Which Rebreather Would You Choose & Why?

[Fathoms Down]

Well, I'm at the point where I can see a 'breather being of use to me over the next few years but the big problem is that I can't really see one which would suit me. The shortlist would be YBOD, Meg or the Ouberos (you know, the Gurr one ) but the problem is that they all have their shortcommings:

YBOD

I really hate to say it but the YBOD seems a bit "Fisher Price". The auto-air seems to be less reliable than the England football team, they seem very fussy and prone to failure at the surface and it seems that the first thing its users do it modify it so it goes out of warrantee. Are YBOD users just overly picky or it the YBOD really that lacking when it comes to its design?

Meg

This looks a storming unit but the problem comes with the lack or European support, Instructors and questions about the manufacturers lasting power.

Gurr (Ouber... Ober.. Oeber-thingy)

Again, this seems a very good unit but extremely expensive and, as its still pretty new, its pedigree is unknown.

Its still very early days for me and I must admit that I haven't looked into the different models as much as I should but these are my first impressions. If only choosing a breather was as easy as selecting OC kit and gasses.

[Brass Monkey]

I have to agree with Nick,
Even though I’m buying a Ybod myself, it is a bit “Fisher Price” and yes those auto air things are not worth a w@nk. Everybody does seem to modify the bod within a short period invalidating the warrantee.
A cross between the Ybod and the Meg now that would be something. The meg scrubber and electronics with the Ybod lungs hoses and ADV. A Bob Howel DSV, a SS back plate and your own choice of wing/harness. Sounds like a long term plan, it used to be nice when I deluded myself into thinking “diving is not that expensive”.




Dave.

I would proabably buy/build the KISS if I was to go that route. However I am still unconvinced it is the way to go.
GAs costs are less but £5000 is a lot of gas to use before you start seeing any financial benefits.
The main reason I am still unconvinced though is that OC is dependable and proved. You know right away if there is a problem and basically you don't have to worry too much about monitoring its "health" during a dive.
I'll wait and see what happens as time goes on, rebeathers have come a long way since they started coming onto the sports diving market but unfortunately I still remember the first fatalities which colours my opinion.

[dalegray]

Originally Posted by Mark Chase

The Kiss because:

1, Electronics and water scare me.
2, A self monitering / adjusting system a la YBOD is likley to be ignored in the end
3, The intigrated mouthpiece in the kiss is much better than te YBOD
4, Weight issues, the KISS is much more travel freindly
5, Flexabuility, The Kiss can be used with a range of tank sizes
6, Back mounted counter lungs on the Kiss leve the chest area free
7, I can use my own wing and back plate with the Kiss
8, Initial cost
9, Maintinance cost is lower on the kiss (less to go wrong)
10, It looks dead hard and techy in black with those lovley shiney braided hoses.

Obviously no 10 is the main reasion

ATB

Mark Chase

1. Without electonics you don't have a back up for your brain, which can go on holiday
2. Yes it will be, but unless you shouldn't be diving CCR it will be ignored because something else is trying to kill you, at this point you can ignore an inspirations Hand Sets and 99 times out of a hundred you won't die. Ignor the KISS and you're dead.
3. Agreed so fit one to an Inspiration.
4. I use sea fright when I go on holiday (just shipped 100 kilos to Malta)
5. Inspiration can be used with a jam box in just the same way, or you can add extra gas on side mounts
6. Yes they do, but also make breathing dificult at cirtain angles of trim
7. I have a Custom Diver TDB wing on my Inspiration
8. My life is worth more, if cost is the issue try OC.
9. see answer to 8.
10 Okay you can have this one.

Originally Posted by dalegray

1. Without electonics you don't have a back up for your brain, which can go on holiday

I have seen too much underwater equipment that was far more expensive and better built than a diving rebreather flood to have much faith in anything like it that my life depends on, so I am on Marks side here

[Phil Ennis]

Originally Posted by RubberBoy

I have seen too much underwater equipment that was far more expensive and better built than a diving rebreather flood to have much faith in anything like it that my life depends on, so I am on Marks side here

Whatever can go wrong can be recovered from with the correct training. We also practice our bailout options week in and week out to ensure that we will react correctly if there is a problem.

