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Hi All: As many of you are probably aware, Scuba Pro has put a hold on the Mk. 15 1st stage regulator due to problems. This weekend I attended a factory clinic for repair technicians and got the scoop on what exactly was the problem and had an opportunity to look the unit over in both it's current state and the retrofit version. The Mk. 15 as introduced was a very high performance pneumo balanced 1st stage that featured an external intermediate pressure adjustment. The adjustment would probably be of minor value to the average diver, but was a nifty feature for people who have to work on them. The pneumo balance simple means that as the tank pressure decreases, the regulator can increase the intermediate pressure for cases of very low tank pressure. This unit is designed for 300 Bar use (4500 PSI) and as released has a fairly thin valve seat which "could" tear when the used with 300 Bar systems. When used at 3500 PSI or below, there is no problem! However, Scuba Pro is retrofitting the bottom of the regulator to hold the seat with a thicker valve seat. They expect all units to be retrofitted and the current valve seat will not be supported! The retrofit will preclude the external adjustment feature. I completely tore down a unit and it has several interesting features. It is a piston regulator but uses a bushing system between the valve and the HP O-ring at the top end. This bushing totally isolates the valve from any metal to metal contact, plus scrubs the piston stem before it reaches the HP O-ring. This is a massive regulator, the heaviest I've seen outside the old Scuba Pro Mk. VII (honker). It has a brushed finish that I like. It looks rugged, and is built rugged. It was designed for cold and deep diving. Scuba Pro hasn't released flow data, but the factory tech rep said it will out perform anything on the market, in all parameters, and will do so really deep >200 FSW. The factory also has an O2 safe kit for the unit which will be released after the unit returns to the market. It is available in both yoke and DIN versions. Scuba Pro has also introduced a new high end regulator the D-400. The D-400 is a D-350 with new guts that increases flow char. at greater depths. It seems the 250 regulator slightly outperformed the D-350 at depths around 200 FSW and Scuba Pro decided that their top of the line should be the top performer at all depths. So what you get is a regulator that is very stable, not at all quirky, that delivers best in class flow rates at .6-.8 inhalation resistance from the surface to >200 FSW. It also will have an O2 safe kit available. All D-350 regulators can be retrofitted. For you bargain hunters, Scuba Pro is shipping D-400's for all D- 350 orders between now and the end of the year. After Jan., the D- 350 will no longer be available. Although the tech rep didn't say so, it's pretty obvious that Scuba Pro is looking at the Tech Market with the D-400/Mk 15 Combo. If what the rep said is true (and he is very reliable), this combo will be the top performance system available anywhere. I dive a D- 350/Mk 10 system and have done so to depths over 200 feet and when I questioned the dollar return, he stated that there was a noticeable difference and that both units had been used on the Doria and other deep dives by "certain" people with excellent results. I'm going out at the end of next month to do a pretty deep dive and he is going to provide me with a set to use. I'll give a first hand report then. Impression: The Mk 15 is a very robust unit and should be extremely reliable overcoming many of the dirty and cold water problems suffered by piston regulators. The D-400 regulator should by all accounts be the top performing unit on the market. It has all the plus factors of the Pilot regulator, but is stable, dirt simple to maintain (for a tech) and reliable. When paired with the 15, it should be something to look at when doing critical dives. The minus is the cost. The D-350 is a $460 regulator, and the Mk. 15 is around $200 for a 660. system. Not Cheap!!! Considering a tech set up, this could get really pricey. Best and Good Diving Rick Williams Delphi Scuba Forum
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