I'm a newbie diver researching some regs to buy for myself and might possibly be interested in buying the Scubapro MK2 Plus. The only thing I have read about this type of reg on these boards that concern me is the increased breathing effort at lower tank pressures. My question is how noticeable is the difference in effort between this type of reg and a balanced one? I plan to diving mostly in warm waters, above 130 ft., but interested in eventually getting mixed gas certification. I'd appreciate any advice.
Scubapro MK2 Plus
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I have the MK2 Plus on my pony set-ups, and don't see much of a difference in how they act at 3000 psi vs. at 500 psi. They aren't by any means considered a high end reg. ,but they are used by alot of dive shops and dive sites as rentals. They are a good reliable simple to repair 1st stage.
What second stage are you going to mate the MK2Plus with ?
For warm water diving Scubapro makes some very nice first stage regs. The MK25, MK17 and the MK11 have gotten very good reviews .
The MK25 would be the high end piston type and the MK17 would be the high end diaphragm. The MK11 would work just like the MK17, except it isn't sealed.
The MK2 would be a nice first reg to purchase just to get your feet wet, and then as time goes buy it can become you pony reg.
Jim breslin
What second stage are you going to mate the MK2Plus with ?
For warm water diving Scubapro makes some very nice first stage regs. The MK25, MK17 and the MK11 have gotten very good reviews .
The MK25 would be the high end piston type and the MK17 would be the high end diaphragm. The MK11 would work just like the MK17, except it isn't sealed.
The MK2 would be a nice first reg to purchase just to get your feet wet, and then as time goes buy it can become you pony reg.
Jim breslin
Packhorse
Contributor
What is the diffrence between the MK2 and MK2+?
Welcome to the board. The MK-2 is a solid dependable first stage. Nothing fancy but it works. I doubt you will notice much if any real difference at varying tank pressures but how much if any you notice depends a lot on your second stage choice. If you choose a balanced second stage, it will compensate for the vast majority of the swing in IP pressure the MK-2 has and likely you will not notice any differenece at all.
I use the Mk 3 and Mk 200 on deco bottles with G250 second stages. You can still notice a slight increase in inhalation effort ate very low tank pressures (sub 500 psi) even with a balanced second stage. I like that as it provides an early warning that a gas switch is pending. In contrast, with a high performance balanced first stage like the Mk 17 or Mk 25 and balanced second stage, you'll take one breath that feels entirely normal, exhale and then get may be 1/4 of a breath from the now empty tank. They will literally breathe the tank down to nothing with the same low inhalation effort.
There was the really old MK 2 from the late 60's and then there was the Mk 3, the Mk 200 and then the Mk 2 and the current Mk 2 Plus. The Mk 3 used a smaller diameter piston head. The Mk 200 was the same but with a larger Mk 2 sized piston head. The new Mk 2 had an extra LP port compared to the Mk 3 and Mk 200 and the Mk 2 plus is functionally the same with a TIS system and a rubber trim boot.
In my opinion the most noticeable thing in terms of inhalation effort is the unbalanced second stages found on the MK 2. The R190 and it's smaller cousins can in some cases be asjusted to breathe very well, but there is more variation than on the balanced second stages and they are not known for smooth air delivery.
The Mk 2 Plus however will deliver enough gas for any recreational 130 ft or less purpose. If you are interested in saving money a Mk 2 ordered with a G250HP, G250V or S555 would not be a bad way to go. However a Mk 11 with the same second stages woud not cost much more and would gie you a much better performing balanced first stage that is still very light and travel friendly.
There was the really old MK 2 from the late 60's and then there was the Mk 3, the Mk 200 and then the Mk 2 and the current Mk 2 Plus. The Mk 3 used a smaller diameter piston head. The Mk 200 was the same but with a larger Mk 2 sized piston head. The new Mk 2 had an extra LP port compared to the Mk 3 and Mk 200 and the Mk 2 plus is functionally the same with a TIS system and a rubber trim boot.
In my opinion the most noticeable thing in terms of inhalation effort is the unbalanced second stages found on the MK 2. The R190 and it's smaller cousins can in some cases be asjusted to breathe very well, but there is more variation than on the balanced second stages and they are not known for smooth air delivery.
The Mk 2 Plus however will deliver enough gas for any recreational 130 ft or less purpose. If you are interested in saving money a Mk 2 ordered with a G250HP, G250V or S555 would not be a bad way to go. However a Mk 11 with the same second stages woud not cost much more and would gie you a much better performing balanced first stage that is still very light and travel friendly.
halocline
Contributor
Most recreational divers would be hard pressed to tell much difference between a well tuned MK2/R190 and some much "higher end" regs. When I bought mine, I did a test on a training platform and breathed it down to under 300 PSI. It wasn't until I approached 300 that I really noticed it getting harder to breathe. At that pressure, if you're not on the surface, chances are something's wrong and the warning would be welcome.
The real beauty of the MK2 is the indestructable design with one moving part (two if you count the mainspring), and no dynamic o-rings subjected to high pressure. I don't use mine much anymore, but that's because I got interested in older SP regs and now I have too many. I think alot of us that are really fans of particular regs maybe overemphasize the differences in performance. Most divers are not going to tell much difference on comparison and most divers' reactions to regs are pretty subjective; just ask a question like "what's the best breathing reg you've tried" and you're going to get many different answers. I did some air sharing drills with another DM candidate once; she had a G250 that was tuned HORRIBLY. I couldn't believe it was the same reg that I own; she hardly noticed the difference. I also once did some buddy breathing drills with the instructor in my rescue class using my old metal case 109; when we surfaced he wanted to buy it right on the boat....this was an instructor who demo-ed regs from a shop and had tried many high end regs. So everyone's perception is different.
A MK2 is a great first reg; it will work forever and, as suggested, it's an excellent stage reg if you ever go the tech route.
The real beauty of the MK2 is the indestructable design with one moving part (two if you count the mainspring), and no dynamic o-rings subjected to high pressure. I don't use mine much anymore, but that's because I got interested in older SP regs and now I have too many. I think alot of us that are really fans of particular regs maybe overemphasize the differences in performance. Most divers are not going to tell much difference on comparison and most divers' reactions to regs are pretty subjective; just ask a question like "what's the best breathing reg you've tried" and you're going to get many different answers. I did some air sharing drills with another DM candidate once; she had a G250 that was tuned HORRIBLY. I couldn't believe it was the same reg that I own; she hardly noticed the difference. I also once did some buddy breathing drills with the instructor in my rescue class using my old metal case 109; when we surfaced he wanted to buy it right on the boat....this was an instructor who demo-ed regs from a shop and had tried many high end regs. So everyone's perception is different.
A MK2 is a great first reg; it will work forever and, as suggested, it's an excellent stage reg if you ever go the tech route.
I have been diving a MK2+ for several years and have around 115 dives on it. It is paired up with a R390 second stage and I have had no problems with it. I did get to dive a MK25/S550 (I think that's what it was) setup for a week and did not notice a tremendous difference in performance for the type of diving I was doing. I am very happy with this setup and I don't plan on upgrading my regs unless I decide to go down the technical diving path. Even then I will probably keep it as my vacation/singles setup.
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