Scubapro D300 upgrade to S600 or A700 Query

[craydive]

Hi,
New to the forum but learnt to dive many years ago. Kids came along and diving stopped. Have just got back into diving again after a great dive trip in Indoneasia where I found my love for diving again. I had to purchase a new BCD, as some how my original scubapro vest had shrunk (maybe I might have put on extra corkage over the years). I purchased a scubapro force BCD.

Anyway, I took my reg, a scubapro balanced piston (I don't know the model) and a scubapro D300 second stage, as the whole reg had been serviced a while back, and seemed to be working fine, and I had dived with this reg for many years, with the utmost reliability and breathability. The reg worked really well. I did notice though the exhaust valve rubber was leaving a black mark on my chin after the dives. The rubber must be perishing, however it is just surface stuff, as there are no cracks or other signs of the rubber perishing.

I am wondering with the parts being harder to get, ie the exhaust valve rubber is no longer available from Scubapro Australia, is it time for me to stump up some cash and get another reg. Service kits seem to still be available though.

My question is whether either a scubapro s600, or a A700 second stage will be as nice to breath out of as the D300. I am not able to try out the s600 or A700 before I buy. I am leaning towards the s600, but I thought I would ask. No fussed about cold water diving, although having said that, I might venture back into cave diving again, and that is cold water diving here in Australia.

Things like dryness, and easy of starting the breath, and the maintaining of the breath are really what I am trying to decern between the new regs and the D300. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[buddhasummer]

I doubt either will breathe as nice as your D300. I've just recently started diving one and it is without a doubt the nicest breather of any reg I own or have owned, no question and I've owned or own various "flagship" regs.

 

[johnnywulff]

The D series has a different case geometry, there aren't no difference presure between the diaphragm and exhaust valve, so the cracking effort is the lowest can get, so is the naturally breathing you will find in any regulator.

 

[RyanT]

Both regs you are considering will be nice breathers. As others have mentioned though, neither will ever breathe as good as your D300. I have regs from Hollis, Atomic, and ScubaPro. They are all nice regulators, but none of them can touch my now retired D350.

 

[halocline]

It is true that SP will no longer supply many parts for the D series regulators, but that's not the only place you can get parts. I have a few spare parts for those regs. By 'exhaust valve rubber' I assume you mean the big rubber purge cover. I don't have one of those, but if yours is disintegrating the easiest thing to do would be to just get a used D300 and use it for spare parts. You can probably find one for $50-75 and you then have a complete extra set of parts.

In terms of performance there really is no upgrade from the D series, unless you go backwards in time to the pilot, and even that is a bit subjective. There are newer regulators that have lower WOB numbers on test machines but that does not translate into 'better' dive-ability. It might just mean there is a lot of annoying venturi assist and oversize exhaust valves.

You probably have a MK10 or MK15 first stage; both are great, reliable performers that you could take to the andrea doria (many divers have).

 

[redacted]

A coat or two of rubber cement may extend the life of that cover.

 

[craydive]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the replies. I got out my reg and looked at the D300 exhaust valve rubber, which is indeed the purge valve rubber cover as well. The rubber that makes it look like Darth Vader. The rubber isn't cracked so I think a bit of rubber cement might stop any black marks appearing on my chin. I assume the rubber cement is the stuff used for tyre (tire) patches from an auto store?

I am elated the D300 and similar are such a good 2nd stage, as I have always been very happy with it. I had only every had two regulators, the first was a US divers calypso balanced piston first stage and standard US divers 2nd stage, and it was an improvement moving to the scubapro. The actual reason for buying the D300 was I wanted something lighter in my mouth back in the 80's as I was heavily into cave diving at the time. I had a scubapro BCD similar to the classic at the time, so it was logical to me at the time to buy a new scubapro regulator, the D300. The BCD was a drastic improvement over the fenzy. But you dive with what you have at the time I guess.

I am in a quandary now. Do I keep the D300 going or just bite the bullet and get a new S600 over the A700 as there is a weight difference. I have found that the plastic over metal argument is a bit wasted on me. Just look after your gear at all times. I suspect the answer is that the D300 will keep going for a few more years, but it will eventually be a case of no more parts. Whereas the S600/A700 route avoids that issue. I also suspect I would be just as happy with a new S600/A700 reg after a few dives with it.
Is the S600 a dry regulator when diving?

 

[redacted]

Black neoprene cement would be best and look better.

 

[BoltSnap]

There is also the new version of the S600, the S620Ti! I'd go with the A700 if I had to make this choice but it will be difficult to tell the difference.

 

[craydive]

Thanks Burham, Im spoilt for choice. Ti might be a bridge to far though.

My LDS thought they might have a 2nd hand rubber exhaust for my D300 but alas they couldn't find it. My question is then, is the D300, D350 and D400 using the same rubber exhaust? If so this widens my choice a bit when looking for a 2nd hand reg to cannibalise for parts.

Also, the LDS had a G260 tactical. Is this in the same league as the S600 and A700?