Scubapro G250V vs S600?

[oreocookie]

Labour charges are only revolting if you don't want all 3 stages serviced, which unfortunately is the case here. $69 for 3 stages = roughly $25/stage. ... I'll send DA a pm and see what he can do for me (if anything) and go from there.

 

[halocline]

I would not consider the "free parts" program worth jumping on. It means that you have to service your reg every year, regardless of use, and pay labor every year. Regulators that are moderately used and well cared for only need service every several years, depending on use and care, but 100-200 dives is not particularly heavy use. So you end up paying much more for your 'free' parts than you would simply servicing the regulator as needed, which for many divers is probably about once every 3-4 years.

The entire structure of fixed price regulator sales, limited access to parts, required service intervals, etc....is a bad model that has survived because the manufacturers and retailers have gotten away with it in the U.S. I believe this is mostly due to new divers' fears about their lives depending on these regulators, and the dive gear industry's perpetuation of that myth. I've ranted about that one too many times to repeat.....

I would also recommend DA Aquamaster as a master technician and someone you can buy a first stage from with confidence.

 

[rhwestfall]

I was just going to chime in (again) but regarding your cost analysis, but halocline beat me to it.

You are still going to pay labor on a brand new reg even under the PPL program, so you are saving only on the parts (and locked into annual service to save your PPL status). I've watched buddies, who, due to things beyond their control, miss a year or two of diving (I went 8 years dry, but all my gear is second hand/grey market so I didn't loose anything), and still have to go each year to the dealer and fork over money for the annual service... does this make any sence?

 

[rhwestfall]

Labour charges are only revolting if you don't want all 3 stages serviced, which unfortunately is the case here. $69 for 3 stages = roughly $25/stage. ... I'll send DA a pm and see what he can do for me (if anything) and go from there.

I got smoked for $465.63 in labor charges (plus parts) for 3 sets of gear in Ontario Province (St. Cathrines) last year, and ended up in a local US shop getting things set correctly. Last time I will ever set foot in that shop.....

Their answer: "Our Tech wasn't familiar with your models of gear" (despite being an authorized SP shop)...... go figure.....

 

[oreocookie]

Ok, so my cost analysis might be somewhat flawed. Whatever I do, I have to be comfortable with it... if I buy all new, I know what I'm getting and I know what I'm getting myself into as far as service and parts are concerned (service it every year = get free parts, forget or do it late = you lose), if I get a new first and second and use the 109, I still know what I'm getting for the most part and know what I'm getting into as far as service and parts go. If I get a used mk5 or something and use the seconds that I've got, I don't know exactly what I'm getting: will I be able to tell a good first stage from a piece of junk and will I be able to tell when it needs servicing before something breaks if I'm going 3-4 years between services.

Will it save me money to get an at least partly used setup (i'm including the 109 here)? Yeah, probably. Am I comfortable with doing that? I don't know.

 

[oreocookie]

I got smoked for $465.63 in labor charges (plus parts) for 3 sets of gear in Ontario Province (St. Cathrines) last year,

Ouch. How'd they manage to come to that number?

 

[rhwestfall]

Ouch. How'd they manage to come to that number?

I can post the actual bill, but basically through my complacency (or stupidity)... because when you walk back in to get your gear, and they hand you a bill, there is no options.... I had used them for a few years, and thought it to be a "no-brainer" to return again... As I said, last trip to that shop ever.... and I have found someone local who (maybe) I can trust - though my approach is now different... I'm also heading down the DIY route...

 

[halocline]

DIY regulator service is the best scuba decision I ever made. Once you work with regulators, you really get a feel for: A) how simple they are, and B) how much BS has permeated the dive gear industry with regards to regulator sales and service.

Regs are among the ideal type of gear to buy used; they don't get worse with use, they don't wear out (except the replacement parts), and they're designed to be rebuilt regularly and cheaply. And, this is the kicker, almost any decent regulator that's in good shape works perfectly fine for recreational diving, with only a subtle difference between mid and high end models. The thing that's preventing the OP from jumping in is fear of the unknown. There are many, many new divers in a similar position. A regulator that has been rebuilt correctly is exactly the same, mechanically speaking, as a new one.

The thing that would be most useful for the OP would be a local mentor; someone who he can talk with directly who is knowledgeable, he trusts, and is not trying to sell him anything.

BTW, if you live up there and are planning on local diving, the best equipment purchase you can make BY FAR would be a well fitting drysuit. I'm sure you've thought of that, and maybe you already have one. But if I lived up there and money was an issue, I'd do whatever possible to save for the inevitable drysuit purchase. And those are very difficult to get inexpensively. If you don't have one, there are two futures in front of you; one is no (or very limited) local diving and the other is drysuit ownership. A couple of good blue-lip days will convince you.....

 

[oreocookie]

halocline, drysuit is on my to-do list. So far most of my diving has been on trips down south but the shop I now frequent seems to have more options and variety for local diving than my old shop did, so come next summer I should be getting out more and meeting some people, maybe some of whom will be able to mentor me in various aspect of diving.

 

[FrozenNorthDiver]

I've owned the S600, G250V and A700 paired with both the MK 25 and MK17 (in that order), and I can assure you that you're going to experience mouth fatigue with any/all of them.....because you won't be able to wipe the grin off your face. Lets face it, there's a lot of great gear available these days.....especially if you're a warm (45+ degrees), shallow (<130') water diver...and in that circumstance you'll be delighted with any of these systems regardless of whether you choose based on price (G250V, MK17), size/weight (S600), or bling (A700). But things change significantly if you're planning on doing really cold water diving (i.e. if your temp starts with a 3 or 4), especially if it's cold, fresh-water. When I purchased my MK25/S600 I was reassured by many on-line reviews, a Canadian Scubapro dive shop, and even a fair number of posts on this forum, that this was a premium system for all water temperatures/conditions. Based on this information, my buddy and I bought identical systems and we each experienced two free-flows on our first dive weekend below 45 degrees (two shallow, two deep, two at about 41 degrees, one at 39 degrees, one at 37 degrees). Next came the MK17/G250V....better, but still one free-flow. Then ScubaPro unveiled the A700. IMHO, when paired with the MK17, you'll have a difficult time finding a better performing system anywhere. Especially if you're doing cold water diving, and/or diving with a lot of suspended particulate. The metal body of the A700 provides much better thermal mass and conductivity to avoid freeze-ups, as does the sealed MK17. I have found it to have outstanding performance in any body position, at any tank pressure, at any depth (only up to 130' tested personally), in any water temperature (only 35-85 degrees tested personally), and in fresh or salt water....and NO Freeze-Ups/Free-Flows in 150+ dives. My son (now 13) and I have used this pairing for the past 2.5 years and even though it's heavier, neither of us have experience any jaw fatigue with it. When you watch your air erupting from your frozen reg at 100', the couple hundred bucks you saved seems much less significant. My personal philosophy is that there's a lot of ways to save a couple hundred bucks (Bar tab, Wal-Mart, Cable, Staying Married)....none of which should include anything that your life depends on. But I digress.....
(BTW I'm in no way linked/sponsored by ScubaPro....but I'm open to offers !!)