TESTCENTRE
A reg less ordinary
MK25 EVO / D420
COMPANY : SCUBAPRO
PRICE : £ 705 / £ 840 ( MK19EVO / D420 / R195 Octopus Set )
As an underwater photographer , I like
my second stages small and compact so they have as little impact as possible on my ability to get up close and personal to my camera ’ s viewfinder . Some are better than others , but over the three decades I ’ ve been diving I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of second stages I ’ ve come across that have veered from the traditionally circular norm . Tried and tested with little room for a radical rethink , it ’ s a proven design – like the wheel – with which we are all familiar . Scubapro ’ s new D420 , however , offers a slightly different take on the second stage . If you ’ re willing to accept change , then you may well find yourself left pleasantly surprised . The D-Series is nothing new , of course , and has been available in various incarnations as long as I ’ ve been dipping my toes in the water . Drawing directly from the original ’ s design heritage and updating it with innovative new features and materials , Scubapro ’ s D420 is the latest model in the line . Paired with the manufacturer ’ s EN250A cold water , environmentally-sealed MK19 EVO first stage and R195 Octopus I conducted a series of dives to see how the combination performed . The MK19 EVO is a compact unit , particularly in DIN fitting ; its air-balanced diaphragm aims to deliver a constant flow of gas regardless of depth , tank pressure or breathing rate .
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