Environmentally Conscious and High-Performance
The first thing you notice when taking the Ocea out of the box is the etching of ocean waves that wraps around the first stage. It definitely stands out against other regulators on the market. Even with minimal weight, it feels solid and sturdy.
I was a bit apprehensive about diving a regulator made with recycled parts—not that I don’t appreciate doing what we can to reuse and reduce our consumption—it’s just that it’s never been done before in a scuba regulator. I’m all for recycling parts in electronics, home goods, and even vehicles (that you can pull over to the side of the road if something goes wrong), but I was wary of being 130 feet deep with a new concept.
But as I researched the regulator, I found parts such as “eco brass,” which is lead- free and has a higher tensile strength than traditional brass; polymers made from 70% post-consumer waste; and bioplastics, made from non-petroleum sources to be just as trustworthy as traditionally manufactured parts.
I also trust Apeks immensely and, after diving the Ocea repetitively, my concerns vanished. The Ocea performed as you would expect any high-performance piece of equipment to. I honestly had a blast diving with the Ocea. It is definitely an attention getter on the boat, and it performed as well as any other high-performance regulator on the market. I personally liked this regulator enough that it will be added to my regular rotation of regulators.
The first and second stages are small and light enough to travel with; they breathe great; and with an environmentally sealed, balanced diaphragm, I don’t have to worry about corrosive particles destroying the sensitive internal working parts.
Spec Breakdowns & Features
Coming in DIN or yoke and built with an overbalanced diaphragm, the Ocea can travel to the depths of recreational diving with little worry of corrosion from high-salinity water or heavily chlorinated pools.
Standard in all high-performance regulators, the Ocea has a max working pressure of 4350 psi in the DIN model and 3365 psi in the yoke version. It can be O₂ cleaned to accommodate oxygen levels above atmospheric air and all the way up to 100%.
With four low-pressure and two high-pressure ports, it’s easy to accommodate various hose-routing configurations.
Price/Quality Ratio
While the Ocea is on the higher end, price-wise, of Apeks regulators, it performs as well as any equipment in their line. It’s hard to beat the DS4 platform, which is balanced and environmentally sealed. It is uniquely designed for cold-water activities, which is why many military and emergency services trust and use Apeks.
You pay a little more for innovation and environmental protection. But, when it comes to dive gear, you generally get what you pay for—and you get a great regulator for this price.
Apeks is a good brand, and the Ocea falls into the high-performance category. The price and performance compare to other regulators in this category. Apeks is a subsidiary of Aqualung, and intends to meet the needs of divers seeking high-performance regulators (not to say that Aqualung regulators do not). Simply put, every Apeks regulator is high-performance.
Do we recommend the Apeks Ocea?
We do recommend the Apeks Ocea. In our opinion it is one of the higher-rated, high-performance regulators on our list and on the market. We really enjoyed testing the Ocea, and would feel safe letting our family and friends dive with it.
We generally rate environmentally sealed regulators highly. Keeping all the important internal working parts free of debris, corrosive salt water and chlorine is essential when you spend as much time underwater as we do.
The Ocea meets that criteria and, on top of that, it is also a balanced regulator, meaning that divers won’t feel any breathing difference regardless of how deep they dive, how hard they are working, or whether they have a full cylinder or are nearing the end of their dive.
All of this coupled with the Ocea’s high-performance capabilities and anybody can see why we recommend it.
Specs & Features
| Valve | DIN or yoke |
|---|---|
| First stage | Over-Balanced diaphragm (based on DS4 platform) |
| Second stage | Pneumatically balanced downstream poppet valve |
| Ports | Two high-pressure; four low-pressure |
| Max working pressure | 300 bar/4350 psi (DIN); 232 bar/3365 psi (yoke) |
| Weight | 32 oz/905 g (DIN); 36.8 oz/1041 g (yoke) |
