scubapro mk17/ a700 vs mk 17/g250 vs mk25/g250

[christoph1]

hey there,

i am hanging my old reg a last time on the wall and am now looking to get one of these set ups:

scubapro mk17/ a700
mk 17/g250
mk25/g250

Is the a700 that much different to the g250 (breathing resistance etc)?
When or better why, would u choose the piston mk25 over the diaphrame mk17, or the other way around?
Would you recommend a complete different set up in this range?

I do not think about going in ice cold water where the mk17 might have an edge but do plan to dive more often in the european part of the atlantic.

Anyhow, i know both are top set ups, but since this will hopefully be the last reg i buy in my life, i would like to get some independent thoughts about them.

Thanks, your opinion is appreciated!!!

 

[James R]

I have a MK17/A700 for recreational diving, and I couldn't be happier with it. You can also get the MK25/A700 which is also great.

Eventually I will sell my current doubles regs and get two MK25/A700 as they breathe better than what I have now (Dive Rite) and better than the HOG regs we were comparing them to. For what it's worth the HOG regs compared favorably with the Dive Rite regs. All were tuned on the bench using a magnehelic by a very talented and experienced service tech, and all 4 people there agreed the MK25/A700 was better.

The G250 is solid, and will perform very well. I have not personally used a G250 on on a dive, but many people I know have them and love/swear by them.

 

[Fishpie]

I'd still recommend the 17 over the 25 for your colder water.....and since you are buying new why not get a proven cold water design.
As for the 2nd stage any performance difference between the 700 and 250 is going to be unnoticeable.

 

[rhwestfall]

I do not think about going in ice cold water where the mk17 might have an edge

but if your buddies said "Hey, lets try....", or if you got a chance, wouldn't it be great to be ready? I'm a real fan of the Mk-17, and I love my 109's & the G250V as a modern alternative..... never owned or dove a MK-25. Furthest I ever "advanced' on a piston was a Mk-10+ (though I may have another [a Mk-15 maybe] kicking around somewhere with a D350 on it......

 

[a22shady]

If your going to be diving in cold water definetly go with the MK17 over the Mk25. As for the second stage I have and prefer the G250V to the A700. I can't say I noticed any big difference when I dove it, its just personal prefernce. I have had the MK17/G250V setup for 3 years never had any issue's breathes great in all conditions/water temps

 

[kierentec]

mk25 G250 is by far my all time favorite setup.
at recreational depths, you will probably never notice a difference in breathing performance between the MK 17 and 25, so that's just up to what kind of diving you'll be doing. if you have no interest in diving in sub 50 degree water, I would go with the 25 for sure. they say the a700 tests better than the s600 or g250, but at 165ft on air, I wasn't able to tell a difference between the a700 and my g250. it's also not possible to pull apart underwater, so it is kind of frowned upon in the Tec world.
I honestly like the way my g250s breath better than my s600s. it's a little bit bulkier, but it seems to breath smoother.


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[poseident]

I can vouch for the performance and longevity of ScubaPro's diaphragm designs. I have the Mk18 Ultralight which was an early version, and it's been flawless despite the potential for issues with the aluminum body (applies to the Ultralight...not to the Mk17 you're looking at). I use it with a D400, which IMHO is the best 2nd ScubaPro ever made, but I dove a G250 for ages. It was a great breather, but I did go through poppets pretty frequently. This won't be a problem for you unless you are diving 300+ a year or skipping annual maintenance.

One thing to consider, the Mk25 is a pretty "tall" 1st, unless you are diving it "upside down" on the valve. The Mk17 doesn't still up as far above valve-level. I find that to be better for me based on my "normal" tank placement, etc. You might want to experiment with that.

 

[christoph1]

but if your buddies said "Hey, lets try....", or if you got a chance, wouldn't it be great to be ready?

You sure got a point there!

 

[christoph1]

Thanks a lot for your thought and comments.
It s gonna be the G250V, that's decided and most likely the Mk17 as first stage.

I am not a technican, but it should be possible to use my old Sherwood SPG and octopus so i do not have to buy a whole set, or are they not compatible with Scubapro?
Thanks again !

 

[rhwestfall]

Good decision! Aside from possible hose fitting miss-matches on real old (or oddball) stuff - which can be made good with inexpensive adapter fittings, all should be fine. The only seconds that might cause problems are Poseidon due to different intermediate pressure requirements.