Need help picking regs

[Cougar281]

I finally got my Open water certification after five years of wanting to do it. Now I need to start getting gear. First on my list are the regulators. I'm going with Scubapro and I've been eying the Mk17 & Mk25 first stage and the S600 & A700 second stages.

So far, I've used a rental Mk11 & R395 which wasn't bad.
I've also used my friends "old" regs, a Mk25 & S550 (I think the second stage was a S550). That was also pretty good. He says his Mk25 & S600 is even better than his old regs.

For the first stage, I've been told that the (breathing) difference between the Mk17 & Mk25 regs would not be noticable. From what I gather on the designs, the Mk25 is an "open" piston design, where the Mk17 is a sealed diaphram design. The Mk25 also has a few more ports. Due to the sealed design of the Mk17, I'm leaning that way for the first stage.

For the second stage, my friend loves his S600, so I don't think I could go wrong with that, but I've also read that the A700 is a superb second stage.

It doesn't really matter for the selection of the first and second stage regs, but I'm going to end up with an Air2 on my BC.

Does anyone have any thoughts/suggestions to help me decide which combo to go with?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[tstormdiver]

I use the MK 25/S600,.... in fact I have 5 of them. 2 for double cylinders, 2 recreational set ups & 1 for a stage bottle. They do fine for me, but there are some things you should take into consideration. I saw on your profile that you are from the St. Louis area. Depending on what kind of diving you are planning to do, If you are going to strictly be a warm water vacation diver then any of the combinations will work fine for you. However, if you plan to dive locally (which can be cold waters) the MK 25/S600 is not considered to be one of the best cold water regulators around. They are high performance regulators & move a lot of air, which can lead them to freezing up & free flowing. That said, I have over 300 dives in the local quarry (year round & deep= cold) & to date have only had 1 freeze- up. That was sort of a fluke, as I accidentally tapped the purge button doing a valve drill (the regs were on double cylinders). I am fine with using the MK25/S600 in colder waters, but I keep in mind that a free flow can occur at any time & I prepare for it. I also watch my breathing patterns very closely & how I use my inflators when in cold water. I have heard the MK 17's tend to be a little better for colder waters, but have never used one. I have also never used the A700, so can't say much about that. Anyway, a little food for thought there.

 

[Cougar281]

I'll probably never see near freezing temps, but there will be a lot of "cold water" quarry diving, especially for now so I can get bottom time and get my buoyancy and breathing figured out, so having a good reg set that's rated for freezing temps is not a bad idea. Near as I can tell, all of Scubapro's regulators are certified for cold water use (although some may certainly be better than others).

 

[meierdierck]

I have 3 sets of MK 25/S600, never had a freeze on any of them, and we dive tahoe & monterey all year. A great setup, esp if your LDS can service because I think you still get free parts for the yearly service, a very sweet deal.
That being said, you need to consider where you dive most and the year round conditions there, and what your LDS is a dealer for, because they will most likely do your maintanance,

 

[Scott L]

I would still give Atomic a strong look. Designed to require servicing every two years instead of one. For as long as SP has producing regulators you would think they could accomplish the same. I am tired of paying for their lack of R & D...

 

[Cougar281]

I would still give Atomic a strong look. Designed to require servicing every two years instead of one. For as long as SP has producing regulators you would think they could accomplish the same. I am tired of paying for their lack of R & D...

Well, it would appear that neither of my LDS carry Atomic, so that pretty much rules them out for me. I'd rather have equipment that I can buy at my local shop and bring to them for service. SP still has the lifetime parts as long as it's serviced every year, so as long as that's done, you only pay the labor and end up with a "like new" reg every year. That really doesn't bother me . Personally, I'd say annual servicing is not a bad idea, considering this stuff is keeping us alive under water.... JMO, YMMV.

 

[Tortuga68]

It doesn't really matter for the selection of the first and second stage regs, but I'm going to end up with an Air2 on my BC

/cough

Why?

 

[Scott L]

Well, it would appear that neither of my LDS carry Atomic, so that pretty much rules them out for me. I'd rather have equipment that I can buy at my local shop and bring to them for service. SP still has the lifetime parts as long as it's serviced every year, so as long as that's done, you only pay the labor and end up with a "like new" reg every year. That really doesn't bother me . Personally, I'd say annual servicing is not a bad idea, considering this stuff is keeping us alive under water.... JMO, YMMV.

The LDS issue would certainly tip the scales in SP favor. I have two 12 year old MK20/S600 sets that still look brand new...

Like the poster above, I would re-think the Air2 acquisition. The disadvantages overwhelmingly out-way any perceived benefits..

 

[Cougar281]

Would you guys care to enlighten me to the "disadvantages that overwhelmingly out-way any perceived benefits"?

 

[Wayward Son]

I prefer the hose routing on my 25 over that on my wife's 11, which is the same as a 17.

But I prefer a tech style routing, with my primary on a 5' hose routed under my right arm & my octo on a short hose over my right shoulder & bungeed on my neck.