SP MK25/S600 vs. Atomic B2 Final answer?

[Hoosier]

SP MK25/S600 vs. Atomic B2

The annual mean water temperature is range from 45 to 82 degree.

I am wondering if SP MK25/S600 still has a free-flow bug in the cold water.
With the respect to the warranty service, SP comes with “Free part life time warranty” with a forcible annual service, but Atomic asks every two year service without the free part support

Which reg. do you bet on?

Please let me have your valuable comments.

Thanks in advance,

Hoosier

Safe dive!

 

[jhelmuth]

I don't think you loose with either one.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

People always seem to mention the S600 as the preferrred SP second stage to pair with the Mk 25.

The G250 is the same reg internally but with a larger and more responsive diaphragm. The G250 also does not have the S600's alledged minor freeflow issues in cold water (that can precipitate major freeflow with the Mk 25 in water colder than 45 degrees). THe G250 in my opinion makes a better second stage choice and is less expensive than the S600 to boot.

 

[wmspdi]

SP MK25/S600 vs. Atomic B2

Which reg. do you bet on?

QUOTE]


BOTH! I have an Atomic M1 (with an M1 octo) and a Cobra computer with QD for cold & fresh dirty water diving. I have a Scubapro MK25/X650 (with an Atomic SS1 Titanium) and Suunto gauges also on a QD for a warm water vacation rig. I move the Cobra/gauges to either regulator as needed. The Scubapro also doubles as my pony bottle regulator. The Atomic serves as my back-up on vacations. All are DIN with yoke adapters for rental tanks. Solved the problem...

 

[ddown]

My own Opinion is the NEW ScubaPro 2nds are crap. Yes they breather OK but they are dry,dry, dry and all the tubes and orifice and everthing but the lever and spring are plastic. The adjustment knobs do not have the fine feel to then that they had a few years ago. Atomic, Apeks, Zeagle, USD, All use metal tubes and higher quality brass and metal parts inside. All these parts work to dissapate the cold air and gather warmth and condensation from the exhaled breath and ImHO create a smoother, more comfortable reg. :11ztongue Older G250s and Balanced adjustables, G500s and even early S600s retain the meatal tube. I wonder why only one company has went this route. My opinion is that it saves on production costs and increases profits. This disgused by saying that because there is no metal ice won't stick. GIVE me METAL in my regs

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Given my preference for D400's with their metal orifice assemblies for my backgas and and Balanced Adjustables with their metal cases as well as metal air barrels on the deco bottles, I could not agree more.

Drymouth can be a serious issue with all plastic regs on long dives but is not a concern with a second stage with a metal case or air barrel. And while I am a die hard SP fan, I don't agree with the direction they have taken with plastic air barrels.

I was at a conference today listening to a former executive who spent 36 years at GM in positions up to and including General Manager of the GMC truck division explaining how they managed to throw away a 60 percent market share largely by making the mistake in the 70's of adopting a mindset where they thought they could cut corners and costs and get away with it with their customers.

One of his comments was that after getting their butt kicked by foreign car makers and seeing their market share fall into the teens, GM finally realized that building a quality product really does not cost anymore than building a cheap product and that building in quality is in fact an excellent way to increase profit margin.

I see Scubapro potentially making the same mistake as GM. Their marketing department seems to be driving the development process rather than the engineering side of the shop. And the marketing folks seem to actually believe that people are going to accept without question what they are told about the "advantages" of various features that seem to have a lot more to do with cutting costs than improving performance.

SP regs are still very, very good and are still among the best in the business. But the time when I had trouble finding any fault with them has passed.

 

[rescuediver009]

I think that you should look at the post in this section about the MK25 first stage There are soem good points in there about what cold water actually is. Alot of us seem to believe that it is overexaggerated by being under 50 deg. when it is really under 40. But that is just opinion. If you are not going to see anything below 45 I wouldn't worry about the SP in those temps. Just make sure it does not go below that. I think that Atomics 2 year program is kind of a way of getting out of parts for life. I think that the SP warranty is alot more realistic. One correction I believe that the Atomic warranty is like sherwood (for the first two years only) The atomics are nice regs but I know that you will not be shorthanded by the Scubapro flagship.

 

[outlaws]

I can't comment about the Atomic but I have dove my Mk25/S600 in 42 degree water without a problem. I now own 2 with another on hold. Just my $0.02.
Dive Safe, Butch

 

[scubahorse]

I don't think freeflow problem is a "bug" of Mk25. Simply, It's not a cold water regulator. I had Mk25/S600 reg, it's really dry and smooth. I belive you can get your SP reg serviced everywhere even in Europe and Asian. Atomic? I am not sure.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I agree with RD009 that the 2 year service interval for Atomic reg may be less than ideal. It will work fine for regs that are well maintained and dove on only an occasional basis, but not for regs that are dove hard and/or put away wet.

Through close monitoring and bench testing of my personal regs I have found that I usually cannot go a full season (about 140 dives this season) without an "annual" service. 50-75 hours underwater seems to be about the limit before slight leaks begin to develop even though the regs are well rinsed, well maintained and still comparatively clean inside from a steady diet of well filtered grade E air and nitrox.

Poor quality air and less than thorough rinsing will further shorten a reg's time between overhauls.