Correct on the most part, I do not need these at this time. I do want to accommodate for if my diving lifestyle changes though. For example, if a few years down the road I pickup diving more frequently in NY where it's cold and there are allot of quarries, then the MK17 seems to make more sense, but that is just a what if scenario and not a binding decision driver.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 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.
I think this thread has swayed me off the MK25 Evo and onto the MK17 Evo 2.
I was looking at the weights on the Scubapro website and it seems the MK17 Evo 2 is only 12.7% heavier. Maybe the recent Evo 2 release made it lighter? As for the size, I was looking for a picture of both next to each other but can't find one.
- MK17 Evo 2 DIN - 2.38lb / 1.079kg
- MK25 Evo DIN - 2.114lb / 0.957kg