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SCUBAPRO MK25/A700

By Scuba Diving Partner | Published On June 4, 2009
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SCUBAPRO MK25/A700

July 2009 Issue Scuba Lab Review Quick Links
$500 and Over
---
Atomic Aquatics T2x| Atomic Aquatics Z2x
HollisGear DC3/212| Mares Abyss 22 Extreme
Mares Carbon 42| Oceanic Delta 4.1
SCUBAPRO Mk25/A700|
$500 and Less
---
Aqua Lung Titan LX| Cressi-sub Ellipse Ti/MC-9
[HoliisGear DC4/221/a>| Mares Prestige 12S
Oceanic Neo| Tilos RS811/OCFR-02
Tusa RS-670|

Time to Test

On a sun-splashed Southern California morning last April the ScubaLab test team, aboard Body Glove’s dive boat Disappearance, skirted the eastern coastline of Santa Monica Bay, headed for the rocky cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Skipper Bob Meistrell eased his 64-foot vessel into a quiet spot on the edge of a massive kelp bed and dropped anchor on a sandy bottom in 40 feet of green water. The test team, comprised of six divers and one test coordinator, got ready to hit the water with this year’s new crop of regulators. There were 14 in all, running the gamut from economy to money’s-no-object. This was judgment day — the final of three test stages — and we couldn’t have asked for a better one. When all was said and done, we found what we were looking for — the year’s best breathers.

SCUBAPRO MK25/A700


Features

SCUBAPRO’s polished-chrome A700 second stage harkens back to diving’s glory days. Air-balanced valve technology, precision user controls and an oversize exhaust valve all help create a first-rate breather. The Mk 25 first stage is a balanced piston design with five low-pressure ports mounted on a swivel turret. This reg delivered stellar performance on the breathing machine. In fact, the more you stress the Mk25, the better it behaves. In the water it’s smooth and very dry in all positions, and exhalation is effortless. The VIVA dive/predive switch is well marked and does a good job of preventing free-flows.

Specifications

Weight 2 lb., 13 oz.
1st Stage Balanced piston
Ports 2HP, 5LP
2nd Stage Pneumatically balanced
Adjustments VIVA switch, breathing-resistance knob
MSRP $775
www.scubapro.com

Bottom Line

If you’re a fan of nostalgia, you’ll love this reg and have a system that works as good as it looks.

July 2009 Issue Scuba Lab Review Quick Links
$500 and Over
---
Atomic Aquatics T2x| Atomic Aquatics Z2x
HollisGear DC3/212| Mares Abyss 22 Extreme
Mares Carbon 42| Oceanic Delta 4.1
SCUBAPRO Mk25/A700|
$500 and Less
---
Aqua Lung Titan LX| Cressi-sub Ellipse Ti/MC-9
[HoliisGear DC4/221/a>| Mares Prestige 12S
Oceanic Neo| Tilos RS811/OCFR-02
Tusa RS-670|
July 2009 Issue Scuba Lab Review Quick Links
$500 and Over
---
Atomic Aquatics T2x| Atomic Aquatics Z2x
HollisGear DC3/212| Mares Abyss 22 Extreme
Mares Carbon 42| Oceanic Delta 4.1
SCUBAPRO Mk25/A700|
$500 and Less
---
Aqua Lung Titan LX| Cressi-sub Ellipse Ti/MC-9
[HoliisGear DC4/221/a>| Mares Prestige 12S
Oceanic Neo| Tilos RS811/OCFR-02
Tusa RS-670|

Time to Test

On a sun-splashed Southern California morning last April the ScubaLab test team, aboard Body Glove’s dive boat Disappearance, skirted the eastern coastline of Santa Monica Bay, headed for the rocky cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Skipper Bob Meistrell eased his 64-foot vessel into a quiet spot on the edge of a massive kelp bed and dropped anchor on a sandy bottom in 40 feet of green water. The test team, comprised of six divers and one test coordinator, got ready to hit the water with this year’s new crop of regulators. There were 14 in all, running the gamut from economy to money’s-no-object. This was judgment day — the final of three test stages — and we couldn’t have asked for a better one. When all was said and done, we found what we were looking for — the year’s best breathers.

SCUBAPRO MK25/A700

Features

SCUBAPRO’s polished-chrome A700 second stage harkens back to diving’s glory days. Air-balanced valve technology, precision user controls and an oversize exhaust valve all help create a first-rate breather. The Mk 25 first stage is a balanced piston design with five low-pressure ports mounted on a swivel turret. This reg delivered stellar performance on the breathing machine. In fact, the more you stress the Mk25, the better it behaves. In the water it’s smooth and very dry in all positions, and exhalation is effortless. The VIVA dive/predive switch is well marked and does a good job of preventing free-flows.

Specifications

Weight 2 lb., 13 oz.
1st Stage Balanced piston
Ports 2HP, 5LP
2nd Stage Pneumatically balanced
Adjustments VIVA switch, breathing-resistance knob
MSRP $775
www.scubapro.com

Bottom Line

If you’re a fan of nostalgia, you’ll love this reg and have a system that works as good as it looks.

July 2009 Issue Scuba Lab Review Quick Links
$500 and Over
---
Atomic Aquatics T2x| Atomic Aquatics Z2x
HollisGear DC3/212| Mares Abyss 22 Extreme
Mares Carbon 42| Oceanic Delta 4.1
SCUBAPRO Mk25/A700|
$500 and Less
---
Aqua Lung Titan LX| Cressi-sub Ellipse Ti/MC-9
[HoliisGear DC4/221/a>| Mares Prestige 12S
Oceanic Neo| Tilos RS811/OCFR-02
Tusa RS-670|