The Beuchat V First was our Best Buy for scuba diving regulators under $400 in ScubaLab's 2017 regulator test. See what made this reg a winner in the eyes of our test divers.

I’m Roger Roy, the ScubaLab director. We tested the Beuchat V First regulator. With smooth operation, steady performance and the lowest price in our test, it was our Best Buy for regulators under $400.

We tested the V First’s ability to deliver air at range of depths and breathing rates on a breathing simulator at Dive Lab in Panama City Beach, Fla.

We also tested the V First at Alexander Springs in Central Florida with a team of test divers who scored it in 14 categories including ease of breathing, dry operation and comfort.

The V First’s second stage is so small, and the reg’s price so low, we wondered how it would perform. The answer was a pleasant surprise. Its simulator performance was rated very good at recreational depth and good down even to our deepest standard test depths.

It won good and very good scores across the board in our test dives, where it took the best score in its category for comfort, thanks in part to that tiny second stage. Weighing just 5 ounces on our scale, with exhaust ports only 2 ¼ inches across at their narrowest, the little second stage translated to zero jaw fatigue. The single HP port makes hose alignments less than optimal, and some found the purge a little stiff and abrupt.

But the V First’s smooth, quiet operation won praise from divers, several of whom chose it among their favorites of the test. The V First is our Best Buy for regs under $400.

Price: $205.85 | Contact: beuchat-diving.com