Diaphragm first-stage with four mp and two hp ports. Part-metal second-stage. Patent VAD.
The design of the MR12 first-stage meant a tortuous route for some hoses, but it has an excellent rubber bumper. The second-stage is mainly metal, which bodes well for cold-water use, and we liked the simplicity of the patented Mares by-pass tube. No knobs!
At depth:
George: "A great breather at all levels of demand. No nonsense. I liked its shape, although I would have preferred a bigger mouthpiece."
Sarah: "My star performer. Better than the Apeks TX40. A very, very nice breathe. The second-stage is nice and small and did not obtrude into my line of sight. It could do with a better mouthpiece. What a shame about the way the hoses route."
Steffi: "Although I found the mouthpiece too small and it tended to free-flow too readily, its air delivery was great. It is a great little unit. With power breathing there was no change whatsoever. I'd be happy to use it in a cave."
Steve: "Excellent, very positive. There was no flutter or change of speed of delivery. I could not fault its performance, even when tilting face-up."
Upside-down: Great!
In a fast current: Very good.
What the machine found:
An excellent and smooth performance at 50m. Similar graph profile to MR22 Ruby but slightly more effort needed overall.
Work of breathing at 50m: 1.39 joules/litre.
Guide price: £290
