Scubapro Mk25 S600 Aluminum And Steel Stage 1

[eelnoraa]

I hate that non standard jam nut too. SP uses that in G250V as well. But somehow, I have been able to operate it without the special tools. I forgot what exactly I used but there is a trivial tool that fit perfectly. Last time I service my G250v was a while ago, and they are now loan to a friend. I will check and report back.

As for Utlralight Mk20, I personally will pass. You can easily find used but well maintained Mk25 for very reasonable price.

 

[Crowley]

Just going back to the original post - I wasn't sure about the MK25 UL, and was just digging through the Scubapro website to check. There is an aluminium MK20 UL but I can't find a specific reference to a MK25 ultralight version - although there was a model called the MK25AF or MK25SA which was a combination of steel and aluminium.

The wonderful thing about aluminium is that when it corrodes it forms a protective layer which prevents further corrosion - it's why it's perfect for scuba tanks and other things such as window frames. I did find a report describing one of the main problems with the MK20 being electrolysis rather than simple corrosion. Electrolysis is a chemical reaction between two different metals which effectively causes the metals to "weld" together. In a regulator, this would be such things as port plugs and hose connectors which are made from steel, connected to the aluminium body of the regulator. If not cared for and cleaned properly, immersion in salt water speeds up that process.

You can find the Scubapro regulator timeline here: http://www.scubapro.com/en-GB/HKG/regulators-timeline-eng.aspx
And the report into the MK20 UL and MK25AFSA here: REGULATOR Scubapro MK25 AFSA/S600

What I would say is that the MK25 is a wonderful regulator - if you can unscrew all the port plugs and the hose connectors easily then I would suggest the regulator is just fine. Look for white crystals around the edges of the plugs and where the hoses connect to the first stage. If it all works, and you look after it properly, it should serve you very well indeed.

The S600 second stage - it's just all just awesome. I used to own an original MK25/S600 with an R395 octopus and it served me very well for 4 years working full time as an instructor until it was sadly stolen in 2009.

Also have to add that I never had a problem unscrewing hoses and plugs from my MK25....

Hope that helps a bit.

Cheers

C.

 

[lerpy]

Great regs, I also use these in my doubles tec rig. I have never had even a hint of an issue with them.