Scubapro mk17/R390 v Oceanic CDX5/Apollo8 v Aqualung legend

[Chuffy]

Hi All, I am due to go to Thailand for several months to do my divemaster course & possibly an IDC. As a result I need to get all my own kit. (previously rented regs & bcds).

I have 2 LDS. One has recommended the legend and the other the Oceanic CDX5/Apollo 8. I myself having done a bit of research, had my eye on the Scubapro MK17 & R390. I would be very grateful for peoples opinions and feedback.

I shall be doing mainly tropical & temperate diving although I did dive in the UK when I first qualified. I think I should get a balanced or 'Over balanced' first stage because as a DM or Instructor I may have other people breathing of the octo. I know that the R390 is not balanced whereas the S550 & legend are. Does this make much difference if the 1st stage is balanced?

Thanks in advanced.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The Mk 17 is a great first stage with excellent performance and comparatively light weight and small dimensions. It's cold water performance is unbeatable.

The S550 will breathe better than an R190 on a balanced forst stage liek the Mk 17 but how much so is a largely subjective thing.

 

[realdiver7]

MK17/S550 or 600 are great choices.

 

[Hoosier]

If you plan to stick to the warm water, you can get MK11 instead of MK17.

 

[Jason Ooi]

Hi,
Scuba Pro MK17/S600 are good regulator for recreational dive...

Cheer
Jason

 

[Chuffy]

The S550 will breathe better than an R190 on a balanced forst stage liek the Mk 17 but how much so is a largely subjective thing.

Would you say that the R390 was adequate for recreational diving? I will probably doing 2-3 dives a day 6 days a week for 4 months or so. Would the fact that the S550 is balanced make it a better breather at all depths, or would you just notice it at deeper depths? I probably won't be doing much over 30m / 100ft.

I don't want to skimp on kit, but at the same time I don't want to spend a lot of money if I don't have to. (The R390 is the standard octopus I think)

With regards to the MK11. I don't think it has reached the UK yet as there is no mention of it on the UK website. I'd like to keep my options open with regards to cold water diving as well.

Does anybody have any experience of the Oceanic setup? It is quite a bit cheaper than the Scubapro setup. There is usually a reason for that! I don't know how easy it'll be to get serviced around the world.

Thanks for the help guys, it is most appreciated.

 

[tstonedvr]

I service regs and my choice would be the Legend...for several reasons...parts for Aqualund are more available as a rule worldwide...the Legend is a expanded version of the Apeks regs...fewer parts overall, a very robust machine...now take this with a grain of salt as I will admit that I perfer diaphram over piston...
Yarg

 

[halocline]

You might have a hard time telling the difference between the 2 second stages unless you were directly comparing them, like a breath off one, then switch to the other, etc...this is assuming you're at rec depths and both regs are adjusted well. Definitely the R390 is more than "adequate" for rec diving. You might try to get a G250 2nd stage if you can; it's more highly regarded and SP seems to discontinuing it so it might be available at a deal.

I would bet any of the regs you described would be plenty for divemaster training and work. A few weeks ago I was in Cozumel where one of the divemasters I was diving with had lost his gear in the hurricane. He bought a $50 used reg set from someone on the island and a $20 used BC, and has been using this stuff everyday since. (I'm sure he had the reg serviced!)

Oh yeah, I forgot; you might inquire about parts and service availability where you're going and make your decision with that in mind.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Personally, I like nice breathing second stages and if you were divign a lot, a balanced second stage is worth the money.

I also like adjustable second stages, so I would recommend a G250, X650 or S600 second stage - more or less in that order.

Warm water or cold, I would go with the Mk 17 over the Mk 11. You may not need the diaphragm sealed ambient chamber, but it's a good design and it will make the reg easier to rinse and more forgiving corrosion wise if you forget to rinse it.

Like the Legend, parts are available bascially everywhere for SP regs.

The Legend is also available with adjustable and non adjustable second stages. I'd recommend the Ajustable Legend LX if you go that route. Having used and worked on both however, I still prefer the Mk 17 with a G250, X650 or S600 second stage. The Legend second stage design is very good, but in my opinion, the SP designs are slightly more refined and easier to work on.

 

[jeraldjcook]

I have a Mk16/R390 setup and I love it. I dove the Spiegel Grove in October and took it to 115’ and it breathed great. On occasion I switch out the R390 with an old G200B (balanced) I have and it’s hard to tell the difference. The Legend is also a great setup and although it has a better second you would probably never notice. Sorry, no experience with the Oceanic.