 60 buck - and then it's not the one you want...)

[Scott]

I like the 2" brass/glass ones, with the "red" zone. One thing I did learn is that it is very helpful to have the same style on both sides...makes looking down at a glance easier for my brain.

I have the same ones, but they were all that i could get my hands on when i converted one set of regs to SM.

but dont listen to me since I just started SM a few monhts ago have only done a handful of SM dives.

Scott