decisions with SP reg pls

[batman diver]

so im buying a reg , and im really confused , iv scoured the forums and got a little help here and there but really need a specific set up answer cause im a student and i want this purchase to last a good 10yrs for my hard earned cash

im looking at either mk2+ - i know its unbalanced piston etc , is its performace that much lower than the mk 11 and mk 17 ( other 2 im looking at )

in combination with a r295 or r395 ( what the diff between the two besides the free flow shut off valve )

so here it is do i get mk 11 r295 or mk 17 r295/r395

i like the deeper dives 30 m + (100ft +) i dive sea and quarries ( silty water )
i dont have a dry suit so want go into water less than 50 F , is the enviro seal such a big thing (cause supposedly performance mk 11 and mk 17 are the same) does it make the reg more resistant to corrosion etc

Thanks for the help
much appreciated

p.s only looking at scubapro cause yearly services are free ( minus new Diaphragm) and they seem to have the best after sales support over here

 

[Wayward Son]

the Mk2+/r295 or r395 will be a solid, simple, dependable reg set.

but if you can spring the extra bucks, bump up to a Mk11/17 and a G250V.

 

[batman diver]

whats so special about the g250v iv heard tons of people raving about it ? so must be pretty good, were would that fit into the equation like between the r and s lines or were ?
and mk 11 and mk 17 ? never seen one in person

Thanks again

 

[Wayward Son]

The Mk11 is just a Mk17 without the environmental seal.
The G250V has a metal barrel, it helps reduce dry mouth over an all plastic body 2nd stage.

Both stages are balanced. Makes for a really great breathing set.

My wife has a Mk11/G250V, I have a Mk25/G250V. We don't dive cold enough water to worry about freezing, so either 1st is fine. I prefer the hose routing options on the 25 over the 11

My daughter has a Mk2+/R190, both unbalanced. It breathes OK but not as smoothly as ours do.

 

[scubajim 1]

If you can afford it go with the MK25/S600. It breathes well at any depth and tank pressure. I've used it only in warmer water 64F and above but have been told by my ice diving buddies that it is fine in cold too. I dive about 4 to 5 times a week year round and love my set up in any conditions I've encountered so far. With a little care you will have it much longer then 10 years.

 

[halocline]

... cause im a student and i want this purchase to last a good 10yrs for my hard earned cash

im looking at either mk2+ - i know its unbalanced piston etc , is its performace that much lower than the mk 11 and mk 17 ( other 2 im looking at )

in combination with a r295 or r395 ( what the diff between the two besides the free flow shut off valve )

so here it is do i get mk 11 r295 or mk 17 r295/r395

p.s only looking at scubapro cause yearly services are free ( minus new Diaphragm) and they seem to have the best after sales support over here

A couple of points:

1. You won't tell much difference, basically none above 500 PSI tank pressure, between the MK2/R295 and the MK11 or 17 with the same 2nd stage. If you want to have noticeably lower breathing resistance, you'll need to upgrade the 2nd stage. The G250V would be an excellent choice, unfortunately it's also more money.

2. You don't need the MK17 for the temps you are talking about, and while the environmental seal could help keep a little corrosion out of the ambient chamber, a good fresh water soak after each dive will do the same.

3. I don't really know the difference between the 295 and 395, but they use the same poppet/seat/lever, so the working part of the reg is the same. Maybe one has a venturi assist adjustment and the other doesn't. That's not too significant.

4. Ignore the advice to get the MK25/S600. That's the most expensive reg SP makes, and while it's a great reg, given you're a student and looking to get value, it's not worth it.

5. Scubapro service is NOT free. The parts are, but that's a small part of the cost and most or all major reg manufacturers offer a similar deal.

Unless you can afford to get a G250V 2nd stage, I'd just get the MK2. It'll work forever and be very inexpensive to maintain. Another option would be to buy the MK11/R395 if it's an excellent deal, then use the R395 as your alternate. You would then buy a used G250, there are lots available, and use that for your primary 2nd stage.

Have fun!

 

[herman]

I would not waste the money on a 11 or 17 if you are still getting a 295/395 second stage, might as well save the extra cash and buy the MK-2 instead. The preformance gain is minmal. Now if you can talk the dealer into selling you a MK-2 with a G250 second stage, that would be the way to go. A little more expensive but you would end up with a less expensive reg that performs well.

 

[hudson]

I'll add my $.02: (I'm essentially duplicating halocline and herman)

There are very specific instances where a regulator upgrade will help. There is no significant inherent performance upgrade to be achieved by simply buying a more expensive regulator.

1) If you are not going very deep to the limits of recreational depths and beyond, any first stage will give you adequate performance. So a MK2 is fine. At depth while air sharing, you may run into issues but I wouldn't worry too much about it (even if you run into that situation you won't be staying at depth long)
2) The breathing performance difference of a properly designed second stage will be mainly the tuning of the cracking pressure. The lower this is set the easier it'll breathe. G250V can almost certainly be tuned finer than a R295/395, but possibly not out of the factory. The adjustment on the second stage is helpful too for when you need to detune it, such as in current or octo use.
3) A metal air barrel such as the G250V will indeed help with any potential drymouth issues.
4) Balanced/unbalanced is generally a non-issue. Increased breathing resistance as you are getting low on air is not necessarily a bad thing.
5) The environmental seal is unnecessary in OW and those temperatures - it could help with corrosion to an extent, but water will find itself into the regulator in other ways, so it's not like it makes cleaning unnecessary.

So to sum up, MK17+G250V, MK2+G250V, MK2+R295/395 in that order would be my preference, but even the cheapest combo will be fine.

 

[batman diver]

I'm going to see if I can maybe get hold of a g250v with the mk2 or the MK 11 , problem is that they don't seem to get them over here , thanks to all for the help , that g250v seems to be the most popular suggestion so I wanna def make a plan ,

 

[Zung]

+1

The G250V is really cool, and it's the current model. The retail price in Europe is about US $350, sales price about $300.

Any old G250 (except the "HP") is just as cool, because it's exactly the same. I've bought a few, used, for about $50-80. Assuming you have it serviced for about $30-40, it's still a great deal.