Talked to Scubapro US yesterday and they said the Mk19 is a go

[Angelo Farina]

If your objective is to have great-breathing first stages that are environmentally sealed, with a swivel turret and a bottom port, you could just re-home your complete Mk25 and Mk17 sets, and buy (the less expensive) Atomic M1 regs....

It all depends on WHERE you buy your regs. Here in Italy the SP MK19-D420 is not so expensive, at 660€:
RO1 01 erogatore subacqueo SCUBAPRO mk19 D420 | eBay

However the MK19 should be coupled with a G260 for a fair comparison with the Atomic M1.
The MK19 alone is 320€:
RO1 1* STADIO SCUBAPRO mk19 NEW 2021 SOLO PRIMO STADIO | eBay
The G260 alone is 270€:
RO1 Scubapro Erogatore solo secondo stadio G260 new 2021 | eBay
So the pair of MK19+G260 costs 590€

The Atomic M1 is 560€:
RO1 01 EROGATORE ATOMIC M1 | eBay

This is not a big price difference. And considering the availability of parts which is ensured for decades for SP regs, if buying new I would be tempted by the first offer shown here at 660€ for a MK19+D420.

 

[RobPNW]

I have mixed feelings on this regulator. I already have a MK17 EVO. Simple, built like a tank, sealed, diaphragm, air balanced etc. Only difference I see is the swivel. On one hand, seems a swivel would make hose stress more comfortable. But then again, is it a point of failure? Would it be significantly better than the MK17 paired with some LP flex hoses? Is anyone smart on the mechanics of these 2 models? Can you explain if the swivel represents another point of failure? What maintains the environmental seal where the swivel joint is? Thanks in advance.

 

[stuartv]

I have mixed feelings on this regulator. I already have a MK17 EVO. Simple, built like a tank, sealed, diaphragm, air balanced etc. Only difference I see is the swivel. On one hand, seems a swivel would make hose stress more comfortable. But then again, is it a point of failure? Would it be significantly better than the MK17 paired with some LP flex hoses? Is anyone smart on the mechanics of these 2 models? Can you explain if the swivel represents another point of failure? What maintains the environmental seal where the swivel joint is? Thanks in advance.

For single tank, there is no need for a swivel.

For doubles, a swivel and a bottom port result in less sharp(-ish) hose bending. Still not a requirement. Especially if you use rubber hoses, where you can generally easily see an impending failure well before it happens.

 

[jakehbk]

Its just an oring that seals the swivel. Same as on the Mk25. You could stretch that into a failure point if you were nit picking, but I dove my Mk25 for damn near a decade without servicing and didn't have a leak from the swivel oring.

 

[rhwestfall]

I don't recall a single swivel leak in 30+ years of regulator ownership. These have been ScubaPro, and recently HOG & Deep6.

 

[Angelo Farina]

I changed the turnable turret's O-ring on my four old MK5s just the past spring, the older one was manufactured in 1976, the newer one in 1980. It did never leak...
I misused my regs a lot, and still this O-ring was perfect. After 44 years...
So I do not think that the turntable turret can be any significant failure point.

 

[BoltSnap]

I changed the turnable turret's O-ring on my four old MK5s just the past spring, the older one was manufactured in 1976, the newer one in 1980. It did never leak...
I misused my regs a lot, and still this O-ring was perfect. After 44 years...
So I do not think that the turntable turret can be any significant failure point.

Did you mean that you never changed the o'ring for 44 years?

 

[Angelo Farina]

Did you mean that you never changed the o'ring for 44 years?

Exactly. I changed the piston O-ring several times (more or less every 4-5 years), but the swivel was yet with its original O-ring. More than 1000 dives in those 40+ years...
I was just spraying some silicon lubricant on it at every servicing of the regs.
The reason is that for changing it you need to unscrew a retainer which has a very odd measurement. You need a special tool for it, which I did not have. Until past spring, when I purchased it on Amazon...

 

[BoltSnap]

Exactly. I changed the piston O-ring several times (more or less every 4-5 years), but the swivel was yet with its original O-ring. More than 1000 dives in those 40+ years...
I was just spraying some silicon lubricant on it at every servicing of the regs.
The reason is that for changing it you need to unscrew a retainer which has a very odd measurement. You need a special tool for it, which I did not have. Until past spring, when I purchased it on Amazon...

You probably have set a record there, the oldest o'ring in continuous use in diving

 

[Pressurehead]

You probably have set a record there, the oldest o'ring in continuous use in diving

Remember this is ScubaBoard someone will beat that .