Ice dives - help me choose a regulator from my collection.

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Many of us up here use the Mk17/G260 when ice diving with no issues. Several others use their Mk25/S600 (with the metal housing/barrel) with no issues. The Mk17 is preferred since it is sealed.

I'd never use a MK-25 around here, even for summer diving (36-39 degree bottom temps). Seen too many puke....
 
my bad.... meant Xstream.....
 
I'd never use a MK-25 around here, even for summer diving (36-39 degree bottom temps). Seen too many puke....

I have used my Mk25 year around up here in the mountain lakes, even when the water is in the 30s. While diving I've seen others freeze up and free flow while my Mk25 was fine. When it comes to ice diving I do use my Mk17.
 
I think I would have to give a Mk5 Environ a shot with metal 2nds. I would pack the ambient chamber with silicone. If you would like to try the Mk5 environ ambient chamber, I could probably find one with the filters and caps to help hold that filler in place.
 
my deep/deco tech rig is MK-17/G250v or my Poseidons. No desire for other pistons other than using MK-20's for warm water trips (though I do use MK-2 for deco, and MK-5 & MK-10 & MK-15 for summer warm water diving around here)
 
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got to love SB... Asked for thoughts on 5, and have had various others brought up. Folks, these are the regs I own. I am quite confident on all of them to handle ice diving, but was wondering if those that have dove them had a perspective. I am not buying (or using) other regs for these dives... :cheers:
 
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I am not buying (or using) other regs for these dives... :cheers:[/QUOTE:
Amen.

Before I went to the G260 I did use my G250V under the ice with my Mk17 and had no issues.
 
@tbone1004 - have there been changes to the MK-3 over time?

I believe the original first stages didn't have the OPV at the bottom of them like the 3960's. I don't have the full history unfortunately, but it's pretty obvious if they have them on the bottom or not. I don't have any Xstreams, so haven't followed up on the development of the first stage, but if the bottom looks like the picture below, then that is the OPV in the first stage. If you remove plug it will have a spring and a seat in it just like a regulator would.

The Xstream manual I have is from 2005 and does not have this part in the exploded parts diagram and makes no mention of it in the service section of the manual like the Jetstream first stage does. I do not have the new manual, and can't comment on when they would have put it back

Poseidon-XStream-Duration-M26-DIN-first-stage-_1.jpg
 
okay, as I suspected, I have the earlier ones... thanks!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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