MR22 for nitrox and cold water?

[startag]

I need to know for sure if the MR22 can be used for nitrox and cold water diving to near freezing temps (approx 32-36 farenheit) I know this has been answered cause i searched for both of these but the more i searched the more i found conflicting information. Some say it cant be used for nitrox at all where others say it can be converted to use up to 40% EANX.

Ive also heard that the mr22 is a great cold water reg, but then other posts have said that it needs a cold water conversion kit.

The boards provide a wealth of information, yet, at the same time i also find its full of MISinformation. Im no mares tech, im just interested in possibly purchasing one of their products so I have no idea who knows what they're talkin about.

 

[aquaoren]

as far as i know, you can convert it for use for nitrox if you use viton o-rings.
i have a mares mr22 abyss and i love it. dove with it in freezing german lakes, in nova scotia in january between floating ice chunks and now in the great lakes and the reg never even have something similar to a hick up. always delivered the same amount of air either in 5 meters or 50 meters regardless of the temperatures, so i can not confirm that it's no good for cold water. and i don't have a cold water kit.
with a cold water conversion kit you shouldn't waste a second thought about it.
what you will read here will be personal opinions given with or sometimes without previous experience concerning the matter but most of the poster are trying to help.
this is just my opinion.
oren

 

[scubatoys]

For mixes below 40%, you can use any reg in the world - and you don't need to convert anything... The whole Viton o-ring, crystal lube, 02 clean thing is just a way for dive shops to make more money from unsuspecting and uninformed customers. High O2 deco mixes.. rules change... but for recreational nitrox - 32% etc... use any reg without doing anything to it.

As far as the Abyss for itself... it's discontinued now... so you should find it cheap. We had them below $300 - but think we're out of them. It uses a flat seat instead of their better spherical core seat design - but can be converted (about $50) and I know a lot of guys who dive them in cold water with no kit.... Obviously, a true cold water reg like their proton ice would be better...