My first dives with Scubapro A700/MK25...

[Speardoggin]

Did 2 wreck dives yesterday, one at 140 fsw the other at 150 fsw.

Very impressed with how smooth the regulator breathes. I would say it is right on par with My AL Legend. Not sure which one breathes better. It is so close it doesn't even matter. It does have a tendency to free flow at the surface when not in my mouth even in predive mode with the adjustment screw turned down. It does not feel heavy at all in my mouth when diving. My Abyss feels heavier in the mouth by far than the A700.

I would definitely recommend this reg. I'm not sure if I like my Legend or this A700 better. The Legend is hard to beat. I do like the hose routing flexibility with the Scubapro though.

The one thing i did notice is that it is harder to breathe in less 30 ft water than my legend. It it also seems when tank pressure drops below 500 psi, it takes a slight more effort to breathe than the Legend.

 

[DatSRBoi]

Thanks for this information. I have been looking to buy my first reg and still have no idea what I want.

 

[Speardoggin]

Thanks for this information. I have been looking to buy my first reg and still have no idea what I want.

I would say the Aqualung Legend ACD is all you would ever need especially for a first reg. It really is the best reg for the money or compared to more expensive regs bar none. My friend just bought his at the Local dive shop for $399 with a full warranty. And that was the LX version.

Some say the Atomic regs breathe better, but i have breathed from both and can tell you they breathe nearly identical when it comes to WOB in a real world situation.


My second choice for a first reg would be a Scubapro S555/MK17 or G250V/MK17. Both great regs, affordable and bulletproof.

I'm sure the more informed members of this forum would agree on these choices.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

For a first reg I'd go with the HOG's that are on sale now at Dive Right In Scuba, Pirahna Dive Gear, or Tech Diving Limited. Coldwater regs, adjustable seconds, user serviceable with the training, and Less than half the price price of the ScubaPro's.

 

[Speardoggin]

For a first reg I'd go with the HOG's that are on sale now at Dive Right In Scuba, Pirahna Dive Gear, or Tech Diving Limited. Coldwater regs, adjustable seconds, user serviceable with the training, and Less than half the price price of the ScubaPro's.

I guess that would be fine, but I am assuming he won't be servicing his own regs. I would personally buy a reg that can be easily serviced where ever he may dive.

 

[Belce]

I have been diving the A700/Mk25 reg since the spring without any trouble or issue. It is a great setup. Prior to this I was diving rental regs and it is most definitely better. I have had free flow issues with regs but with the way mine came tuned it doesn't free flow at the surface ever, I must be lucky.

When it comes to regulators I won't tell you to buy mine, buy theirs or buy this because it is a good starter reg, but would suggest you get the best you can afford and justify. There are plenty of folks on this forum diving regs that more than several years old and that is because they are life support equipment and actually based on some very basic physics and engineering good ones will last and last if looked after. With this gear it makes sense to spend once and be done with it. Measure twice and cut once is my advice.

 

[Kunundrum]

I Love my Legend and I have used the MK25 a few time and it is very similar, no real noticeable difference between the two in performance. the ACD swayed my buying decision from a MK25 to a Legend LX Supreme.

For a First Reg, I usually recommend the Titan LX Supreme ACD or MK17, Great performance without having to step up to the Legend LX/MK25 Price Point.

 

[tight rope walker]

I too own the a700, and I also own the sp pilot. The a700 is nice, but I can say without fear of contradiction.....the pilot will out breath it on it's best day. And mine is over 30 years old. Too bad they don't make them anymore, and Scubapro will no longer support them with parts or service. I donot know what the inside of the a700 looks like, but I can also say without fear......the pilot is very very complicated. Aside from that it is the closest thing to natural inhalation I have ever used, and continue to use.

 

[halocline]

Probably the closest thing to the pilot that's sort-of current is the D400. I have several D300s (very similar) and they are the smoothest, most natural breathing regs I've ever tried. I tried to buy a pilot once (actually a trade) but it didn't work out.

 

[tight rope walker]

I bought the mk 10 first stadge, d300 second stadge when it came out in the early 80s. I bought it in the winter for a trip I was taking to the Caymen Islands. In a hurry to use it, I went home and put it in a Cressi-Sub full face mask, and headed off to Battery Park in Newport Rhode Island to try it out. When you're on the mask, you are on the tank, so my partner and myself were on the surface heading out to a spot we wanted to work. I turned my head abruptly to the left and got a mouth full of water. I adjusted and adapted and that problem never happened again through the dive. To be honest though I never turned my head again in that fashion. At the end of the dive I immediately returned it to the shop which was right down the road. It was at that time I learned the d300 was on silent recall. I had not owned it for more than a week and it was already on recall, probaly on recall when I bought it. From what I could see they seemed to install some type of deverter around the exhaust vavle. I took it home and never used it again.