Fingers crossed on this deal

[Thunder Struck]

Cool beans. Will have to experiment and play with it. Be nice to get this old gear wet again if it’s still serviceable. I’m thinking I’ll swap the Air 2 out for a regular power inflator/octo.

The reg set I’ll probably setup for my daughter. Take the R095 octo from my current setup and put it on hers. For mine I want to try going to a long hose primary (Mk25Evo/G260) and will pickup an R195 for the secondary. Unless a screaming deal comes up on another mo’ bettah reg.

And according to the serial number the G250 was manufactured in 1992.

 

[Thunder Struck]

LOL, it does not pop open. You just think it does when playing with it in your hands. When it is properly tightened around a round tank, it is EXTREMELY secure.

As for changing for different tank sizes- it is not THAT big of a deal. Way, way better than a plastic buckle on a normal cam band.

I got to playing with it and found that it is is pretty secure. It's not too difficult to resize between tanks, but certainly not as easy as a standard cam band. Looking forward to diving this at some point.

So much excitement and you manage three crap photos

I posted a bunch of pics of the BC here.


Otherwise, here's the BC along with the 3rd gen Air2 and official Scubapro whistle:

I'm going to pull the Air2 for now and put a standard power inflator on it. Not a real big fan of the Air2/Airsource regs.

The regulator set I just got back from service. I had the regs serviced and the G250 no longer leaks air when the adjustment knob is dialed in. Tech said it was pristine inside. Replaced all the hoses, opting for a Miflex for the SPG. I opted to go with running the SPG naked and ditched the console. The depth gauge, unfortunately, did not age well. The adhesive used was past it's prime and upon removing it from the console the front lens came off. No worries as I wasn't planning on using it anyway. Kept the old green Scubapro hose protectors.

Now just to tie a bolt snap onto the SPG. I'll pull the R095 octo from my Mk25Evo/G260 setup which I'll replace it with a black R195 which I got on order at my LDS. I think I'm coming down with a case of lackascubaitis so I'm skipping work Tuesday and will try diving it back-to-back with my G260 setup to see how it compares.

 

[CT-Rich]

I got to playing with it and found that it is is pretty secure. It's not too difficult to resize between tanks, but certainly not as easy as a standard cam band. Looking forward to diving this at some point.





I posted a bunch of pics of the BC here.


Otherwise, here's the BC along with the 3rd gen Air2 and official Scubapro whistle:

View attachment 684761

I'm going to pull the Air2 for now and put a standard power inflator on it. Not a real big fan of the Air2/Airsource regs.

The regulator set I just got back from service. I had the regs serviced and the G250 no longer leaks air when the adjustment knob is dialed in. Tech said it was pristine inside. Replaced all the hoses, opting for a Miflex for the SPG. I opted to go with running the SPG naked and ditched the console. The depth gauge, unfortunately, did not age well. The adhesive used was past it's prime and upon removing it from the console the front lens came off. No worries as I wasn't planning on using it anyway. Kept the old green Scubapro hose protectors.

View attachment 684762

Now just to tie a bolt snap onto the SPG. I'll pull the R095 octo from my Mk25Evo/G260 setup which I'll replace it with a black R195 which I got on order at my LDS. I think I'm coming down with a case of lackascubaitis so I'm skipping work Tuesday and will try diving it back-to-back with my G260 setup to see how it compares.

The BCD looks very dated. There has been a lot of evolution in BCDs in the last 30 years. It is probably usable, but the replacement of the LP inflator may cost more than the BCD is worth. It doesn’t have weight integration and it either will fit or not. You might want to keep the cam band and ditch the rest.

 

[johndiver999]

If that BC does not leak it should work fine. You will learn to use the pull dump on the other side quickly. Who needs integrated weights? Use a rubber weight belt and you will be fine. One potential issue with the BC is that it is not adjustable - at least the shoulders are not. If it fits tight with a 3 mm suit, it might be too tight with a 7 mm for comfort.

If it is a tad bit loose (which is better than too tight), you can VERY easily rig a crotch strap and this gives those types of BC extremely good stability. That is what I generally do.

If you really want to play around with it, replace the nylon waist belt with an elastic freedive belt. That will improve comfort and fit.

 

[CT-Rich]

The down side of these early jacket BCs was the air pooled in your shoulders. When you were at the surface, you were suspended by your armpits. To avoid it, you would need a crotch strap. The thing I hated about crotch straps was you need to be in the BC and tank before you put on your weight belt (you need to be sure your belt will clear your harness in an emergency ditch or so you can hand it off to a dive boat).

I also don’t think this BC has a butt dump on it either. The reg set is very solid quality and you did well base on that alone. The tank will depend on wether you find a shop that will fill it for you. There are probably BCDs that are 20 years newer and in great shape for a small investment. You can dive that one or keep it for working in the pool, but I am not recommending spending money on it.

 

[Thunder Struck]

If it is a tad bit loose (which is better than too tight), you can VERY easily rig a crotch strap and this gives those types of BC extremely good stability. That is what I generally do.

If you really want to play around with it, replace the nylon waist belt with an elastic freedive belt. That will improve comfort and fit.

