Thoughts on MK25 EVO/S620Ti for me

[rjmd]

Hello. I am starting out in scuba and while I am not buying a reg soon I am settling on one to save up for long-term. I am exclusively a recreational diver and I plan to be a travel diver as I am based out of New York, going to Caribbean or Australia for the most part.

I've been reading up allot and have settled on the MK25 EVO / S620Ti. I like the Ti because it is lightweight & corrosive resistant, SP is easy for maintenance availability, and there's allot of positive feedback on the setup online. My main concerns are if I do recreational diving with nitrox, I know the reg is fine at recreational limits, but is there any additional maintenance involved if I use nitrox on trips? If I do decide to occasionally dive in NY summer at some point, will this be fine at those temps?

If you have recommendations on alternatives, I am happy to hear. I am more of a buy once, cry once person, so I am fine biding time saving up if I get something good quality (within reason).

 

[elmo]

Great choice of reg (there’s plenty of other great choices too*, which no doubt will be suggested). Since you’re behind the tariff curtain you might consider purchasing when on holiday.
*FWIW I like diaphragm regs for tolerating a broader range of conditions, and would go for MK17 Evo 2 with G260. But that’s just me. Other brands are good too!

 

[davehicks]

The Ti part of the S620Ti is so small that it's a negligible weight savings. Maybe a few grams. But if you want to save weight and money then get the Mk17 / S620Ti combo. Unless you need the turret feature of the Mk25 (you probably don't) it is a better pick in my opinion. Both will be fine in any temperature ranges you are likely to encounter short of ice diving. And the Mk17 is the regulator to pick for ice diving.

Absolutely any regulator set you buy will be perfectly fine with Nitrox and there is no difference in use or maintenance.

 

[landphil]

I’d also go mk17 evo 2; but for a warm water traveling diver I’d pair it with a c370 2nd to save some weight and some room in the reg bag.

 

[BoltSnap]

Hello. I am starting out in scuba and while I am not buying a reg soon I am settling on one to save up for long-term. I am exclusively a recreational diver and I plan to be a travel diver as I am based out of New York, going to Caribbean or Australia for the most part.

I've been reading up allot and have settled on the MK25 EVO / S620Ti. I like the Ti because it is lightweight & corrosive resistant, SP is easy for maintenance availability, and there's allot of positive feedback on the setup online. My main concerns are if I do recreational diving with nitrox, I know the reg is fine at recreational limits, but is there any additional maintenance involved if I use nitrox on trips? If I do decide to occasionally dive in NY summer at some point, will this be fine at those temps?

If you have recommendations on alternatives, I am happy to hear. I am more of a buy once, cry once person, so I am fine biding time saving up if I get something good quality (within reason).

This is a fantastic set. There is no need to worry about anything for recreational diving with it. It is good for recreational diving in NY/NJ (and using Nitrox up to 40% O2).

 

[rjmd]

So it seems there's some suggestion to go the MK17 Evo 2.

I like that it's a closed in unit for cold water and locking out debris, seems more durable. I noted in some research that the MK17 is lower performance, is that talking about ease of breathing? Is that humanely noticeable or more measured by a machine noticeable?

Is the swivel on the MK25 a prominent feature? I could understand it allows for some give, but not sure I grasp why it could be worth the price increase.

It's 16.5% cost saving to go MK17 Evo 2 from the MK25 (bundled with S620Ti), so it's not substantially different on that front.

 

[elmo]

So it seems there's some suggestion to go the MK17 Evo 2.

I like that it's a closed in unit for cold water and locking out debris, seems more durable. I noted in some research that the MK17 is lower performance, is that talking about ease of breathing? Is that humanely noticeable or more measured by a machine noticeable?

Is the swivel on the MK25 a prominent feature? I could understand it allows for some give, but not sure I grasp why it could be worth the price increase.

It's 16.5% cost saving to go MK17 Evo 2 from the MK25 (bundled with S620Ti), so it's not substantially different on that front.

The MK25 (and updated version) is great. The flow rate of the MK25 is about the greatest of any reg available. But the flow rate of the MK17 is still far greater than you could possibly need, even if sharing air with your buddy while both panicking, inflating your BC, wing and trying to fill a lift bag. You’ve got bigger issues if it comes to that.
The swivel turret is loved by some divers, mostly for sidemount (lets the hoses come out at unconventional angles), deco/stage bottles (hose points down until you deploy then can swing up), or doubles divers (end turret allows for smoother hose routing but I get away just fine with MK17 routing). I don’t think those use cases are yours. The end turret doesn’t hurt, apart from a little extra weight and cost, but I doubt it’d benefit you.

 

[BoltSnap]

So it seems there's some suggestion to go the MK17 Evo 2.

I like that it's a closed in unit for cold water and locking out debris, seems more durable. I noted in some research that the MK17 is lower performance, is that talking about ease of breathing? Is that humanely noticeable or more measured by a machine noticeable?

Is the swivel on the MK25 a prominent feature? I could understand it allows for some give, but not sure I grasp why it could be worth the price increase.

It's 16.5% cost saving to go MK17 Evo 2 from the MK25 (bundled with S620Ti), so it's not substantially different on that front.

All of my first stages (and I own several) are rotating turrets. The convenience of the rotating turrets is great, especially with the 5th port that allows the connection of the longer hose to be facing the bottom. For me, it is not only convenient but also more comfortable with more options.

Just go with the MK25 first stage; you will never go back and say "what if" in the future.

 

[rsingler]

If you want a turret, and you like Scubapro's reputation (not undeserved), then please consider the Mk19EVO over the Mk25.

Air delivery is 75% of Mk25, which is to say, greater than you will EVER need in a recreational reg.
It is sealed from floating sand and grit in the water.

For Scubapro, I'd take the Mk19EVO over the Mk25 any day of the week.

 

[Nemrod]

I plan to be a travel diver as I am based out of New York, going to Caribbean or Australia for the most part.

Okay, me a contrarian, you do not need the performance of the Mark 25. Ten people honking on it would not consume it's capabilities. And that is not much exaggeration. Also, you do not need a double sealed diaphragm regulator. The only thing inside the ambient chamber is a spring that is coated and isolated. This sealing of a diaphragm regulator adds about 30% to the weight and size and costs with no real benefit for the diving that you propose. And a Mark 11 Evo is fully capable of performing the occasional cold water dive. A diaphragm regulator, by design, the important moving parts are sealed by the IP diaphragm. I would prefer the G260 or the C370 for a second stages.