Need help picking regs

[nomro]

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.

So you don't see any difference between MK11 and MK25 except the hose routing ? They breathe the same ?

 

[Wayward Son]

pretty much. I don't dive cold enough water to worry about freezing.

 

[tight rope walker]

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...

I agree. The co-founders of Atomic, Dean Garraffa, and Doug Toth, both came from sp and added to that company's success. When Dick Bonin, co-founder of sp was forced out by the suits, the company is not the same as it was in the 70's when it seemed like every other day they were inventing something new. That's what happens when you take divers off the payroll. It's also interesting to point out that sp was founded in 1963.

At present I own 3 sp regs
1- mk5 first stage, pilot second
1--mk5 first stage, balanced adjustable second
and 1- mk25 first stage, a700 second. My wife has the mk25 first, and a g250 second.

Initially, my a700 howled at the surface or shallow depths. It has already been refitted with a new diaphragm, and that problem has been solved.

On a recent trip to Cozumel, in 5 days of diving I did 16 dives, evenly split between the a700 and the Pilot. At or towards the end of every dive on the a700, I got dry mouth. Something I have NEVER DONE with a sp reg. This did not happen with the pilot. Nor has it ever happened with the balanced adjustable.

I know people are going to laugh when I say this, but imho, if I were stranded on a desert island, and I could only bring one reg, I would bring the mk5, balanced adjustable. To me they are just bullet proof. At one time I owned 3.

But right now, I would give Atomic a strong look.

 

[Hatul]

I got the Atomic ST1 and find it does not breathe that smoothly. Had it checked by the LDS and no change. I may call Atomic about it, but the breathing resistance goes down in two steps as I inhale, and the cracking pressure seems high.

Adam

 

[Hatul]

I got the Atomic ST1 and find it does not breathe that smoothly. Had it checked by the LDS and no change. I may call Atomic about it, but the breathing resistance goes down in two steps as I inhale, and the cracking pressure seems high.

Adam

sorry about the double posting something went wrong with the software.

 

[Jax]

Please read this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/334532-hog-d1-reg.html

 

[Cougar281]

On a recent trip to Cozumel, in 5 days of diving I did 16 dives, evenly split between the a700 and the Pilot. At or towards the end of every dive on the a700, I got dry mouth. Something I have NEVER DONE with a sp reg. This did not happen with the pilot. Nor has it ever happened with the balanced adjustable.UOTE]

Both diving with the rental regs and my buddy's MK25/S600, I got drymouth at least one dive on each reg set, so even though I've heard it said that you are less likely to get drymouth with a metal reg (such as the A700) than a plastic one, although I won't pretend to understand why, since we're breathing super dry air so I'd rather expect drymouth to be possible, I'd argue that it's possible to get drymouth regardless of the reg if conditions are right .

Aside from the drymouth with the A700, how do you like it?