Old Scubapro Reg - is it worth upgrading it??

[axxel57]

Halocline has it said all!
I collected also twelve SP D...2nds (and convert them to D400s), just to make sure I will never ever have to dive with any inferior 2nd stage model in this life. I dive and work with it more than twenty years, tried quite some other good brands, but the breathing comfort is the best I got to know, especially on deep air dives. Just keep the D400!! Or sell it to me..........

 

[peege]

The D400 and Dseries mainly only negative flaw was the work of exhalation on the breathing loop. If they would have addressed the cover design better (for a future D500 or other psudeo-ly-named) it would have been such a nice upgrade Scubapro could have exploited. What killed a future D450-500 or something was sales volume, not engineering. But, in the end, the Dseries went away, just like the Pilot and Air1 before it and we lost some very nice designs that I hope they return to someday.


The MK15 is still a sweet 1st stage, but its only real issue to me is the size of the ambient ports which could be larger for better rinsing and environmental conditions.

If you were going to upgrade, you'd notice the difference on the breathing, in the exhalation phase of another 2nd stage like the A700 for example, more than noticing any difference on the 1st stage.

 

[Fishpie]

"addressed the cover design".......to loose the scrotum nickname maybe.

 

[halocline]

The D400 and Dseries mainly only negative flaw was the work of exhalation on the breathing loop.

Care to explain? I've certainly never noticed any sort of work of exhalation, and the reg is designed to minimize case fault geometry by centering the exhaust valve on the diaphragm.

 

[Texfrazer]

As other have said, the D series is the pinacle of engineered design for regulators for work of breathing while still maintaining a reg that was serviceable by competent technicians (the pilot breathed better, but you had to be a really good tech to tune them properly).

Keep the D400 (or send it to me for proper usage! )

 

[peege]

Care to explain? I've certainly never noticed any sort of work of exhalation, and the reg is designed to minimize case fault geometry by centering the exhaust valve on the diaphragm.

The work of breathing went too high on the ansti machine, hense, they couldnt get additional (updated) CE approval for it that and killed the sales, etc. While I own 3 D400's, you can certainly feel the difference on the exhalation resistence when you compare it to the G250, S600 and A700 for example. The area between the exhaust diaphram and the cover is very small, so the bubble has to squeeze around that to get to side vents, there was where the resistence hit higher.

Great reg all the same, especially the earlier versions of the D400 but had its pitfalls like any product.

 

[peege]

"addressed the cover design".......to loose the scrotum nickname maybe.

Fishpie, not sure what you mean. Might be just kidding around.
.. But keep in mind, the later you are referring to (I'm assuming the X650 as pre the nickname) is a completely different design altogether being a balanced chamber and not a co-axial design like the Dseries. The cover change reference was explained more in my response to halocline.

 

[axxel57]

Peege, very interesting, so I will do my deep dives in future without the cover...........

 

[peege]

Peege, very interesting, so I will do my deep dives in future without the cover...........

I wont recommend it, you would expose the exhaust diaphram to unsealing if you were involved in current, turning your head, etc. and which could result in a likely unpleasant or unsafe situation.

There's something else you can do, but I wont say as I cant suggest someone modifying what could be as their life support. I'm sure, the regulator breathes just fine for you the way it is..... enjoy your dives, stay safe.

 

[Zung]

.. There's something else you can do, but I wont say as I cant suggest someone modifying what could be as their life support...

Hey, that got me interested. Since I don't own one, you won't have my death on your conscience. Pls wisper in my ear what it is. It's just curiosity.