G250 HP vs S550

[jeferpat]

Hi all,

I'm new to both scuba diving and this forum. I'm getting ready to purchase my 1st and 2nd stage regulators. For the 1st stage I'm getting the mk25, but for the 2nd I'm undecided between the G250 HP and the S550. What are the major advantages/disadvanges between the two? The guy at the LDS says the G250 is old technology and is way bigger than the S550. If this is true why is the G250 more expensive than the S550? Is it worth the cost to upgrade to the S600 or X650? I thank you in advance for your replies.

 

[cnctina]

buy the mk2-190 and spend all the money you save on a dive trip.

 

[halocline]

It never fails to amaze me what salesmen will say....

I'm pretty sure you'll find most people on this forum in favor of the G250; you could do a search for posts by DA aquamaster about scubapro 2nd stages and you'll get the specifics. OTOH, either one of these would be more than adequate.

I would kind of second the MK2 R190 suggestion if you're just getting into diving. It's ultra reliable, plenty of performance for recreational diving, and it has the added advantage of undoubtedly frustrating the "informative" salesman at your LDS who is pushing the expensive reg at you for questionable reasons.

 

[Squeaky]

I wanted the smaller reg and for me, my wife and 2 daughters, it was the right decision. They are great regs and will last forever. The decision to get the 550 vs the 600, well the 600 has an extra control knob and most I talked to said they leave it wide open anyway and to use it to "de-tune" ment you probably needed to service it. Again for me and my family less control (knobs) was better.
If you plan on traveling a lot for your diving, seriously consider getting the new aluminum alloy MK25. Not that much more, much lighter and very nice.

Rich

 

[kidspot]

personally I like the S550EX... Canon that is ...

(sorry camera shopping on the brain at the moment)

 

[realdiver7]

The G250 HP is definitely a workhorse and a great reg. It has a larger diaphram, which equates to a greater surface area for water pressure to act upon to start the initial inhalation process. This is suppose to contribute towards reduced inhalation effort. It is my understanding that regs with smaller housings and diaphrams are tweaked mechanically internally with different levers, poppet designs, air passages, etc. in order to accomplish the same desired results. In other words, older designs = more simple, and newer designs = not as simple, but hopefully with comparable (or better depending on the reg) performance. Please take note...with regs, newer may not always be better. Check them all out.

Many divers buy the S550 because it's smaller and may reduce jaw fatigue. Please note I said "may." Some like the S600 because of the adjustment knob option, although once the knob is set, many divers don't constantly readjust it. With the S600, the diver can make it breathe as easily or not so easily as desired.

I have used the G250 HP on occasion, but have never used the S550. I have more experience with the S600, so that is the only one I can speak about from real experience. I was very pleased with it's performance and size.

Regarding the X650, I have owned two of them in the past, but was not very impressed. There have been factory upgrades to the X650, but in my opinion, I still don't think they've got it right. It is based on the older D300/D350/D400 series reg designs, which are top-notch performers, and which are the ones I currently dive with. The basic design of the X650 is a good one, with good intentions, but I think there is still some work to be done.

Some people will argue that the reg they use is the very best, but you may just want to rent different ones before you buy. As mentioned above, try a search on regulator threads that were posted by DA Aquamaster. He is a very knowledgable Scubapro technician who can give you many angles to consider, from history of regs, to use and serviceability.

Regardless of your decision, I don't think you will go wrong with Scubapro's time-proven and bullet-proof regs. I think the MK25 is a great choice as a 1st stage, so you're already on your way to owning a great reg set.

Good luck!

 

[redacted]

Hi all,

I'm new to both scuba diving and this forum. I'm getting ready to purchase my 1st and 2nd stage regulators. For the 1st stage I'm getting the mk25, but for the 2nd I'm undecided between the G250 HP and the S550. What are the major advantages/disadvanges between the two? The guy at the LDS says the G250 is old technology and is way bigger than the S550. If this is true why is the G250 more expensive than the S550? Is it worth the cost to upgrade to the S600 or X650? I thank you in advance for your replies.

Yes, the G250HP is a bit bigger; but the insides (technology) is the exact same as inside the S600. All 3 use the same service kit sharing many of the parts that make it perform well. The S550 lacks the seat saver feature that both the 250 & 600 share. This will let the LP seat last longer without taking a set that will detract from performance or cause freeflow. The difference in weight will not be noticable in the water. Many claim the larger reg performs a bit better because of the larger diaphram. If so, I can't tell.

I'd want to hear the LDS's explaination of the "old technology" BS before I'd spend any money with them. Where ever you get it, I'd go with the 250. But I'm a donosaur who retired my S600 so I could use old SP metal 2nds which also use the same service kits and similar technology,

 

[MrConclusion]

I have aG250HP and my brother has a S550. Both of us have used both of the regulators. I will tell you which differences that have occurred to me:

The G250 has a hard front shell with a purge button. The S550 has a soft cover you mash down to purge. I like the well-defined button, but the soft cover works just fine.

The G250 can be locked down during storage to prevent engraving (wearing) the valve. By brother's S550 valve hasn't worn out yet, though. The anti-wear lock down just makes me feel like I'm doing something.

The G250 has a tuning knob, which might be nice on a deep dive to possibly stop a mild free flow problem. This would make the G250 better as a backup reg. for tech diving, and indeed some tech divers favor the G250 when considering ScubaPro.

The S550 is probably more stylish.

The S550 is smaller, and no tuning knob to "worry" about or accidentally set wrong.

These regulators are both so light that the jaw fatigue, if any, comes from the weight/drag/resistance of the low pressure hose.

The G250 is supposedly better at extreme depths, but I haven't tried it.

 

[scubadivernick]

Old technology that is still around = works well

I have a slightly used MK25UL/250 that I am looking to sell, if you are interested. The Ultra light Mk25 was left over stock at my LDS, the set has 30-35 dives on it. They are well maintained, 250 has some cosmetic scratches on the face plate (but that can be replaced for like $12 I think). I am asking $275 including UPS 3 day to anywhere in continental US. If you don't trust your LDS, don't buy from them. I will even have it serviced by my guy (who is a genious) before I send it if you would like.