Scubapro 2nd Stage

[DiverDownD3]

I am new to diving and I tried to do as much research on here that I possibly could before I decided to post this thread. I was able to get a used MK25 first stage and I'm having a little bit trouble determining which 2nd stage I should get. Its not that I am loyal to Scubapro, but my LDS deals exclusively with them and I would feel more comfortable knowing that the tech that will service my gear in the future is very familiar with those regs. From what I could gather, to get the most out of the MK25 I should buy a balanced 2nd stage reg. I'm not trying to break the bank, so it looks like my two of my choices are the S360 and the S560. From what I could tell the only difference between the two is the S560 has the adjustable inhalation knob. Is having that adjustment worth it? Most of my dives will be on inshore shipwrecks of the NC coast (45'-60', likely from April-November). I plan to eventually get my AOW and start diving the offshore wrecks that are around the 100' depth. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[jbomb001]

I use a mk25 with a g250v I love it. The 25 is a great 1st stage. The 250v also has the know and yes I find it usefull. Especially when diving cold water and or in swift moving water. I have no exp with the s560 but have heard good things about it

Sent from my galaxy S5 Active.

 

[NotSure]

The fact that you are willing to buy used means that you have the choice of many older models of Scubapro balanced seconds that are still fully supported by Scubapro. You might want to look at the 156, G250, G250HP, G250V, G260, G500 and others. Most can't tell the difference in performance between them and all are very similar in design.

 

[beaverdivers]

. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

You might also consider the Scubapro S600. It is SP's most popular 2nd stage.

 

[Tbar]

As NotSure says you can look for second hand second stages, there is also the s600.

There are basically two 'lines' in the balanced second stages the larger body such as G250/G260 and the smaller body such as G500, s550, s600, s360, s560.

I don't have experience with the larger body regs. I do have experience with the smaller having these G500, s550, s600, s360. The great thing is all part are interchangeable, I have added an s600 purge cover to the G500, for all intent it is an s600, added balance knob to s550 again for all intent it is an s600. I have added the balance knob to the s360 it now has same function and features as s600/s560. The new s560 is the old s600 with a different purge cover. The recently new s600 is the old s600 with a metal barrel. Picking any of these should make for fairly simple servicing.

If you have a Scubapro 1st then I would suggest getting scubapro seconds if only to be sure the one service agent can service them.

I am partial to the occy (alternate second) being as good as the primary you may need to use it in a stressful situation so why have something that may not works as well.

I picked up two s360 from an on-line store in Europe from memory for equivalent to about $US120. If I can find an email address I will PM you.

 

[Nasser]

If you see yourself progressing and doing deeper more challenging dives then you might want to consider a high performance 2nd stage like the S600 or A700. These are really great regs and breath very well at deeper depths and they will last you a lifetime. If you don't see yourself going beyond 30m (100 ft) then the difference may not be as noticeable at shallower depths and you don't really need a high performance 2nd stage.

I dive the S600 as my primary reg. and a G500 as a secondary. Both are great breaths and very reliable. They will probably last a lifetime... or two.

 

[halocline]

If you see yourself progressing and doing deeper more challenging dives then you might want to consider a high performance 2nd stage like the S600 or A700. These are really great regs and breath very well at deeper depths and they will last you a lifetime. If you don't see yourself going beyond 30m (100 ft) then the difference may not be as noticeable at shallower depths and you don't really need a high performance 2nd stage.

Actually the 2nd stage performance does not change at all with depth, at least at anything close to recreational depths. A high performance 2nd stage will breathe better at all depths, but a lower performing 2nd stage will feel the same at 20 ft and 150 ft, just like a high performance 2nd stage. The 1st stage works harder as depth increases, so a lower performing reg set can feel a bit stiffer at depth. But that's the 1st stage experiencing greater IP drop during demand, not the 2nd stage. Since this thread is about a MK25, one of the highest performing first stages available, I'm sure that the OP will not notice any difference in reg performance due to increased depth regardless of the 2nd stage he chooses.

But I agree that a nice balanced SP 2nd is a good pair with the MK25, and will certainly breathe more smoothly than a low performance 2nd stage. I would consider buying a D400, G250, and S600 in that order. There is a bit of a caveat with the D400; many LDS technicians are not very familiar with it and SP is reportedly phasing out parts for that reg. Service kits will doubtlessly be available for many more years, but other parts not so. The original G250 is a great bet, its a classic 2nd stage that's very easy to work on and performs really well.

 

[buddhasummer]

I recently, and only because they were heavily discounted, bought a MK25 and 2x G260s and was pleasantly surprised how well they performed. I'm an Apeks fan boy but think the G260 is a better designed second stage.

 

[DiverDownD3]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Casey with Beaver Divers was able to give me a great deal on a used, but serviced, S600 (as well as some other gear I was in the market for). He was a pleasure to work with. Can't wait for it to come in and go diving

 

[OkByMe]

I dive the g260, g250v, s600, x650. (new models S600 with the full chrome face plate have all metal) There is not a lick of difference between them. The housings are almost identical and so are the internals... The housing and diaphragm on the s600 and x650 are smaller. The Blue "X" on the x650 is a recall job - white "X" OK. The venturi assist, dive and resistance controls are the same. I purposefully bought the g260 because I swapped the hose to the left side for side mount and pitched the left side long hose. That set up ponies well too. All the seconds run off a MK25's You will be happy with any of them. The g250v and x650 are at a good price break and deals are to be had.