Setting up ScubaPro MK25

[divesergeant]

I've always set up my ScubaPro MK25 so that it is between the tank and my head, with the body of the first stage pointing down, toward the bottom of the tank. Now, someone at a dive shop tells me it is designed to be pointing up.

Does it make any difference?

The ScubaPro manual seems to have a picture of both ways.

DS

 

[Jay_SMART_Diver]

You can do either way, I also use mine swivel down to make a lower profile above the tank valve. There is also a low pressure port on the bottom of the swivel you can use for hose routing for drysuit inflation or diving doubles, so you would HAVE to use the regulator swivel down for this configuration. One of the things I have learned over the years is not every wingnut that gets a part-time job at a dive shop is the be all end all of SCUBA knowledge. It works either way mount it the way you want and smile and nod at all the "expert" advice from your dive shop "expert."

 

[DevonDiver]

Now, someone at a dive shop tells me it is designed to be pointing up.

IMHO, that's moronic advice.

The Mk25 'can' be used in any orientation. However, there's no logic or reason in using it pointing up.

Firstly, it's hardly streamlined that way... more likely to bang your head and/or get damaged.

Secondly, anything you put into the IP port on the swivel would stick up like some crazy NASA aerial.

Why do some dive shops employ people who have verbal diarreah like that?!?

 

[ROMO DIVER]

A couple of quotes that come to mind:

A LITTLE knowledge is a DANGEROUS thing!!!

It is better to keep your mouth shut and people think you a fool than to open it and remove all doubt!!

 

[HatchetJoe]

"not every wingnut that gets a part-time job at a dive shop is the be all end all"

Love it.

 

[deepair]

All of my first stages are either older MK20s that were converted to MK25 or they are MK 25s, except for my new Hollis Regs that I got this year. The shop I work for has always set them up with the swivel up. Over the last 10 years I have slowly converted them to have the swivel down. I to agree that there is no practical reason to have the swivel up on a single tank setup. Swivel down does create a lower profile and protects that swivel from being bumped. BUT.... to each his own. I still see them swivel up and unless you ask me my opinion, I will keep it to myself.

Bill

 

[DA Aquamaster]

It's not entirely true that it is a bull**** practice - it's more of a very out dated practice, one that may have been handed down thru the ages and is now practiced by people who have no idea why it's practiced that way.

It's a literal example of the the following story: A mother who always cuts the end off the ham when baking it is watched by her daughter who asks "why?" The mother replies "that's how my mother did it." The daughter again asks "why did she do it that way?" and the mother replies, "I don't know, ask your grandmother." She does and gets the same set of repsonses and is told to ask her great grandmother. Great grandmother is asked and replies "I had a small baking pan so I had to cut the end off the ham so it would fit".

In that context, way back in the day a few companies sold very short, low profile K valves and when installed on an AL 80 (which has a fairly fat shoulder) there was not enough room for a MK 5 or Mk 10 to be set up with the turret facing down.

Consequently, some shops set up customer regs to face the turret up in order to ensure it would work on any tank the customer may enounter. This was particularly true in shop that rented tanks with those valves or sold tanks with those valves. However, I have not seen more than 1 or 2 of those valves in the last decade so it's a practice that is out dated and no longer serves any purpose, but one that is apparently still applied to Mk 5s Mk 10s, Mk 15s, Mk 20s and Mk 25s by some shops.

The fact is that Scubapro put an additional HP port on the other side of the MK 5 starting in the late 70s, and did so in large part to allow it to be mounted turret up if needed (reflecting the problem encountered with the short valves, as well as allowing the customer the choice of mounting it either way) and that practice continued on the Mk 10, 15, 20 and 25 first stages.

However it's worth noting that the original single HP port Mk 5 had the single port located so that the reg had to have the turret facing down, suggesting that is the orientation Scubapro originally intended.

Which is the long way of saying your shop employs a moron - perhaps a well intended moron, but a moron none the less.

 

[divesergeant]

Thanks to all for the info. I guess it is good to have options on mounting it.

I've been banging my head on the first stage with my BP/W and have taken to mounting the MK25 swivel down, but have rotated the tank 45 degrees clockwise, which has moved the MK25 out of the way of my head. I don't know if mounting it swivel up would help, but maybe it is worth a try. Or, maybe I'll keep it swivel down, rotate the tank and not worry about it!

Thanks again for the advice.

DS

 

[drbill]

The history of railroad track gauge comes to mind... based on Roman chariot wheel base.

 

[cbrich]

Wow, when I convert mine to recreational setup, I go turret down.

I was thinking back to "Need to check your Headlight fluid" statement. LOL