I was looking at it and thinking, "Ya know, I could probably rig a crotch strap on this." Ever since I started diving a BP/W I've come to the conclusion that every BC should have a crotch strap to keep it from riding up.

Fit of the BC overall is fine.

The down side of these early jacket BCs was the air pooled in your shoulders. When you were at the surface, you were suspended by your armpits. To avoid it, you would need a crotch strap. The thing I hated about crotch straps was you need to be in the BC and tank before you put on your weight belt (you need to be sure your belt will clear your harness in an emergency ditch or so you can hand it off to a dive boat).

I also don’t think this BC has a butt dump on it either. The reg set is very solid quality and you did well base on that alone. The tank will depend on wether you find a shop that will fill it for you. There are probably BCDs that are 20 years newer and in great shape for a small investment. You can dive that one or keep it for working in the pool, but I am not recommending spending money on it.

I started diving in 99 with a jacket BC (US Divers Calypso) and weight belt. It had a velcro cummerbund which while convenient, wasn't super secure and had limited adjustability. It was basically a price-point BC but I logged a bunch of dives and was hell on scallops on the Channel Islands with it.

I actually prefer a weight belt, especially with colder waters and heavier weights, as it takes the weight off the BC and puts it on the hips. I would throw on a 20+# weight belt and wouldn't think twice about it. Slide into the BC and off I'd go.

This "new" BC doesn't have a kidney dump and does trap air. But knowing that I can work with it. Just playing around in my pool with it I've found its not as comfortable as my BP/W, but it's functional. I'll certainly keep it as a pool BC, and I'm sure I'll dive it OW at some point either in the lake or along the river, just for fun.

As for the tank: It is currently off in hydro. The shop did a viz before sending it off and there wasn't anything out of sorts.

 

[Thunder Struck]

Tanked passed hydro. Sitting at 3000 psi and waiting for the weekend.



Dive the reg today and it performed flawlessly. Dove the Mk25Evo/G260 first then the Ml10/G250 on the second. Didnt seem to breathe any different different than the G260. Mouthpiece was one of the simple small style and needs to be changed but it performed great.

Here’s some pics the tech took on teardown of the reg. Had the original grease packed around the spring still.

 

[Angelo Farina]

I think you have got great deal, this old Scubapro gear was designed for lasting indefinitely.
I would suggest to install a new S-wing poppet in your second stage, and dismount, lubricate and remount all the parts of both first and second stage.
I would not replace the Air2, it is a great ADDITIONAL device. It cannot be considered a substitute of a good secondary air source, in the name of another identical G250, but having it on your BCD can solve some issues, and if it works flawlessly, I see no reason to replace it with a sub-par quality power injector.
As others have said, the BCD band with stainless steel closing hook is the best ever built, I also have a very similar one (a Coltri imitation of the original Scubapro you have got), and I see no reason for replacing it with a crap plastic+velcro band.
The AL80 tank is too small for my normal dives, but it could fine for my wife, who breaths much less air than me...
From the photo it is not clear if the valve has the DIN option (unscrewing the hex nut). If it has, I would definitely convert the reg to DIN, the Scubapro Universal DIN adapter is very cheap (less than 40 eur here) and you can mount it in a couple of minutes. If the tank is yoke-only, for switching to DIN you should replace the whole valve, which could be a bit too expensive.

 

[Thunder Struck]

Thanks. The shop installed the current poppet as part of the service I had done. New hoses added to the expense. Even though they weren’t leaking, as old as they were it’s a minor expense va what it would cost if they failed. Especially considering this is going to be a regulator set for my kid.

As the the valve on the tank, it’s a standard yoke valve. Tank was made in 1992 which probably predates the pro-valve. On its next viz I’ll probably replace it with a pro valve as I was looking at putting a DIN conversion on my reg. I found with my BP/W setup the valve sits out of my way that should I need to use a conversion it should be out of the way.

 

[mictrik]

Thanks. The shop installed the current poppet as part of the service I had done. New hoses added to the expense. Even though they weren’t leaking, as old as they were it’s a minor expense va what it would cost if they failed. Especially considering this is going to be a regulator set for my kid.

As the the valve on the tank, it’s a standard yoke valve. Tank was made in 1992 which probably predates the pro-valve. On its next viz I’ll probably replace it with a pro valve as I was looking at putting a DIN conversion on my reg. I found with my BP/W setup the valve sits out of my way that should I need to use a conversion it should be out of the way.

Great last generation MK-10 with large holes and SPEC boot groove. The G250 speaks for itself. The 3rd generation AIR2 may be best one, certainly keep it on as it's essentially the same as the 4th gen but with a metal orifice. The stabilizer Jacket is still sold in a new incarnation with weight integration. The air cell is free to travel around the shoulders. This is a feature that I believe was protected by patent. The design allows for very secure surface floating and is supposed to provide very good stability in all positions because the air bubble is very free to travel around the jacket. Fill and empty the jacket before you dive to exercise the bladder seemed to ensure easier dumping. The plastic bits you are referring to i think are the triangle attachments. On your model year they are crap, few used them, you can attach D-rings to the BC's waist belt. Your model is however a double black and that boasted a thicker inner liner then the other stabilizer models, it was their top of the line. I think the others were called Finseals.