Backplate, wings, etc. vs knighthawk

[MXGratefulDiver]

The MK25 is a great reg but I wouldn't use it in cold waters.

Depends on what you mean by cold ... the MK25 is the single most popular reg among Puget Sound divers ... technical and recreational alike. Water temps here vary from low 40's to mid 50's year round ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JeffG]

Depends on what you mean by cold ... the MK25 is the single most popular reg among Puget Sound divers ... technical and recreational alike. Water temps here vary from low 40's to mid 50's year round ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Thats warm

 

[CompuDude]

Depends on what you mean by cold ... the MK25 is the single most popular reg among Puget Sound divers ... technical and recreational alike. Water temps here vary from low 40's to mid 50's year round ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I keep trying to find out what these people mean by "warm" water, also. This has got to be the first time I've head water in the low 40s be considered "warm".

I know lakes and quarries get super cold, near freezing, and certainly alaskan waters and northern canada in the winter can have damn cold water, but seriously, I think saying "the MK25 is bad in cold water" is a disinformative unless you tell them what you consider to be "cold" water. To me, water so cold I have to wear a full 7mm wetsuit, hood, booties and still spend half the dive wishing I had a drysuit, is cold. And that's anything under 50 degrees, which is a long way from the low 40s. How the heck do you consider the low 40s "warm water"? Just because it's actually above *freezing*? So it goes directly from FREEZING temps to "warm" with no in between? Water freezes around 33 degrees (in most cases), so are people saying that just because fricking ICE won't form at 40 degrees, it must be WARM water?

Sorry. Venting. Read a lot of threads in the past couple of days bashing the MK25 (my reg of choice, of course), and it's getting old coming back from a dive trip so cold I had to sit a number out only to be read my reg is only good for "warm" water.

 

[CompuDude]

I am fairly new to scuba and to sb. I have been looking into buying my own gear and as of now have come up with a Scubapro knighthawk w/ AIRII, MK25 first stage and an s600 second and a smartcom computer. First question, is that a decent setup?

Second question is that I have seen a lot and heard a lot about backplates and wings, maybe for more tech diving.. Can anyone tell me about them? I plan to continue with scuba for a long time and probably get more technical and into rescue, being I am a 22 year old firefighter. Is it worth going to a backplate instead of the knighthawk? Any information would be great. Thanks

I agree with what others have said on the Air2. I know you like ScubaPro, but for that type of device, the Atomic SSI is a lot better. That said, I prefer an octo. Therre are many threads out there on the subject of how good an idea (or not) the Air2-type inflators are.

Re bp/w vs. KnightHawk, that's a tough choice. I'd say the KnightHawk and the Zeagle Ranger are the two best "traditional" (aside from not jacket-style) BC's out there. But my bp/w is the single most comfortable rig I've ever worn, and I've worn quite a few over the years. And while I'm considering the tech route someday, I have no second throughts about my choice as a purely recreational setup either. It's just super comfortable, super adjustable, super easy to pack small, super cheap (by comparison) and super durable, compared to any traditional BC out there. There's just no comparison. But there are different strokes for different folks, and if you feel strongly about the ScubaPro, most people here agree the KnightHawk is a good, solid BC. I'd say best best is try each, if there is ANY way to make that happen. Just make sure the bp/w is adjusted well for you... unless you are the same build, you can't just try on your buddy's for 5 minutes in the living room and expect a valid comparison.

The SmartCom is a good computer, as long as they have fixed the issues the early models had. My LDS swore them off after processing 25 faulty units out of 25 sales. I went up to the SmartTEC instead. I never thought I needed a AI wrist comp, but I gotta say, having everything on your wrist to glance at at any time is GREAT. It ain't cheap, though.