Help needed buying my first regulator...

[ams511]

The Mk25/S600 are both balanced while the MK2/R295 is not. The Subgear Cayman would be an good choice.

 

[halocline]

I can't seem to figure out what is the main difference between MK25/S600 and Mk2 plus/R295, I'm also buying my first gear, Don't want to spend too much it's might be thing I need, but at the same time I don't want to buy something cheaper just because it's cheaper.

Thank you in advance.

My first regulator was a MK2/R190, very similar to the R295. It works absolutely fine in essentially any recreational condition. The MK25/S600 will breathe noticeably smoother, especially at extreme depth (more than, say, 150 ft) and will breathe pretty much the same right down to the last bit of air in the tank, where the MK2/R295 will start to increase in breathing effort at about 400PSI or so.

If you're just starting out, I'd get the MK2. I don't think I'd buy a MK25/S600 at all; to me there are other high performance choices that would appeal to me more, mostly used regs that are not available new any more. But that's a personal choice. Bottom line, either one will work well. The balanced/unbalanced bit is typically misunderstood and frequently mis-explained, especially by salesmen who really want you to buy the higher end reg. They make A LOT more money on the deal. There are good explanations of what a balanced reg is on this forum if you search.