If anybody is interested but concerned about the so called safety issues, then arrange a 'Try Dive', you can ask all the questions and hopefully have your mind put at rest.

[dalegray]

Originally Posted by RubberBoy

I have seen too much underwater equipment that was far more expensive and better built than a diving rebreather flood to have much faith in anything like it that my life depends on, so I am on Marks side here

If the electronics flood, then the loop has flooded.

If the loop has flooded it doesn't matter if you have electonics or not,

If your electonics fail you can abort to brain power. Every critical system that can be backed up should be backed up.

However, that wouldn't stop me diving on a KISS unit, it just got me to go for the YBOD instead.

[dalegray]

Originally Posted by Phil Ennis

We also practice our bailout options week in and week out to ensure that we will react correctly if there is a problem.

You should get a girl mate! (sorry, couldn't resist - watched Pirates of the Carabean once too often)

Originally Posted by Phil Ennis

If anybody is interested but concerned about the so called safety issues, then arrange a 'Try Dive', you can ask all the questions and hopefully have your mind put at rest.

Forums like this is the best place to form an opinion. On a try dive you have someone trying to sell you something, that is not a source for an unbiased opinion.

[Phil Ennis]

Originally Posted by dalegray

You should get a girl mate! (sorry, couldn't resist - watched Pirates of the Carabean once too often)



Forums like this is the best place to form an opinion. On a try dive you have someone trying to sell you something, that is not a source for an unbiased opinion.

Sorry mate I don't agree, find a good Instructor and you will get the facts and told if the 'Breather' is not for you.

Forums are also a great place to find totally innacurate information from faceless people who may have no experience, or very little.

If you don't know whether an Instructor may be trying to sell you an unsuitable bit of kit, then buy a book or talk to someone with a unit who is diving it regularly.

Haven't seen Pirates of the Carribean yet, so not a clue what you are on about. Girls are far toooooo expensive and they talk too much. ( Joke ) emoticons not working.

[KISSer]

Originally Posted by dalegray

1. Without electonics you don't have a back up for your brain, which can go on holiday
2. Yes it will be, but unless you shouldn't be diving CCR it will be ignored because something else is trying to kill you, at this point you can ignore an inspirations Hand Sets and 99 times out of a hundred you won't die. Ignor the KISS and you're dead.
3. Agreed so fit one to an Inspiration.
4. I use sea fright when I go on holiday (just shipped 100 kilos to Malta)
5. Inspiration can be used with a jam box in just the same way, or you can add extra gas on side mounts
6. Yes they do, but also make breathing dificult at cirtain angles of trim
7. I have a Custom Diver TDB wing on my Inspiration
8. My life is worth more, if cost is the issue try OC.
9. see answer to 8.
10 Okay you can have this one.

1. If your brain goes on holiday on any CCR you're not in a good position.
2. Precisely - so KISS divers cannot and do not ignore their displays. What happens on the 1 in a hundred times on the inspiration?
3. Already got one.
4. Try doing that to the other side of the world - do you quit diving for 6 weeks before and after the trip?
5. Fettling is all a part of diving a RB
6. So would you rather be cluttered all of the time or have an excellent WOB 99% of the time (apart from when you're in some ridiculous position)
7. See 5
8. I think a Rich Pyle quote is that if economics are influencing your diving then you shouldn't be doing it. Buying a rebreather cos its cheap could be a one way street. Buying a rebreather for valid reasons and then having it being cheap as well is a bonus. But I reckon that the average KISS owner could easily have got a YBOD for what they ended up spending on the KISS.
9. Rather than cost, I'd suggest that anything that breaks on a KISS is fixable by the user - I've known several Inspirations go back to the factory with intermittent electrical faults.
10.

Not tyring to get into any one-upmanship here - I reckon that, given the right pub, an Inspiration diver and a KISS diver could play this game all night. Heck, invite an RB80, a Meg and a Prism and it'd be a really long night.

At the end of the day it's a personal choice. The Inspiration is a proven unit that's ready out of the box - ithe KISS takes a bit more work, and without a local presence will always be perceived as a more risky choice for support. Though personally I can say that the backup from Gordon and Kim is as good as the service from AP, and that's no mean feat.