Opinion on scubapro reg

[Stijn]

Hi

I am planning to buy a new reg and have been doing some surfing on the scubapro website. I have a scubapro shop nearby and can easily get spare parts as opposed to other brands.

Does anyone have experience with any of these?

First stages MK25 SA, MK 25

Second stages S600, S600 CLASSIC, X650

Thanks

 

[Vie]

I (and recently my gf) haved used a MK20/S600 for four years with no problems (the discontinued MK20 is very similar to the MK25). I’ve read that the MK20/25/S600 combination is disliked by some for coldwater diving—I’ve never dived anywhere colder than 16 degrees Centigrade so I cannot comment. Scubapro claims advantages for the S600 Classic for cold water use—I see that you are living in Indonesia, so if you want a S600 Classic, you might end up paying slightly more than for a regular S600 just for the shiny looks. There were were some problems/issues with the early X650s—have no idea if they have been resolved in Asia; Scubapro did release an upgrade kit.

Have you considered a MK25/G250? A G250 is bigger than an S600, but will work just as well (internally, they are pretty much identical), has a solid reputation, and might be slightly cheaper.

 

[JustinW]

There is a thread about the x650, find it and you will have plenty of info.
S600, awesome reg, pretty much sets the standard out there
MK25 first stage, delivers lots of air with no problems, also an awesome first stage

As far as the MK25SA, its a waste of money, as is the titanium version.

Think about it, you spend an extra $150-600 for a lighter weight first stage (the standard isn't that heavy anyhow) and then have to pack it right back on with extra lead. I say save the money and subtract a few ounces of lead from your setup. Don't get me wrong, they are also great pieces of equipment, but they don't work any better and they are a hell of a lot more money.

MHO on the X650, this regulator has gone through revision and revision and recall etc. It isn't as common as the S600 and will likely be replaced with another version before the S600 does. Still a great piece of equipment, but most shops I have seen sell many times more S600 setups than the X650 setups. My guess would be that these shops are likely going to have parts on hand, and if you have a problem on a trip, you are much more likely to have a resort shop carry parts for the S-600.

Scubapro, stands behind their product, is large enough to not be gone tomorrow and backs their product up with awesome warranties and the lifetime free replacement part program for your regular maintenence.

the Classic, we don't have that one in the "States"

 

[Vie]

There is a thread about the x650, find it and you will have plenty of info.

http://www.scubaboard.com/t42931-x650.html

Scubapro, stands behind their product, is large enough to not be gone tomorrow and backs their product up with awesome warranties and the lifetime free replacement part program for your regular maintenence.

Very true. I bought my MK20/S600 in Thailand but ended up living in Rhode Island for a while. I needed to have my reg serviced and was told by the LDS that I needed a Scubapro Original Owner Identification Card to get the free parts; the cards are not given out when one buys a Scubapro product in SE Asia. I called Scubapro USA and they sent me two cards (for my MK20/S600 and my octopus) straight away. Great customer service.

 

[oversea]

beware of the LDS scubapro rhetoric!!!! I've got the s600/mk25/r390 and air2. All work nicely.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The Mk 25 is a great reg overall. My only caution would be to not pair it with the S600 second stage if you ever plan on diving in water colder than about 40 degrees Farenheit / 5 degrees C.

I would also second the comment about considering a G250 over an S600. Internally they use exactly the same parts and the primary difference is the size of the case and the size fo the diaphragm. And in truth the larger diaphragm in the G250 offers some mechancial advantages so it makes no sense to spend more money for an S600 when a G250 will do everything as well and in some cases better. The G250 is certainly a better cold water reg than the S600.

I have used an X650 and have not been impressed with it compared to the D400 it replaced. But I have recently managed to get it tuned to where it offers comparable performance to the G250 and S600. It is a very good cold water second stage, but I would recommend the G250 over the X650 as the X650 is not worth the extra money. I will also second the comment that parts availability for a G250 or S600 will be better than it will be for an X650 as the G250, G550 and S600 all share the same S-wing poppet while the X650 uses a shorter version of this poppet. However to be fair, the seats that goes in both poppets and the o-rings that seal the poppets are identical and could be scavenged from an S600/G250 annual service kit in an emergency. Given that poppet replacement in all of these second stages is normally a preventive measure rather than one required due to wear, you could certainly get by with reusing your poppet if service were required during a trip where time was a factor.

I would agree the titanium Mk 25 T is a waste of money and is not significantly different in weight than the Mk 25 SA. And to add insult to injury the Mk 25 T imposes limits on nitrox use. The stainless steel and aluminum Mk 25 SA is a vast improvement over the all aluminum MK 20 UL and like the Mk 25 T weighs only slightly more than the discontinued Mk 20 UL. It is a bit more expensive than the standard chrome plated brass Mk 25 but it is nowhere near the cost of the Mk 25 T and may be worth the extra money if you travel extensively and worry about airline weight restrictions, particularly on smaller commuter flights.

The standard chrome plated brass Mk 25 is hard to beat if you plan on doing nitrox, advanced nitrox or technical diving with higher percentaged of O2 as when properly cleaned and serviced, the brass Mk 25 is compatible with O2 mixes up to 100% O2 at 3500 psi.

I am not sure what you are lookign at price wise, but through a US dealer you save about $50 buying a G250 instead of an S600. So if you were to do that and custom order a G250 second stage with a Mk 25 SA, you'd only be paying about $100 more than you would for a MK 25 S600. So for the extra $100 you would get better cold water performance and a light weight reg better suited to travel. Any SP dealer should be able to get a Mk 25 SA /G250 combination from SP in a week to 10 days. An exceptional dealer will just put one together for you in the shop while you wait.

 

[redacted]

The G250 is certainly a better cold water reg than the S600.

DA - Why is the G250 (I assume we are talking the current HP version) cold water freezing characteristics any different than the S600. Are we not looking at the exact same materials and design in the vicinity of the orifice & LP seat?

 

[SoCalOffshore]

arguably the best regs made.

 

[Shiprekd]

The G250 is definately their money maker. My first reg was a D400 and MK10 (which I still have) but now use the MK25/S600 for almost exclusively. The titanium version is IMHO a waste of money.

The MK25 takes the repair kit of the MK20 and the S600 takes the repair kit of the G250 - Go figure....

 

[Hoosier]

Are you kidding? SP issued the warranty card for the item that was purchased in SE Asia? Great, I thought the free part program is only applied to U.S. market reg.
So, how did you prove that you bought it from the authorized dealer in Thailand?

http://www.scubaboard.com/t42931-x650.html
Very true. I bought my MK20/S600 in Thailand but ended up living in Rhode Island for a while. I needed to have my reg serviced and was told by the LDS that I needed a Scubapro Original Owner Identification Card to get the free parts; the cards are not given out when one buys a Scubapro product in SE Asia. I called Scubapro USA and they sent me two cards (for my MK20/S600 and my octopus) straight away. Great customer service.