TESTCENTRE
Movin ’ on up
S270 Regulator
COMPANY : SCUBAPRO PRICE : £ 245 S270 / MK2 EVO
£ 265 S270 / MK11 WEB : WWW . SCUBAPRO . COM
Scubapro ’ s new S270 second stage is pitched as a ‘ step-up ’ from recreational diver entry-level systems , and available with a choice from two of the manufacturer ’ s existing second stages , the MK11 and MK2 EVO .
Test Centre was supplied with the compact S270 / MK2 EVO , the latter in its compact 300 bar DIN incarnation . The downstream , piston MK2 EVO first stage is an old friend , as I ’ ve used one on several occasions in the past . It has never performed anything less than flawlessly , as was the case on this occasion .
Its compact , chromeplated brass body provides four low pressure ports and a single high pressure port around its cylindrical body . If that sole high pressure port is a deal-breaker , then the MK11 alternative gives the option of a second , allowing use of a transmitter and a submersible pressure gauge , if required .
Weighing only 485g the MK2 EVO features Scubapro ’ s Extended Thermal Insulating System ( XTIS ), a means of completely isolating the elements of the first stage from the cold water to increase freezing resistance .
As you ’ d expect , both first and second stages look good together and make for a compact , travel-ready combination .
The S270 second stage is manufactured with a fibreglass-reinforced core and antiscratch PU outer layer . A metal-threaded , techno polymer plastic barrel contributes to its lightness ( around 150g ) while also conforming to EN250A standards for cold water diving . It all feels very solid and hardwearing .
The soft Hi-Flow mouthpiece was comfortable to use and the large diameter Superflow hose supplied lungfuls of gas on demand . A Dive /
Pre-Dive level is located on the left side and was as easy to operate gloved as it was ungloved . It was a simple matter to flip the control ( used to guard against free-flow at the surface ) to ‘ dive ’ just prior to descent .
As a balanced valve the S270 should provide no noticeable extra breathing effort regardless of depth , and this was very much the case in a series of depths and durations . Thanks to its lightweight construction , jaw fatigue was minimal and as a photographer the exhaust tee kept my exhaled bubbles away from my position of view .
Although can I understand Scubapro ’ s ‘ step-up ’ marketing angle regarding the S270 , it shouldn ’ t necessarily be pigeonholed in that category . To all intents and purposes , it ’ s not only an ideal and competitively-priced option for a beginner , but also something I ’ d be more than happy to use myself in more demanding situations . Although supplied with Scubapro ’ s R095 as an alternative air source , the S270 is also available in a matching high-visibility yellow octopus version . NH
SCUBA SAYS
Scubapro ’ s S270 / MK2 EVO first and second stage combination is a lightweight , high-performance setup that hits the mark for divers of all abilities . We like the price too .
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