which is a better reg

[misdmnr]

Scuba Pro MK25/S600......ooorrrrrrr.....Aqualung Legend LX???

Diving plans: warm water (Caribbean), rock quarry (fresh water), fresh water lakes, Great Lakes (having an internal struggle with my dislike for being cold vs cool wrecks to see).

Aqualung overbalanced diaghram 1st stage.
Scuba Pro balanced piston first stage.

Scuba pro swivel first stage.
Aqualung ACD enviromental control.

Scuba Pro price w/octo $699
Aqua lung price w/octo $697

I heard one person say the scuba pro froze and "snapped" in cold water. I heard the Aqua lung has been known to free flow. Anyone ever have the luck to dive both?

Has anyone ever had probs with either of these two regulators. Above board performance? Which is an easier breather at depth 100ft. Please give me your opinions likes/dislikes about each. Thanks all.

 

[shoturtle]

you are asking a loaded question, they are both good regs. It comes down to personal preference.

the legend is better for cold water as the mk17 would be a better 1st stage in cold water then the mk25. So since you are planing to dive the great lakes, where the water is cooler, the aqualung may be a better choice for your needs.

 

[letterboy]

I just got the MK17/G250V set-up, robust second stage, diaphram first stage. looked at the AL regs, but found I liked the SP better after looking at them.

FYI - I know some SFL divers who ONLY dive the MK25/G600 combo and love it, it warm water.

 

[OldNSalty]

flip a coin.

 

[halocline]

They're both better. If you're a new diver, either one is way more than you need, come to think of it, they're more than 99% of all divers will ever need, with the caveat that the MK25 has a checkered reputation in really cold water, like sub 40F.

The overbalanced bit is pure BS. The ACD thingie has nothing to do with environmental seal, it's a gizmo that closes the first stage inlet in case you forget to put your dustcap on while dunking the reg. I don't like them, but I'm a grumpy guy when it comes to regulators and the various gimmicks that are used to sell them.

 

[marinediva]

I am a fan of the legend, and just had mine serviced after two years and 1500 dives,
the ACD is a feature which is very forgiving.

In Australia if you buy the Legend and service it every year it is free parts for life.
So there may be other advantages to purchasing the Legend.

Think both regs are great, just some different features which comes down to what you want.

I had a swivel fitted to my reg post purchase.

My reg has never free flowed yet.
Never had any problems with it at all in fact.

 

[misdmnr]

Thanks to all so far on the info/input. Keep it coming. I'll be doing some more research and thinking on these two. I agree it is more reg than I need, but I'd rather pay for it once and have it for years to come.

 

[ShakaZulu]

Thanks to all so far on the info/input. Keep it coming. I'll be doing some more research and thinking on these two. I agree it is more reg than I need, but I'd rather pay for it once and have it for years to come.

Why is APEKS not in your list?

 

[RAWalker]

They are both good regs and IMHO both over priced when compared with others of similar quality.

 

[DevonDiver]

I dive in a SP MK25/S600 every day, both recreational and tech...tropical and temperate waters. I use them for singles and doubles diving. You'd never regret having them.

However, I've never dove with the Aqualung Legend, so I can't give a like-for-like comparison...and I am sure you are already aware of how they compare on paper.

The best bet is to investigate your options to 'test dive' with both models... and see if you have a personal preference.

Other things to consider, if you haven't already, are....

1. Cost of Servicing/Spares in your probable dive locations.
2. Convenience of Servicing/Spares in your probable dive locations.
3. Hose routing and how the regulator fits with your desired diving configuration.
4. Weight (if travelling..and paying excess baggage charges etc).

Performance is not the only factor in a purchase. I used to own 6 sets of Poseidon regs (jetstreams and cyklones), which I loved. I ended up selling them (with tears in my eyes) because I just could not get the servicing/spares easily enough here in Asia.