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    MK10 Rebuilding Mods and Best Practices

    I have found that MK5s tend to hold IP more reliably for longer periods of time. I don’t know if I’ve ever had one start to creep. But MK10s work really well too, they have the advantage of being easy to convert to DIN (if you use DIN) and practically all of the ones I’ve ever seen have SS...
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    MK10 Rebuilding Mods and Best Practices

    Haven’t been around this board in a few years, but I’m very familiar with working on MK10s. The plus seat results in the highest IP of the three seat sizes. So if you want to lower IP, use the - or = seat. Edit: I see someone else suggested that. The taller the seat, the lower the IP, all other...
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    Cave Diving Instructors in Playa Del Carmen or U.S.

    You’re right, it’s not necessary, but I would advise anyone who is starting from scratch (i.e. not a currrent BM doubles diver) who is primarily interested in Mexican caves to learn sidemount from the beginning. Beccause I already had some BM doubles experience, I did all my cave classes in BM...
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    Are Converted Scubapro 109's a weak link?

    It’s funny to read the same old tired nonsense from the shop about obsolescence and liability and the great improvement off the latest models. It’s been going on for years. It’s like these guys get a script or something. When the guy said something like “Don’t expect a shop to work on them” my...
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    Cave Diving Instructors in Playa Del Carmen or U.S.

    I would take each class separately and spend time practicing skills in between the classes. Becoming a good cave diver is not so much about increasing conceptual knowledge (although there are lots of new concepts to learn) as it is about acquiring new skills, many of which must be internalized...
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    Question Fun with numbers question, or how much weight should I drop

    That depends on which HP100 the OP buys. I have found a greater difference than 5 lbs when switching, closer to 7 lbs. To the OP; I would try a dive with 20lbs instead of the current 34 and see what happens. I'd be very surprised if you can't stay down, and you can probably drop a few more...
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    What would you want in a $2500 regulator?

    What would I want if I paid $2500 for a regulator? I'd want $2400 in change.
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    ScubaPro MK10 IP Question

    The problem with some of the discussion on this thread is that it is impossible to accurately measure dynamic IP drop with a standard IP gauge. I really experimented with this a number of years ago and even had a lengthy discussion with Peter Wolfinger about it. I found my MK15 had an apparently...
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    Sidemount course cost

    I took a cave sidemount class from Nat at Under the Jungle. I think it was 4 long days, around $1200. Worth every penny. In addition to the various SM-specific skills, the course included performing all the cave protocols (like zero vis exit through restrictions) in SM. When I switched to SM...
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    Recommendations Requested For Dive Operators Near Barcelo Resort In Riviera Maya

    For the cenote dives, I would recommend Under the Jungle, they are just down the highway from Barcelo, basically at the entrance to Tajma Ha cenote. Very high quality people, you'll be very happy with them. For the Cozumel diving, your best bet is to just contact one of the dive ops in...
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    Mk5/109 Cleaned, Refreshed, and Upgraded

    Maybe in your world it's quite common, but not in mine! I know Couv had one, and used it to change the angle on some older levers which he then sent me. But that's the only one I've ever seen, and I think it was a SP tool. Scubatools has nothing like it in their catalogue. I realize someone...
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    Mk5/109 Cleaned, Refreshed, and Upgraded

    If you read my first post, you would have seen that I talked specifically about 'adjusting' the lever height by 'bending' the feet angle, for which there is a special tool. The OP doesn't have this tool, and as I also mentioned in that same post, doing this freehand is not something I would...
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    Mk5/109 Cleaned, Refreshed, and Upgraded

    Sorry to be persistent, but 'little to no play when the purge is pressed' is not how you evaluate lever height for this situation. You need to go through that process of adjusting without the diaphragm in place, backing out the orifice (counter clockwise) until a leak starts, then clockwise just...
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    Mk5/109 Cleaned, Refreshed, and Upgraded

    The way to evaluate the lever is to see how much you need to drop it to stop the leak once the diaphragm is installed. I don't think the 'tight' purge is an issue, because having to press the purge button any sort of distance before hearing air flow is an indication that the lever is too low...
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    Mk5/109 Cleaned, Refreshed, and Upgraded

    The reason your 109 doesn't breathe as well has to do with either the lever or the spring. Unfortunately, the best you can do is experiment. You've replaced all the right parts. (although the longer balance chamber that fully captures both o-rings on the S wing poppet would be a good thing to...
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    What is a great first stage for diving two Scubapro 109s

    You already have a permanent great 1st stage. I have MK5s, 10s, 15s, and 25s, and the MK5s are my favorite. But they all work fine. There is no difference at all in perceivable performance. The MK5s go year after year without creeping, it's really pretty remarkable. Same for the MK15s. The MK10s...
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    Question Scubapro MK2 hose routing for long hose divers?

    Considering that many, many divers use 90 degree adapters on the 2nd stage end of the LP hose, including most sidemount cave divers, I can't understand why this would be the case. It doesn't matter which end of the hose the elbow is on, it's all IP. Some things that are measured on test...
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    Question Scubapro MK2 hose routing for long hose divers?

    My MK2 has 4 LP ports. I'm guessing they all do except for maybe really old ones. (Mine is about 20 years old) If you orient the 1st stage so that the HP port is at 4:00 (thinking of a clock face on the end cap, looking at it from where the divers head would be) then there are LP ports at about...
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    Why do piston regs cost more than diaphragm regs?

    The problem with that 'test' is that the tank valve is by far the weakest link in the supply chain. For a 1st stage to supply 100 2nd stages with air, you need a much higher flow supply than a single scuba tank, and in fact that's exactly what they use to measure flow rates. The MK25 has...
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    Why do piston regs cost more than diaphragm regs?

    That's not really accurate. IP does drop with tank pressure, but any significant increase in cracking pressure doesn't occur until tank pressure falls well below a point at which most divers will be at a safety stop or on the surface. I know this because I used one for years, routinely diving...
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