Scuba pro MK10

TigerDiver8 · Oct 29, 2013

Ok so i might be able to grab this first stage for about 50 to 100. Its been used on 20 fresh water dives. It also was just serviced with paperwork from a LDS. What do u guys think. I cant find much on the MK10, is it a balenced firat stage and is it suitable for cold water? And also is it okay for warmer water when i move to hawaii in june

agilis · Oct 30, 2013

An excellent first stage. Be careful who works on it. It's possible to scratch things a bit during assembly/disassembly, causing problems with holding a steady intermediate pressure. This should be checked very carefully. IP should hold steady indefinitely. The MK 10 is one of the best classic regulators in existence. I own and use several. they are beautiful combinations of form and function.

TigerDiver8 · Oct 30, 2013

Okay thats great to hear. Are there old models and new ones. Can this be a 10 year old first stage. And again is it balenced and good for cold or warm water?

agilis · Oct 30, 2013

There are several generations of MK 10s, dating from the early 80s to the mid 90s. Modifications were constantly being made by Scubapro. Even the earliest are superb. Some were made with 'environmental' features designed for use in extremely cold water, down to only a few degrees above the freezing point of fresh water. I personally would not use them for that purpose, but lots of people do. These bulbous environmental adaptations essentially hold quantities of silicon as an insulator.

There should be absolutely no problem using any properly functioning MK10 in warm water. All regulators work well in warm water.

I am not a regulator engineer or certified expert. I have been servicing my own Mk5s and 10s for decades. Keep this disclaimer in mind when making any decisions. I suggest seeking professionally trained help for any issues you may have.

TigerDiver8 · Oct 30, 2013

Im really glad to hear that this might be one hell of a deal. I guess i should state why im looking for a new first stage. I currently dive BM with a HOG D1 cold water. I want to start making the transition into SM and thought i could use a mew one. Buying used makes me nervous, but with it being serviced and in working order, i feel like i cant pass it up.

whaylonsmithers · Oct 30, 2013

MK10 is balanced. Just serviced by someone you rely on I think $50 is a good price, $100 is fair but getting up there IMO. If you can get a G250 second stage with it I say pounce.

MK10 SPEC is the cold water version. I'm not sure how low that goes. For ID see image below. Left to right are (1) SPEC, (2) SPEC with no boot and, (3) not SPEC. It'll need the boot and some fluid (silicon?) to keep it SPEC'd. Not sure what you're water temperature is so check with that dive shop to make sure its suitable.

rhwestfall · Oct 30, 2013

I dove the MK-10 for many years (about 20), and most of my diving is in the Great Lakes. Temps below the thermocline will be in the mid 30's. I never have had issues with the reg. Proper tune & dive procedures, and all is good. Never put the silicone in it either.....

Honestly, I've seen more MK-20's & MK-25's have issues. The MK-10 is a very reliable regulator.

IIRC, the only challenge you will have is if you desire DIN.

As to the balanced question, the only unbalanced first in the SP line is the MK-2 (might be some other relic, but in the mainstream this holds true).

CMAN · Oct 30, 2013

The MK10 can be a fine cold water regulator if the ambient chamber is filled with either silicone grease (messy) or ChristoLube (expensive). The SPEC boot was added by Scubapro to help keep the silicone grease from leaking out in warm weather which could get messy. I have added an arrow to the picture that Whaylonsmithers posted to point out the ambient holes on the non-spec MK10 and to point out the spec boot on the MK10 SPEC and to point the ambient holes on the MK10 SPEC without boot. I would recommend that you have the ambient chamber filled with ChristoLube as opposed to silicone grease if you are going to use the reg in 40 degree or colder water regardless of which model MK10 you have (the christolube is less likely to leak out). If you choose not to fill the MK10's chamber I would be sure to rinse the chamber thoroughly as I have seen a few that were not and they can get pretty corroded because the ambient chamber holes are small and a quick dunking in a rinse tank doesn't cut it.

drbill · Oct 30, 2013

I use Mk10s almost exclusively and own 6 or 7. I love them and have done thousands of dives with them. Even one I bought on E-Bay functioned well despite having two big cracks in the internal core (although it whistled a lot). Didn't discover those until I came back from an extended trip to Belize. I've used them in waters down to 46 F and to depths of 200 fsw and never had a real problem (and I'm very hard on my regs, only servicing them when something goes wrong).

rhwestfall · Oct 30, 2013

can anyone elaborate on the 10 vs. 10+?

Scuba pro MK10

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