Scuba Pro R190

[Muzzwezz]

Hi

Im thinking of getting a scuba Pro R190, can you tell, if you have expereince, what its like, if its any good and how it compares with other regs etc.

Thanks
Dom

 

[brucebowker]

The R 190 is similar to most of the non-balanced 2nd stages. Balanced 2nd stages run considerably higher in price and might not be what you need depending on the type of diving you do or plan to do in the future. What first stage will you be using? Scubapro Mk 2 ? Both rock solid units and very easy to repair /service.

Bruce

 

[archman]

I've used an R190 for years in the subtropics and Texas, and it's great! The thing's tough as nails, breathes pretty good, and super-reliable. However it IS a bit on the bulky side... you may want to check out the smaller R380, which I've heard is nothing more than an R190 shoved into a littler housing.

I keep waiting for my R190 to break so I can upgrade to something a bit more compact, but sadly the device keeps disappointing!

 

[rescuediver009]

It is Scubapro's version of the entry level, open port piston regulator. It will most certainly get the job done and serve you well within the recreational diving limits....

 

[Poseidon8118]

Would be a great entry level choice, and is a bulletproof design.

Others in price/performance class:

Oceanic Alpha 7 or 8

Aqua Lung Calypso

Sherwood Magnum

Mares MR12

 

[Muzzwezz]

thanks thats great im sorted

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I've used an R190 for years in the subtropics and Texas, and it's great! The thing's tough as nails, breathes pretty good, and super-reliable. However it IS a bit on the bulky side... you may want to check out the smaller R380, which I've heard is nothing more than an R190 shoved into a littler housing.

The R390 and the R190 use exactly the same poppet assembly and are for all intents and purposes identical except for the size of the case and the diaphragm. In effect when you go from an R190 to an R390 you trade a larger diaphragm (with more surafce area and total force available to activate the lever, making it slightly more sensitive) for a smaller case.

Small cases are considered cool by divers for some reason, probably related to the general idea that miniturized elcetronics like cell phones are a sign of improved technology and are desirable to have. But unlike a cell phone, there is no real advantage in or out of the water to having a smaller second stage.

The marketing departments of reg manufacturers have often cited smaller and lighter second stage as having the benefit of reduced jaw fatigue but like many marketing claims, it is seriously flawed. The weight difference out of the water between the graphite cased R190 and R390 is minimal and the difference is non existant in the water where the "heavier" R190 also displaces more water than the "lighter" R390. With regard to jaw fatigue, correct low pressure hose lenght and mouthpiece design are far more important but are almost never mentioned by the marketing types.

In this regard Scubapro's mouthpiece design is excellent. Correct hose length however is something that can only be determined in the water with your complete equipment setup.

So my advice is to save the extra money and go with the R190. The $84.00 you save will be more than enough to upgrade from a Mk 2 to a Mk 16 first stage as they differ in price by only about $55.00.

The Mk 16 is balanced and offers about twice the flow rate of the non balanced Mk 2. The balanced design ensures a very stable intermediate pressure which consequently negates the primary disadvantage of a non balanced second stage which would other wise have a slightly higher inhalation effort at low tank pressures.

Scubapro does not normally package them this way as it does not fit with their low end, middle, and high end reg package strategy. By trying to force you to "upgrade" to the smaller R390 when you step up to the Mk 16, they make a lot more money without really offerring you any second stage performance advantage. And if you cut out the additional $84 cost of upgrading to the R390, there is little reason to start with the Mk 2 at all. Which means that if SP offerred a Mk 16 R190 package, they would not be able to sell many new divers a MK 2 R190 now and then sell them a Mk 16 R390 later as they start diving deeper.

Consequently, your local dive shop probably won't stock a Mk16 R190 combo but he can order one from Scubapro and have it there in about 10 days. If the dealer is strong on customer service he can also put the combo together for you in the store while you wait by combining MK 16 and R190 stages from his existing stock of Mk 2 R190's and MK 16 R390's and then reassemble the other regs when the MK 16 R190 arrives from Scubapro.

