IMHO if you hear or see that the shop has the divemasters and instructors in uniform like clones run away from that shop and find a shop where each instructor can pick and choose to use whatever gear they choose. There are choices that are fine for reef diving and others better suited for wreck, cave and more technical dives. The prices vary wildly from brand to brand even at similar relative quality points. For instance Brand A top of the line regulator costs $1800 with no a manufacturers pricing policy that sets both the advertised price and selling price. Brand B top of the line has only the advertised price set by the manufacturer and the selling price can be discounted by the retailer Both brands were sent to the last round of NOAA regulator testing for NOAA and Navy Dive teams safety test. Brand be was found to be substantially safer for cold water environments (which tend to be the most demanding in real life use) and due to the testing Brand B’s regulator was adopted for use by NOAA. Since the testing Brand B has released a newer Regulator moving the prior regulator to the second spot in the manufacturers product line and in the move reducing the MSRP and the advertised price of the tested regulator. This reg now cost 1/5th that of the Brand A reg and the newer Brand B reg that is now considered top of the line is less than 1/3rd of the Top of the line from Brand A. Should divers consider Brand A and why don’t more dive shops carry the Brand B line?