Most Versatile Regulator

[namabiru]

But in looking in the catalog, the difference I see is that the exhaust valve on the X650 offers super high flow, while the rest offer high flow. I've looked through to find out what exactly this means, but can't find anything. Can someone interpret this fact for me?

Also, in terms of the MK25 and MK17, the MK17 offers a dry ambient pressure chamber to help keep internal parts warmed. Would this just be another point of potential failure or a place to cause concern for more maintenance? The MK25 offers one more LP port than the MK17, as well as a swivelling turret. Which is a nice feature, I would say.

 

[JessH]

A lot of people prefere diaphragm regs for cold water diving, which the OP said they want to be able to do. Hence the MK17 being suggested over the MK25.

If you want a piston reg I would take a close look at Atomic. Last I checked an Atomic Z2 could be had far far less than a scubapro MK25 and it performs as good as if not better than it. It is also available with a sealed 1st stage for cold water diving.

~Jess

 

[beejw]

I would highly reccomend a Mk17 with S600. Thats what im diving at the moment, but i spoke with several LDS for hours about the merrits of the Apeks line and the other Scubapro regs, namely the Mk25.

The Mk17 is more suited to ice diving then the Mk25, and the S600 offers a nice comprimise between the X650 and the S555, being small and lightweight, but offering VIVA and breathing resistance adjustability.

My initial impression with the Mk17/S600 setup was that it was easier to breathe through it then breathing without the regulator!

i swear im not biased or anyting

 

[squidster]

hey ssi instructor when i learned to dive i went through the NASDS,which is now ssi
they preached piston,piston,piston.
so recently i went to a LDS to get back in to scuba.
they preached mk17,mk17 ,mk17
now every one thinks pistons are not good cold water regs and we also get preached to about dry ambient chamber.
isnt the diaphram regs sealed from contaminents?
dry chamber just protects the spring?
I fill like i went against my piston upbringing when i purchased a diaphram regulater,Your thoughts?

 

[WesTexDiver]

If the OP was going to dive in Ice water and Contaminated water then no doubt the MK17 would be choice over the MK25. However, The MK25 is a cold water regulator WITH anti-freeze protection. The X650 is not the smallest 2nd stage in the world, and then again it's not the largest. Again if size were an issue then possible he would have mentioned the fact that he wanted a certain size or look, in which case there are several other options. To quote the 2007 catalog, " The X650 is the best performing second stage of the SCUBAPRO line as it requires 20% less exhalation effort than any other 2nd stage, because of it's unparalleled air flow characteristics." I have dove in cold water to depths over 100 feet several time, I knew I had a superior main rig the first time I had to switch from my main rig to a stage bottle on my way back up at 50 feet. It wasn't exactly labored breathing, but it sure made me appreciate the way the 25/650 set up breathes. Just my 2 cents. By no means do I consider myself an expert, was just wondering for my own curiosity about some of the other recomendations...Cheers and see ya below.

 

[beejw]

The other advantage of having a sealed reg is that it doesnt require as much maintanence. You can not touch it and 3 years later open it up and evrthing inside will be exactly the same as when you bought it.

 

[JessH]

The other advantage of having a sealed reg is that it doesnt require as much maintanence. You can not touch it and 3 years later open it up and evrthing inside will be exactly the same as when you bought it.

And the downside is that they can sometimes be more expensive to service.

~Jess

 

[Dive-aholic]

Okay scuba gurus, here's a new topic for debate. Let's say, as a diver, you're mostly doing tropical/temperate dives to see the pretty fish. But you think you *might* want to get into deep/wreck diving later on (so think towards using nitrox), and possibly cold water or even ice diving if you're ever foolish enough to move where there's ice. You want a regulator that is going to work well in the temperates/tropics and then as a good "entry level reg" when you move into deep/wrecks, but is also okay for cold water/ice diving--it would serve the purpose until you were able to save money to purchase a regulator better suited for your deep expeditions (or rather you had a better idea of what you wanted through gaining diving experience)

What, would you argue, is the most versatile regulator on the market? For now, price isn't a factor.

I ask this question because I'm looking to get into a regulator, and that's kind of my situation right now. I'm mostly diving tropical/temperate, but eventually want to take a wreck diving course and will probably explore using nitrox. I've gotten sales catalogs from Scuba Pro thus far, and have requested more to peruse. I have used an Aqualung Legend (I think it was) and really liked it. Plus I was secretly hoping they'd run their "buy a reg, get an octo" promotion again next year.

Jess, I'll start off by saying I haven't tried any of Scubapro's newer regs. I have a few old ones I use on stage bottles and back up and they breathe nicely. But the best reg I've breathed through so far is the Aqualung Legend. Next time you head up to the lake with us, I'll dive my doubles and toss you a legend to breathe through. Aqualung also offers a cold water version which is basically the same reg with the IP tuned down.

As for some of the other recommendations, the Sherwoods are good strong workhorse regs. I used to dive a Maximus. The underarm hose was nice at the time, but when I got into wreck and cave diving and went to a long hose, that configuration didn't work.

The diver adjustable regs are okay. My Legends are diver adjustable and so are some of my other regs. What I like that function for is to be able to tune down the reg when I'm diving colder water. What some divers will like it for is to tune up the reg because some shops will tune the reg conservatively (the local ones do anyway) and make it a little hard to breathe through. Now that I'm working on my own regs, that's not an issue.

In addition to the Legends, we also have Oceanic, Zeagle, Scubapro, Sherwood, Dacor, and a few others. You're more than welcome to breathe through any of the regs that aren't dedicated oxygen regs. By the way, pretty much any regulator you buy will be nitrox compatible. Some say to avoid titanium regs with nitrox (that's a whole 'nother thread), but those are on the pricey side anyway.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I wanted an adjustable second but I let LDS talk me out of it.
He told me that scuba pro was going to discontinue there diver adjustible second stages because they were to much trouble to maintain.

You dealer is a real dirt bag. Plus he is an idiot as his margin would have been better on the adjustable second stage.

Trust me, the Scubapro adjustable second stages are a snap to service - far easier than for example an Aqualung Micra Adjustable (or even the straight Micra) and slightly easier than the adjustable Legend LX second stage. Since they are all balanced and use lighter springs, they also generally will not develop an excessive seating groove in the soft seat as readily as an unbalanced second stage (as long as you store them with the adjustment knob screwed all the way out.)

Scubapro did discontinue the D400 as it was distinctly different to service and they apparently did not want to address the gap in training, but there has never been any consideraon of discontinuing their other balanced diver adjustable second stage designed.

 

[squidster]

I think when the recall came out on the 650 they may have misunderstood and thought they were going to be discontinued,
I think these people at my LDS are good people and have been very helpful to me.
the regulater i have is a good one ,i just would have liked to have a balanced second with diver control.
I will most likely have them add it later,its just kind of pricey,Aquamaster do you think its worth it?
should i get x650 or or the s 600?
or should i stick with the r 295.
PS I did not want to give any one the idea that Our LDS is a bad dealer,It was my fault because I should have researched it More.