 

[Muzzwezz]

The R390 and the R190 use exactly the same poppet assembly and are for all intents and purposes identical except for the size of the case and the diaphragm. In effect when you go from an R190 to an R390 you trade a larger diaphragm (with more surafce area and total force available to activate the lever, making it slightly more sensitive) for a smaller case.

Small cases are considered cool by divers for some reason, probably related to the general idea that miniturized elcetronics like cell phones are a sign of improved technology and are desirable to have. But unlike a cell phone, there is no real advantage in or out of the water to having a smaller second stage.

The marketing departments of reg manufacturers have often cited smaller and lighter second stage as having the benefit of reduced jaw fatigue but like many marketing claims, it is seriously flawed. The weight difference out of the water between the graphite cased R190 and R390 is minimal and the difference is non existant in the water where the "heavier" R190 also displaces more water than the "lighter" R390. With regard to jaw fatigue, correct low pressure hose lenght and mouthpiece design are far more important but are almost never mentioned by the marketing types.

In this regard Scubapro's mouthpiece design is excellent. Correct hose length however is something that can only be determined in the water with your complete equipment setup.

So my advice is to save the extra money and go with the R190. The $84.00 you save will be more than enough to upgrade from a Mk 2 to a Mk 16 first stage as they differ in price by only about $55.00.

The Mk 16 is balanced and offers about twice the flow rate of the non balanced Mk 2. The balanced design ensures a very stable intermediate pressure which consequently negates the primary disadvantage of a non balanced second stage which would other wise have a slightly higher inhalation effort at low tank pressures.

Scubapro does not normally package them this way as it does not fit with their low end, middle, and high end reg package strategy. By trying to force you to "upgrade" to the smaller R390 when you step up to the Mk 16, they make a lot more money without really offerring you any second stage performance advantage. And if you cut out the additional $84 cost of upgrading to the R390, there is little reason to start with the Mk 2 at all. Which means that if SP offerred a Mk 16 R190 package, they would not be able to sell many new divers a MK 2 R190 now and then sell them a Mk 16 R390 later as they start diving deeper.

Consequently, your local dive shop probably won't stock a Mk16 R190 combo but he can order one from Scubapro and have it there in about 10 days. If the dealer is strong on customer service he can also put the combo together for you in the store while you wait by combining MK 16 and R190 stages from his existing stock of Mk 2 R190's and MK 16 R390's and then reassemble the other regs when the MK 16 R190 arrives from Scubapro.

thanks man, thats great ill go with the 190. very helpful

 

[halocline]

I also have the mk2 R190 combo and it's worked well for me. I have a question for DA Aquamaster: Do you think that an average diver will tell a difference in recreational diving environments between the Mk 2 and Mk 16, at say, 500psi tank pressure and above, and do you think that the Mk 16 is any less reliable than the Mk 2? I bought the Mk 2 because it has a reputation for being simple and bulletproof. How does the diaphragm design Mk 16 compare in that regard? I've thought about upgrading my first stage because of the increased flow rate (although I've been hunting around for a used Mk 10 or 20) but to be honest I've never been in asituation where I felt the Mk 2 was not delivering enough air, and I have not noticed an increase in breathing effort until tank pressure drops below 300psi, at which point I'm typically on the surface or near the end of my safety stop. In fact, my instructor thought it might not be a bad thing to have that increase in breathing effort at low tank pressure; as a reminder to a new diver that it's time to home. (I've never had to use that reminder, but it kind of makes sense to me)

 

[Hank49]

I have had four R190s. Two are made of transparent, blue plastic which I got in Singapore in 1998 and have never seen since. The plastic on the blue models is more brittle and one cracked where the hose threads to the reg housing. (I do all the work on them and if overtightening was the cause it didn't damge the others) The black ones have been "bullet proof" for 7 years now.