Second stage(s) to use with Scubapro MK25 - Your pick

[buddhasummer]

If buying new I'd get 2x G260s. I'd also go a MK17, well did actually. For ST BM I find the hose routing just fine, never felt the need for a swivel personally.

 

[MichaelMc]

I decided on Scubapro after setting a poll on one of my earlier posts and saw the almost unanimous popularity of Scubapro

Scubapro are fairly popular, yet regs are an investment so people likely do not switch very often. So their favorite may be what they still have from back when. Also your poll covered BC and reg. It also left out a few popular reg makers like Apeks and Deep6. And people may be freshwater divers or warm water divers. Scubapro may be more known for the Mk25 piston. While cold salt may be best done with sealed diaphragm for anti freezing and ease of care.

 

[ams511]

I was leaning towards piston solely on the recommendation of a few divers I know. I am however on the forums here to make a more educated decision. I am rapidly changing my mindset to a diaphragm unit, especially a sealed one.
I decided on Scubapro after setting a poll on one of my earlier posts and saw the almost unanimous popularity of Scubapro.

As mentioned it is your money, so it is your decision. What do other divers in your area use?

One of the differences between the MK-17 and MK-25 is the hose routing if you are using a "DIR - type" regulator setup. If you want MK-25 hose routing in a diaphragm regulator then you will need to go to a different brand, such as Apeks (with 5th port), Dive Rite, Deep Six, and Hog come to mind.

 

[ams511]

Now if scubapro made a sealed diaphragm with a swivel turret and 5th port I'd sell everything I own and buy those.

They did, it was called the MK-19 and was only sold in Europe for a few years. They killed it probably because it was taking sales away from the MK-25.

 

[Centrals]

They did, it was called the MK-19 and was only sold in Europe for a few years. They killed it probably because it was taking sales away from the MK-25.

They introduced 11 and 17 afterwards an attempt to corner the whole market?

 

[tbone1004]

I was leaning towards piston solely on the recommendation of a few divers I know. I am however on the forums here to make a more educated decision. I am rapidly changing my mindset to a diaphragm unit, especially a sealed one.
I decided on Scubapro after setting a poll on one of my earlier posts and saw the almost unanimous popularity of Scubapro.

your poll was unfortunately very flawed because you didn't give the option of "other" and put out a very restrictive list
Off the top of my head, some brands you missed

Aqualung
Scubapro
Atomic
Hollis
Poseidon
Dive Rite
Deep6
Deep Sea Supply
Zeagle
Halcyon
HOG

There are others I'm sure that I missed, but each of those brands are more popular especially on this site than Sherwood, Mares, USD, Tusa, and Oceanic combined. If you add in the recommendations in the comments on that thread, you will see that the preference is almost all in brands other than the ones that you listed. I counted because I was bored. There were 33 posts in that thread that gave recommendations for brands other than what was on your list, which is more than the 30 for Scubapro. You would have had a lot more poll tallies as well going in other directions because I know many voted for scubapro because it was the best of the list that you posted not that it was necessarily their preference.

 

[swimlikethefish]

I would agree there are other quality regulators out there dollar for dollar. But, if his local shop and service center only repairs Scubapro and ..... then that is really what his choices are going to come down to. That isn't saying they won't be able to service other regulators by other brands. Most shops prefer to service what they sell as it helps balance the books at the end of the year. Scubapro has a good stake in the market, with free parts as long as you service them every year. Really it does come down to preference.

I would say you are going about it the correct way. Do your research and then spend your dollars. No matter what you end up buying it is very unlikely you will regret your purchase. Another idea would be to rent a set of regs. Try out as many combinations as possible before you buy. You might find that a 250 is too large for your taste, or that an s600 adjustment knob is too difficult to use with gloves on. Most local shops are pretty helpful, go discuss your hesitations with them and see what they say. If you are set on a SP 1st stage I would personally match it with a SP 2nd so that I could send the regs in for service together to my local shop. Also SP and APEKS have world wide service, so chances are if you travel and something happens a local shop in the area of travel could help.

 

[george_austin]

G260 any day of the week

 

[lexvil]

So long as there is a VDH for the kits I will stick with SP 109s or AL 1085, extremely simple to service yourself, same with the MK5, mk10 when it comes down to it. For the past several months almost all of my dives are with the Argonaut Kraken double hose with the Kraken safe second.

 

[runsongas]

But, if his local shop and service center only repairs Scubapro and ..... then that is really what his choices are going to come down to. ...stake in the market, with free parts as long as you service them every year.

scubapro has been around long enough there are a lot of used regs floating around. no reason OP has to buy a new reg.

getting free parts is an onerous process now that requires also buying a bc and computer at the same time. not really worthwhile. if you wanted to get a free parts program, the aqualung one is easier as it just requires buying the reg through a dealer.