Scubapro C300 - The good / The bad ?

[Flycaster]

Does anyone out there dive a C300 for their main secondary?
Looking into one of these as the price point is right and it's got the adjustable venture lever.
Trying to put together a decent set-up for my wife who may dive 3-4 times a year.
I have a Mint, serviced Mk20, and a unused R190 for an octo.

 

[ams511]

I have never used one so I cannot give you a first-hand opinion. You can do a search on SB for the regulator. The regulator was designed primarily for the European market where divers prefer unbalanced second stages. They tried to market it in the US both as a Scubapro and then latter as a Subgear product but it never really caught on. My understanding is that there was a revision done to it so if purchasing used make sure it was updated. From what I remember when it came out people said it was fine but not as good as an S600 or G250V.

 

[rsingler]

The C300-350 series is one of the most underrated unbalanced second stages around. Gear work of breathing and the redesigned lever has less friction than most balanced regs. VERY easy to service.
Most important, the poppet is unique in that air doesn't flow around the spring.
Grab it!

I think it got bad press because inside, the lever looks just a little like the old disastrous X650. Not the same at all, in fact. Great design for an unbalanced, bulletproof second stage.

 

[Couv]

The C300-350 series is one of the most underrated unbalanced second stages around.

Dr., help me feel better about this regulator. Talk slowly, as I only have the parts diagram to go off of, but I don't necessarily like what I see.

Great work of breathing and the redesigned lever has less friction than most balanced regs.

^^ This helps, but why put a top hat seat rather than a get-anywhere-puck seat on an unbalanced valve? Next on my list is the orifice. Is it forwardly and backwardly compatible for previous SP second stages.

the poppet is unique in that air doesn't flow around the spring.

Again, only looking at the diagram, how does this design differ that much from say a 109? In a 109/BA/G250 the spring and balance chamber may see some external pneumatic pressure, but the majority of gas goes past the open seat then, with little restriction from the poppet assembly, out the air barrel toward the mouthpiece.

And, (if you'll pardon my starting a sentence with a conjunction) all that monkey motion. To do what? Divert/lessen the flow out of the barrel for a semblance of Venturi effect? What's wrong with the one piece flow vane design?

TIA,

Couv

 

[ams511]

why put a top hat seat rather than a get-anywhere-puck seat on an unbalanced valve?

Probably because they wanted to make it balanced at some point. The new C370 is now balanced. I have not seen the schematic, can you tell me where to find it?

 

[Jonn]

I dive a Mk11 with a C300, and they have not ever given me any trouble. Being mostly plastic it's fairly light, and it's good quality plastic that has held up well under some hard service. I don't have that much experience with other regs, but I can certainly recommend it!

 

[halocline]

Again, only looking at the diagram, how does this design differ that much from say a 109?

One difference I notice is the weird lever arrangement that runs perpendicular to the air barrel. I think that's from the X650, in fact, the C300 design seems to resemble the X650 overall more than the 109. Not being familiar with either of these regs, I'll gladly defer to rsingler's opinion that they're quite a bit different.

 

[Couv]

Rob mentions the air not flowing over the spring. I didn't think the previous barrel poppet designs that was much of a factor either. However, I just looked at the cutaway pictures and indeed the older designs have the gas flowing over the spring before exiting the air barrel. So there might be something to it.

 

[rsingler]

Not ignoring you guys. Off at a food convention with my lady (she's a food scientist). Will reply soon.

 

[Couv]

Off at a food convention

Have fun, and please bring us back each a plate.