what regulator to buy

[Cacia]

Hi Louis,

I just purchased a Mk 17/S550 (Scubapro) as a Christmas gift. (I have the 450) I spoke with a repair person because I was considering a couple other brands that are said to be just as good. He brought up service costs (the stage kits) of Apeks, etc and then made the point that if you are diving in remote locales, that just about anywhere they hang a dive flag, they usually will have repair parts for Scubapro. You might look at the 550, it is really pretty sexy. Has a very small case on the 2nd stage and looks sort of retro in design, big silver "S". Pressure balanced, of course, and it is a piston design. Have fun diving!

 

[drew52]

Yip ScubaPro manufacture in the States and Europe so parts are easily available all over the world.

 

[louis]

I currently live landlocked in the mountains where the local dive shop is small. As I don't know how many more years I will live here or whether the area will still have a dive shop, I thought I would buy gear from scubatoys as divers on scubaboard universally given them rave reviews. This would afford me the opportunity of anually sending the reg back to scubatoys for service, but locks me in to what they sell and they don't appears to sell scubapro.

 

[H2Andy]

given your situation, a Zeagle from ScubaToys is not a bad idea

 

[kman]

How about the Sea-Air Regulator from XS Scuba? It's gotten great reviews. I have used one on ~12 dives and been very happy with it.

 

[halocline]

Hi Louis,

I just purchased a Mk 17/S550 (Scubapro) as a Christmas gift. (I have the 450) I spoke with a repair person because I was considering a couple other brands that are said to be just as good. He brought up service costs (the stage kits) of Apeks, etc and then made the point that if you are diving in remote locales, that just about anywhere they hang a dive flag, they usually will have repair parts for Scubapro. You might look at the 550, it is really pretty sexy. Has a very small case on the 2nd stage and looks sort of retro in design, big silver "S". Pressure balanced, of course, and it is a piston design. Have fun diving!

I'm pretty sure the MK17 is a diaphraghm 1st stage. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but has SP discontinued the G250? It's not on the website anymore. Too bad...add that one to the "classic" SP regs, I guess.

Your point about the availability of service worldwide is a good one. In fact, that was a big factor in my buying a SP reg. But, I was told in Cozumel, which obviously is one of the world centers for diving, that it was hard to SP parts there. According to this divemaster, mares regs are the easiest to find parts for there. Go figure that one out.

 

[louis]

thank you all for your input. I ordered an Atomic B2

 

[gfisher4792]

I'm pretty sure the MK17 is a diaphraghm 1st stage. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but has SP discontinued the G250? It's not on the website anymore. Too bad...add that one to the "classic" SP regs, I guess.

MK17 is a diaphragm, environmentally sealed. G250 is no longer supported (I believe), though the G250HP is still around.

 

[gfisher4792]

thank you all for your input. I ordered an Atomic B2

Congrats!

 

[H2Andy]

thank you all for your input. I ordered an Atomic B2

nice, good choice =)