What to look for befor buying ?

[Peter M]

Being new to re-breathers (have seen them in use ) and being midly jealous of there extended bottom times i am looking to go down this path.
What should you look for when buying one of these, as a complete novice to the many various makes and models i dont know what to look for and what to avoid.

[Simon TW]

Originally Posted by Peter M

Being new to re-breathers (have seen them in use ) and being midly jealous of there extended bottom times i am looking to go down this path.
What should you look for when buying one of these, as a complete novice to the many various makes and models i dont know what to look for and what to avoid.

I think that you should decide on which rebreather you want first.

Have you any ideas?

[Peter M]

Thats the problem how do you decide on which one is best for doing dives in the 40-60 meter range?
Like i said i am a complete novice with re-breathers it's a case of :-

What are the pro & cons of different models?
Is a inspiration better than a ouroboros/megalodon or visa versa?
Which one is better for future upgrades?

Its basic knowlegde like this that i am looking for.

[Simon TW]

The three that you have mentioned are all electronic controlled.
The Inspiration has far more units sold and if you consider that they have maybe more sold than all the others put together then you have to ask why.

I have no personal experience of the Ouroboros other than the peolpe who I know that dive them don't find it too reliable.

The Megladon is a very well built unit and probobly the best engineered that I have seen.

I personally prefer the Inspiration and it's the first choice for most of my diving but it's a little bulky and it takes all of your baggage allowance.

[Phoenix]

I'd start by having a good look at the manufacturers websites and by reading what's on RBW about each type of unit. You need to realise that the majority of CCR divers have only owned the one unit and they will always praise their unit despite its faults. There is no perfect unit out there, only a selection with different design approaches to the same problem. Ideally you would test a couple of units before making a choice, easier said than done though.

Ian

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Simon TW

The Megladon is a very well built unit and probobly the best engineered that I have seen.

Simon, can you please tell me which areas of the Meg's engineering you feel are superior to Boris?

Ian

[SoggyFox]

research research research, it took me about 4 months on trawling the internet and looking at every unit available and then asking myself which suited my diving at the moment and the diving i intended on doing. I then went off and found people with these rebreathers and pestered them with more questions. I got to try out a couple and have a good look at some as well, which i think is an absolute must, If you can wait till a dive show you'll get to see at least 2 makes there (Boris and Inspo), don't hurry your choice but make sure the unit you get is actually right for you.

good luck.

[Peter M]

And what was the outcome of your research ? what one did you get in the end, i at the moment am considering the evolution from AP. The next thing is to find a pool and someone to let me have a try !

[Woz]

I'd see if you can get one of each type you are considering in your hot little hands and do a teardown. I've had (or seen) most types to bits and they are very variable in the way they are put together and how they operate.

The eCCR is easier to control but less reliable- have a lok over on RBW and you'll se pretty much all of the eCCR units falling over in some way, from the Inspo to the Boris. All seem to have some sort of inherent design problem, mostly to do with the scrubbers or electronics.

Personally I would go for a Kiss-type mCCR, get used to diving that then once you are confident you know the unit, add the electronic control afterwards. I've got a homebuild on its way to me courtesy of Duncan (thanks Duncan I relaly owe you one) as I prefer to see something that is a piece of "life support" kit running totally mechanically.

Observations that I have made (and not doubt I'll get lots of arguments about this but hey-ho):

Inspo:
Scrubber reasonably well made but manufacturing tolerances make the lid a dodgy fit on some. Electronics can be unreliable and many people are reporting cracked handsets. Ancillary bits (harness etc) are a bit Fisher Price.

Boris:
Very well engineered but has a major design flaw with the scrubber lid seal- it's completely the wrong type and should be a chevron seal, not an O ring. Bloody heavy.

KISS:
Nicely engineered, useful BOV. PPO2 display housings are a poor design and break easily. Not CE marked.

Submatix:
Nice design, poor build quality.

Meg:
Not had one of these to bits.

Dolphin SCR:
Easy to convert to CCR, build quality ok, a bit Fisher Price, cylinder valves and 1st stages non-standard.

Azi SCR:
Good build quality, nice design, weighs a ton. Cylinder valves and 1st stages even less standard than the Dolphin. Scrubber is a thing of beauty you will want to take to bed with you.

[SoggyFox]

Originally Posted by Woz

KISS:
Nicely engineered, useful BOV. PPO2 display housings are a poor design and break easily. Not CE marked.

.

i agree with Woz on what he said, for your info i got the KISS as liked the fact that i built it and controlled it. I'm in control of whats happening and that in my mind makes me much more alert with the unit (but thats maybe just me) i'm not relying on anything else just my eyes and brain.

I often relate it to the difference between an automatic (electronic CCR) and manual car (manual CCR), i'd prefer to learn on a manual so then i understand the ideas of gearing even if i later decide to drive an automatic cos its easier.

i have to agree with the handsets though, i don't like them cos they just feel too big on my arm and i sometimes struggle to see the last display and have to really move my head to see it properly over the hose at times. That might just be how i've got it set up.

i have to state i only have about 15 hours on it after my course, so i'm still greener than grass.