Guide to Mares regulators from 2000-2020

[Zef]

Been doing some research on the Abyss 2nd stages. Here is what I have come up with. If I need to make corrections let me know:

Abyss (Voltrex clone): Produced from @ 1996-1999

Abyss Ruby: Produced from @ 1998-2000

Abyss Turbo: Produced from @ 2000-2004

Abyss: Produced from @ 2005-2007

Abyss 08: Produced from @ 2008-2018

Abyss Extreme: Produced from @ 2008-????
includes dry cold water kit and teflon coated internals (2nd stage case/housing, external access port, hose connector, poppet spring, poppet body)

Abyss Navy (II): Produced from @ 2011 to present (2020)
includes oil filled cold water kit and teflon coated internals (2nd stage case/housing, external access port, hose connector, poppet spring, poppet body)

 

[Zef]

I don't have any direct information on this, but there's an interesting thread from 2006 where Greg Barlow, who had been the technical editor for Rodale's Scuba Diving magazine, says, "The [Abyss] first stage originally came with an orifice that was cast as an integral part of the block. Sure, you could damage it, but short of poking into its recess with something it is unlikely."


I think he didn't know and couldn't be bothered to check.

According to the 2001 Service Manual at Mares Dealer Service Manual 2001 - Page 38 of 117 (click the back arrow at the top to see the exploded drawing of the Abyss 2000 and the Orbiter and Ruby tables), the Abyss 2000 (aka Turbo Flow or TF), Ruby and Orbiter all have the same part numbers for the lever and its nut and washer, the diaphragm, and the ring clamp and its screws.

I compared the diaphragm part number for the Abyss 2000/TF listed in the 2001 dealer service manual to the part number for the 2008 and later version of the Abyss as listed in the 2009 dealer service manual and they are the same.

https://www.divestock.com/downloads/dl/file/id/140/list_mares_2009.pdf

-Z

 

[JackD342]

Been doing some research on the Abyss 2nd stages. Here is what I have come up with. If I need to make corrections let me know:

Abyss (Voltrex clone): Produced from @ 1996-1999
View attachment 574460


Abyss Ruby: Produced from @ 1998-2000
View attachment 574461

Abyss Turbo: Produced from @ 2000-2004
View attachment 574462

Abyss: Produced from @ 2005-2007
View attachment 574463

Abyss 08: Produced from @ 2008-2018
View attachment 574464

Abyss Navy II 2nd stage: still being produced per Mares 2020 catalog.
View attachment 574465

Missing at least two variants, original Abyss 22 Navy, and Abyss 22 Extreme.
Pretty sure the Extreme was just a bridge between the two Navy versions, until the Navy II got official Navy blessing.

 

[Zef]

Missing at least two variants, original Abyss 22 Navy, and Abyss 22 Extreme.
Pretty sure the Extreme was just a bridge between the two Navy versions, until the Navy II got official Navy blessing.

I saw that there was an Extreme version of the 2008 model listed in the 2009 dealer service manual and noted that the main difference was that the Extreme version had different part numbers for the poppet spring and poppet body as they are teflon coated. Other than that I cannot see a difference between that and the 2008+ Abyss 2nd stage other than the cover (face plate) is black like the Navy II version.

-Z

 

[lowwall]

Should probably include the DR from the "XR Tek" line, which appears to be an Abyss with an slightly modified Orbiter faceplate. Think they found the stamping die in a storage room and said, "Hmm, this looks pretty "teky"?"

Orbiter

DR

 

[JackD342]

I saw that there was an Extreme version of the 2008 model listed in the 2009 dealer service manual and noted that the main difference was that the Extreme version had different part numbers for the poppet spring and poppet body as they are teflon coated. Other than that I cannot see a difference between that and the 2008+ Abyss 2nd stage other than the cover (face plate) is black like the Navy II version.

-Z

Extreme 1st stage has oil filled CW kit too, same as Navy II.

 

[Zef]

Extreme 1st stage has oil filled CW kit too, same as Navy II.

I see references to the Abyss Navy dating back around 2011. I can't seem to find info on the differences between the Navy and the Navy II....they both seem to come with an oil filled cold water kit on the 1st stage. I am not seeing much of a difference between the Extreme and the Navy.

-Z

 

[lowwall]

Abyss Extreme has the dry cold water kit. Navy has the oil-filled version.

The Abyss Navy II dates at least back to 2008. I think it's called the Abyss Navy II because Mares had an earlier (mid-90s) plastic-bodied second called the Navy.

 

[Zef]

Abyss Extreme has the dry cold water kit. Navy has the oil-filled version.

The Abyss Navy II dates at least back to 2008. I think it's called the Abyss Navy II because Mares had an earlier (mid-90s) plastic-bodied second called the Navy.

Been scouring the web for info on the Abyss Extreme and the Abyss Navy.

The only reference I can find to the Abyss Extreme back to 2008 is in the 2009 Dealer Service Manual I included in an earlier post. I cannot find any other discussion/reference to the Abyss Extreme that dates before 2009. I found a reference that indicated that Mares came out with the dry cold water kit for the MR22 in 2009, so if one of the identifying features of the Abyss Extreme set was the dry cold water kit set up on the 1st stage then that jives with circa 2009 as when this reg would have hit the market.

I still have not been able to find any reference the MR22 Abyss Navy (II) from before 2010-2011. I have attached a reference stating the NEDU testing was conducted in late 2010. This press release is dated 2011. I have also attached a PDF of the report from the NEDU tests which indicates they were carried out from October 2010-March 2011, the report was published in published in May 2011.

There was a 2nd stage that was paired with older versions of the MR12 that was known as the "Navy" but that was similar to the III and the Beta and dates back to before the introduction of the MR22 1st stage and Abyss 2nd stage....I read a reference that this 2nd stage body may have been plastic. The Beta, Navy and III second stages may have been precursors to the Voltrex which eventually became the Abyss. Here is a labeled picture for reference.

I would love to look at any references you might have.

***Edit: List of 2nd stages with pics and dates in previous post have been updated to include Abyss Extreme.

-Z

 

[lowwall]

Mares Abyss 22 Extreme - "This is the Abyss 22 plus Mares’ new Dry Cold Water Kit, which insulates the first stage and includes a coating for the second stage to prevent ice formation."

Are you familiar with archive.org? It takes snapshots of webpages over time and lets you view them at each date. It doesn't have a search function, but you can often start at the top address like mares.com and dig your way down to what you are looking for. So
Abyss 22 Extreme page from 3/15/2009

Click on "product details" and you'll see that they specify it has the Dry kit.

2009 is when the Abyss 22 Extreme first appears.